October 21, 2012
The Skull in the Rock
How a Scientist, a Boy, and Google Earth Opened a New Window on Human Origins
Nine-year-old Matthew Berger was in South Africa with his father when he said “Dad, I’ve found a fossil.” Dad is paleoanthropologist Lee Berger, who realized this was “a gift from the past so precious almost nothing like it had ever been found.” Matthew’s discovery was part of a nearly complete skeleton of a new species. Aronson presents the story as if the participants are on an entertaining treasure hunt. He urges young readers to observe and explore nature – they might make the next important discovery. Ages 10 and up