Sahelanthropus tchadensis has a skull with an elongated shape with a relatively short, vertical face, which is set high relative to the skull vault. The eyes are set far apart from each other and have a very large continuous bony brow ridge above them. Examination of the lower jaw reveals that Sahelanthropus had a total of thirty two teeth, which is common in all Old World monkeys, apes, and humans. The foramen magnum (where the skull opens for spinal cord passage) is positioned forward and oriented downward. Sahelanthropus has a nose opening that a midline reaches down to the bony palate, as seen in gibbons and monkeys. By contrast, humans and African apes have a nose opening that is set well above the mouth even at its midline.
Sahelanthropus had a very primitive-looking braincase, especially in the back, combined with fairly advanced hominid-looking face and canine teeth. (source: Intro to Physical Anthropology, pg 292). Sahelanthropus' diet is not confirmed, but its flooded......
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