Holotypes can hide species diversity

Reexamining the Taung child shows that treating one specimen (a holotype) as the default standard can mask distinct lineages present in the same place and time. Digital growth‑models and dental microstructure can reveal when fossils attributed to a single species actually represent multiple developmental trajectories and taxa. — If holotype‑centric taxonomy undercounts species, popular stories about a neat human family tree should be revised and science communication about our origins must accommodate greater pluralism and uncertainty.