Coppens (1965) proposed Tchadanthropus uxoris with the Yayo fragmentary cranium as the type specimen. Coppens's text reads "Un certain nombre de caractères particuliers que cette Note a pour poropos de souligner, nous a décidé, dans la tradition, à lui donner génériquement et spécifiquement un nome provisoire; nous sommes parfaitement conscient de sa précarité et persuadé que le nombre croissant de fossiles humains mis au jour permettra bientot d'alléger et de simplifier la taxonomie mais, en attendant ces éclaircissements et un diagnose du genre paléontologique Homo , l'Hominien du Tchad s'appellera Tchadanthropus uxoris." p. 2869.
This passage roughly translates to:
"A certain number of particular characteristics that this Note aims to underscore, we have decided, as is common practice, to give it provisional generic and specific names; We are perfectly aware of its precariousness and convinced that the growing number of human fossils unearthed will soon permit us to unburden and simplify the taxonomy but, while awaiting these clarifications and a diagnosis of the paleontological genus Homo, the Hominian of Chad will be called Tchadanthropus uxoris."
The reference to a provisional name led Campbell (1965), Szalay and Delson (1979), and Groves (1989) to designate the name as unavailable under Article 15. Szalay and Delson (1979) listed the taxon as an unavailable synonym of Homo erectus, while Groves (1989) included it under Homo sapiens heidelbergensis.
