Taung is a small town situated in North West Province of South Africa. The name place of the lion and was named after Tau, the chief of the Legoya or BaTaung tribe.

In 1924 a child's skull (Taung Child) was discovered by Raymond Dart in the nearby limestone quarry and it is said to provide clues to solving the missing link between man and ape. The skull is now housed at the University of the Witwatersrand.