Abstract: The discovery in 1999 of an isolated skull of Homo sapiens in the Orsang River valley, a tributary of the Narmada River in western India, is significant for understanding human evolution in India and the links between South Asian Homo erectus and the oldest Asian Homo sapiens(or AMH, anatomically modern human).The fossil was found in an old fluvial deposit. Infrared stimulated luminescence(IRSL) dating of the host sediments and of those within the endocranium provided an age ranging from 50 to 30 ka. However, direct dating(AMS radiocarbon) of the bone gave a minimum age of 4981-5579 cal BP. The skull is found to refer to a brachycranial Homo sapiens and The most interesting features observed are the exocranial, a well developed torus angularis in the posterior part of the Asian Homo erectus, the greatest width in the lower part of the cranium(temporal) as in Homo erectus, which may be due to pneumatization of the mastoid process. The supramastoid crest is developed and very broad frontal sinuses are visible located in the broken glabellar area(20mm). All together, these robust features suggest a genetic continuity between Orsang skull and the late Asian Homo erectus.

Key words: Homo sapiens; Homo erectus; Torus angularis; Calvarium; Lower Narmada basin; Western India