With the discovery of the five nearly complete hominin crania at the Dmanisi site in the Republic of Georgia, the discoverers have caused some controversy by aligning them with the middle Pleistocene Homo erectus based on facial and cranial morphology. This classification is used to imply that both H. habilis and H. erectus belong as a single highly variable species; a classification which ignores the presence of important primitive characteristics and earlier origin date that set Homo habilis apart from their descendants. There is even enough evidence for some anthropologists to consider splitting these two populations into still more classifications. In an attempt to clear up the confusion of this issue, both the stature and cranial capacity of the Dmanisi sample was compared to both available H. habilis and H. erectus data. When considered as two separate taxa, these tests strongly support the idea that the Georgian hominins in question should be considered Homo habilis, which in itself should remain apart from the H. erectus hypodigm.
