Paleobiological Implications of the <i>Ardipithecus ramidus</i> Dentition
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- Gen Suwa
- The University Museum, the University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan.
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- Reiko T. Kono
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0073 Japan.
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- Scott W. Simpson
- Department of Anatomy, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106–4930, USA.
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- Berhane Asfaw
- Rift Valley Research Service, Post Office Box 5717, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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- C. Owen Lovejoy
- Department of Anthropology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240–0001, USA.
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- Tim D. White
- Human Evolution Research Center and Department of Integrative Biology, 3101 VLSB, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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説明
<jats:p> The Middle Awash <jats:italic>Ardipithecus ramidus</jats:italic> sample comprises over 145 teeth, including associated maxillary and mandibular sets. These help reveal the earliest stages of human evolution. <jats:italic>Ar. ramidus</jats:italic> lacks the postcanine megadontia of <jats:italic>Australopithecus</jats:italic> . Its molars have thinner enamel and are functionally less durable than those of <jats:italic>Australopithecus</jats:italic> but lack the derived <jats:italic>Pan</jats:italic> pattern of thin occlusal enamel associated with ripe-fruit frugivory. The <jats:italic>Ar. ramidus</jats:italic> dental morphology and wear pattern are consistent with a partially terrestrial, omnivorous/frugivorous niche. Analyses show that the <jats:italic>ARA-VP-6/500</jats:italic> skeleton is female and that <jats:italic>Ar. ramidus</jats:italic> was nearly monomorphic in canine size and shape. The canine/lower third premolar complex indicates a reduction of canine size and honing capacity early in hominid evolution, possibly driven by selection targeted on the male upper canine. </jats:p>
収録刊行物
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- Science
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Science 326 (5949), 69-99, 2009-10-02
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
