Expert: John Shea - 1/29/2011

Question
When did Paranthropus die out?

Answer
Brandon
Last appearance dates for paranthropus in various parts of S and E Africa cluster around 1.5 million years ago. So, probably the last ones died out not to long afterwards.  No way to fix a precise date because at some point their numbers probably got so low their chances of leaving a fossil were infinitesimally small.  By way of comparison -chimpanzees have likley been around for millions of years and we have exactly two fossils attributable to them from African sites.
The 1.5 Mya date may be telling, though. This is very shortly after H. erectus becomes widespread in Africa and after Acheulian tools start showing up from one end of the continent to the other. It might be a case of the human niche (or Homo erectus one) expanding to the point where there was no room for other hominins.
Want to read more -see anything by Fred Grine on Paranthropines or Ian Tattersall's book Extinct Humans.
Cheers,
John Shea