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Bruner E, Holloway R, Baab KL, Rogers MJ, Semaw S. The endocast from Dana Aoule North (DAN5/P1): A 1.5 million year-old human braincase from Gona, Afar, Ethiopia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:206-215. [PMID: 36810873 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The nearly complete cranium DAN5/P1 was found at Gona (Afar, Ethiopia), dated to 1.5-1.6 Ma, and assigned to the species Homo erectus. Its size is, nonetheless, particularly small for the known range of variation of this taxon, and the cranial capacity has been estimated as 598 cc. In this study, we analyzed a reconstruction of its endocranial cast, to investigate its paleoneurological features. The main anatomical traits of the endocast were described, and its morphology was compared with other fossil and modern human samples. The endocast shows most of the traits associated with less encephalized human taxa, like narrow frontal lobes and a simple meningeal vascular network with posterior parietal branches. The parietal region is relatively tall and rounded, although not especially large. Based on our set of measures, the general endocranial proportions are within the range of fossils included in the species Homo habilis or in the genus Australopithecus. Similarities with the genus Homo include a more posterior position of the frontal lobe relative to the cranial bones, and the general endocranial length and width when size is taken into account. This new specimen extends the known brain size variability of Homo ergaster/erectus, while suggesting that differences in gross brain proportions among early human species, or even between early humans and australopiths, were absent or subtle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Programa de Paleobiología, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain
| | - Ralph Holloway
- Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Karen L Baab
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Rogers
- Department of Anthropology, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Sileshi Semaw
- Programa de Arqueología, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, Spain.,Stone Age Institute, Gosport, Indiana, USA
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Baab KL, Rogers M, Bruner E, Semaw S. Reconstruction and analysis of the DAN5/P1 and BSN12/P1 Gona Early Pleistocene Homo fossils. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103102. [PMID: 34891069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Two Early Pleistocene fossils from Gona, Ethiopia, were originally assigned to Homo erectus, and their differences in size and robusticity were attributed to either sexual dimorphism or anagenetic evolution. In the current study, we both revisit the taxonomic affinities of these fossils and assess whether morphological differences between them reflect temporal evolution or sexual variation. We generated virtual reconstructions of the mostly complete ∼1.55 Ma DAN5/P1 calvaria and the less complete 1.26 Ma BSN12/P1 fossil, allowing us to directly compare their anterior vault shapes using landmark-based shape analysis. The two fossils are similar in calvaria shape to H. erectus and also to other Early Pleistocene Homo species based on a geometric morphometric analysis of calvaria landmarks and semilandmarks. The DAN5/P1 fossil bears a particularly close affinity to the Georgian H. erectus fossils and to KNM-ER 1813 (H. habilis), probably reflecting allometric influences on vault shape. Combined with species-specific traits of the neurocranium (e.g., midline keeling, angular torus), we confirm that these fossils are likely early African H. erectus. We calculated regression-based estimates of endocranial volume for BSN12/P1 of 882-910 cm3 based on three virtual reconstructions. Although BSN12/P1 is markedly larger than DAN5/P1 (598 cm3), both fossils represent the smallest adult H. erectus known from their respective time periods in Africa. Some of the difference in endocranial volume between the two Gona fossils reflects broader species-level brain expansion from 1.77 to 0.01 Ma, confirmed here using a large sample (n = 38) of H. erectus. However, shape differences between these fossils did not reflect species-level changes to calvaria shape. Moreover, the analysis failed to recover a clear pattern of sexually patterned size or shape differences within H. erectus based on our current assessments of sex for individual fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L Baab
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85012, USA.
| | - Michael Rogers
- Department of Anthropology, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent St., New Haven, CT 06515, USA
| | - Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Sileshi Semaw
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Sierra de Atapuerca 3, Burgos, 09002, Spain; Stone Age Institute and CRAFT Research Center, 1392 W. Dittemore Rd. Gosport, IN 47408, USA
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Comparative dental study between Homo antecessor and Chinese Homo erectus: Nonmetric features and geometric morphometrics. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103087. [PMID: 34742110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Chinese Middle Pleistocene fossils from Hexian, Xichuan, Yiyuan, and Zhoukoudian have been generally classified as Homo erectus s.s. These hominins share some primitive features with other Homo specimens, but they also display unique cranial and dental traits. Thus, the Chinese Middle Pleistocene hominins share with other European and Asian hominin populations the so-called 'Eurasian dental pattern'. The late Early Pleistocene hominins from Gran Dolina-TD6.2 (Spain), representing the species Homo antecessor, also exhibit the Eurasian dental pattern, which may suggest common roots. To assess phylogenetic affinities of these two taxa, we evaluated and compared nonmetric and metric dental features and interpreted morphological differences within a comparative hominin framework. We determined that the robust roots of the molars, the shelf-like protostylid, the dendrite-like pattern of the enamel-dentine junction surface of the upper fourth premolars and molars, the strongly folded dentine of the labial surface of the upper incisors, and the rare occurrence of a mid-trigonid crest in the lower molars, are all characteristic of Chinese H. erectus. With regard to H. antecessor, we observed the consistent expression of a continuous mid-trigonid crest, the absence of a cingulum in the upper canines, a complex root pattern of the lower premolars, and a rhomboidal occlusal contour and occlusal polygon and protrusion in the external outline of a large a bulging hypocone in the first and second upper molars. Using two-dimensional geometric morphometrics, we further demonstrated that H. antecessor falls outside the range of variation of Chinese H. erectus for occlusal crown outline shape, the orientation of occlusal grooves, and relative locations of anterior and posterior foveae in the P4s, P3s, M1s, M2s, and M2s. Given their geographic and temporal separation, the differences between these two species suggest their divergence occurred at some point in the Early Pleistocene, and thereafter they followed different evolutionary paths.
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Abstract
We review the state of paleoanthropology research in Asia. We survey the fossil record, articulate the current understanding, and delineate the points of contention. Although Asia received less attention than Europe and Africa did in the second half of the twentieth century, an increase in reliably dated fossil materials and the advances in genetics have fueled new research. The long and complex evolutionary history of humans in Asia throughout the Pleistocene can be explained by a balance of mechanisms, between gene flow among different populations and continuity of regional ancestry. This pattern is reflected in fossil morphology and paleogenomics. Critical understanding of the sociocultural forces that shaped the history of hominin fossil research in Asia is important in charting the way forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hee Lee
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, California 92521, USA
| | - Autumn Hudock
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223, USA
- Current affiliation: Department of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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Joseph SS, Dennisan A. Three Dimensional Reconstruction Models for Medical Modalities: A Comprehensive Investigation and Analysis. Curr Med Imaging 2020; 16:653-668. [PMID: 32723236 DOI: 10.2174/1573405615666190124165855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Image reconstruction is the mathematical process which converts the signals obtained from the scanning machine into an image. The reconstructed image plays a fundamental role in the planning of surgery and research in the medical field. DISCUSSION This paper introduces the first comprehensive survey of the literature about medical image reconstruction related to diseases, presenting a categorical study about the techniques and analyzing advantages and disadvantages of each technique. The images obtained by various imaging modalities like MRI, CT, CTA, Stereo radiography and Light field microscopy are included. A comparison on the basis of the reconstruction technique, Imaging Modality and Visualization, Disease, Metrics for 3D reconstruction accuracy, Dataset and Execution time, Evaluation of the technique is also performed. CONCLUSION The survey makes an assessment of the suitable reconstruction technique for an organ, draws general conclusions and discusses the future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushitha Susan Joseph
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
| | - Aju Dennisan
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore 632014, India
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Xing S, Martinón-Torres M, Bermúdez de Castro JM. The fossil teeth of the Peking Man. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2066. [PMID: 29391445 PMCID: PMC5794973 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20432-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This study provides new original data, including the endostructure of most Zhoukoudian H. erectus teeth preserved to date, since the publication of Black in 1927 and Weidenreich in 1937. The new evidence ratifies the similarities of Zhoukoudian with other East Asian mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins such as Hexian and Yiyuan, and allows defining a dental pattern potentially characteristic of this population commonly referred to as classic H. erectus. Given the possible chronological overlaps of classic H. erectus with other archaic Homo, the characterization of this group becomes a key issue when deciphering the taxonomy and evolutionary scenario of the Middle Pleistocene hominins in East Asia. Internally, the most remarkable feature of Zhoukoudian teeth is the highly crenulated enamel-dentine junction (EDJ) and its imprint on the roof of the pulp cavity. So far, this "dendrite-like" EDJ has been found only in East Asia Middle Pleistocene hominins although a large group of samples were assessed, and it could be useful to dentally define classic H. erectus in China. The crenulated EDJ surface, together with the stout roots and the taurodontism could be a mechanism to withstand high biomechanical demand despite a general dentognathic reduction, particularly of the crowns, in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China.
| | - María Martinón-Torres
- National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain.,University College London (UCL) Anthropology, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
| | - José María Bermúdez de Castro
- National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), Paseo de la Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain.,University College London (UCL) Anthropology, 14 Taviton Street, London, WC1H 0BW, UK
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Athreya S, Wu X. A multivariate assessment of the Dali hominin cranium from China: Morphological affinities and implications for Pleistocene evolution in East Asia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:679-701. [PMID: 29068047 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 08/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A nearly complete hominin fossil cranium from Dali in Shaanxi Province, China was excavated in 1978. We update and expand on previous research by providing a multivariate analysis of the specimen relative to a large sample of Middle and Late Pleistocene hominins. MATERIALS AND METHODS We apply principal components analysis, discriminant function analysis, and a method of assessing group membership based on a soft independent model of class analogy (SIMCA) to the study of Dali's cranial morphology. We evaluate Dali's affinities within the context of Middle and Late Pleistocene Homo patterns of craniofacial morphology. RESULTS When just the facial skeleton is considered, Dali aligns with Middle Paleolithic H. sapiens and is clearly more derived than African or Eurasian Middle Pleistocene Homo. When just the neurocranium is considered, Dali is most similar to African and Eastern Eurasian but not Western European Middle Pleistocene Homo. When both sets of variables are considered together, Dali exhibits a unique morphology that is most closely aligned with the earliest H. sapiens from North Africa and the Levant. DISCUSSION These results add perspective to our previous view of as Dali a "transitional" form between Chinese H. erectus and H. sapiens. Athough no taxonomic allocation is appropriate at this time for Dali, it appears to represent a population that played a more central role in the origin of Chinese H. sapiens. Dali's affinities can be understood in the context of Wu's Continuity with Hybridization scenario and a braided-stream network model of gene flow. Specifically, we propose that Pleistocene populations in China were shaped by periods of isolated evolutionary change within local lineages at certain times, and gene flow between local lineages or between Eastern and Western Eurasia, and Africa at other times, resulting in contributions being made in different capacities to different regions at different times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheela Athreya
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, MS 4352 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843
| | - Xinzhi Wu
- Laboratory for Human Evolution, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
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BAAB KARENL, ZAIM YAHDI. Global and local perspectives on cranial shape variation in Indonesian Homo erectus. ANTHROPOL SCI 2017. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.170413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- KAREN L. BAAB
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale
| | - YAHDI ZAIM
- Department of Geology, Institut Technologi Bandung (ITB), Bandung
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9
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Antón SC, Taboada HG, Middleton ER, Rainwater CW, Taylor AB, Turner TR, Turnquist JE, Weinstein KJ, Williams SA. Morphological variation in Homo erectus and the origins of developmental plasticity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150236. [PMID: 27298467 PMCID: PMC4920293 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homo erectus was the first hominin to exhibit extensive range expansion. This extraordinary departure from Africa, especially into more temperate climates of Eurasia, has been variously related to technological, energetic and foraging shifts. The temporal and regional anatomical variation in H. erectus suggests that a high level of developmental plasticity, a key factor in the ability of H. sapiens to occupy a variety of habitats, may also have been present in H. erectus. Developmental plasticity, the ability to modify development in response to environmental conditions, results in differences in size, shape and dimorphism across populations that relate in part to levels of resource sufficiency and extrinsic mortality. These differences predict not only regional variations but also overall smaller adult sizes and lower levels of dimorphism in instances of resource scarcity and high predator load. We consider the metric variation in 35 human and non-human primate 'populations' from known environmental contexts and 14 time- and space-restricted paleodemes of H. erectus and other fossil Homo Human and non-human primates exhibit more similar patterns of variation than expected, with plasticity evident, but in differing patterns by sex across populations. The fossil samples show less evidence of variation than expected, although H. erectus varies more than Neandertals.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Emily R Middleton
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, M263 Medical Science Building, Columbia, MO 65212, USA
| | | | - Andrea B Taylor
- Department of Orthopaedics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Trudy R Turner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Jean E Turnquist
- Caribbean Primate Research Center and Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology (Retired), University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Karen J Weinstein
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 17013, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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Balzeau A, Charlier P. What do cranial bones of LB1 tell us about Homo floresiensis? J Hum Evol 2016; 93:12-24. [PMID: 27086053 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cranial vault thickness (CVT) of Liang Bua 1, the specimen that is proposed to be the holotype of Homo floresiensis, has not yet been described in detail and compared with samples of fossil hominins, anatomically modern humans or microcephalic skulls. In addition, a complete description from a forensic and pathological point of view has not yet been carried out. It is important to evaluate scientifically if features related to CVT bring new information concerning the possible pathological status of LB1, and if it helps to recognize affinities with any hominin species and particularly if the specimen could belong to the species Homo sapiens. Medical examination of the skull based on a micro-CT examination clearly brings to light the presence of a sincipital T (a non-metrical variant of normal anatomy), a scar from an old frontal trauma without any evident functional consequence, and a severe bilateral hyperostosis frontalis interna that may have modified the anterior morphology of the endocranium of LB1. We also show that LB1 displays characteristics, related to the distribution of bone thickness and arrangements of cranial structures, that are plesiomorphic traits for hominins, at least for Homo erectus s.l. relative to Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens. All the microcephalic skulls analyzed here share the derived condition of anatomically modern H. sapiens. Cranial vault thickness does not help to clarify the definition of the species H. floresiensis but it also does not support an attribution of LB1 to H. sapiens. We conclude that there is no support for the attribution of LB1 to H. sapiens as there is no evidence of systemic pathology and because it does not have any of the apomorphic traits of our species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Balzeau
- Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194 du CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, B-3080 Tervuren, Belgium.
| | - Philippe Charlier
- Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, UFR of Health Sciences (UVSQ/Paris-Descartes University, AP-HP), Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France
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11
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Bruner E, Bondioli L, Coppa A, Frayer DW, Holloway RL, Libsekal Y, Medin T, Rook L, Macchiarelli R. The endocast of the one-million-year-old human cranium from Buia (UA 31), Danakil Eritrea. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:458-68. [PMID: 27040007 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2016] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Homo erectus-like cranium from Buia (UA 31) was found in the Eritrean Danakil depression and dated to 1 million years. Its outer morphology displays archaic traits, as well as distinctive and derived characters. The present study provides the description and metric comparison of its endocranial anatomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS UA 31 was originally filled by a diffuse concretion. Following its removal and cleaning, the endocast (995 cc) was reconstructed after physical molding and digital scan. Its morphology is here compared with specimens belonging to different human taxa, taking into account endocranial metrics, cortical traits, and craniovascular features. RESULTS The endocast is long and narrow when compared to the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm, although its proportions are compatible with the morphology displayed by all archaic and medium-brained human species. The occipital areas display a pronounced bulging, the cerebellum is located in a posterior position, and the middle meningeal vessels are more developed in the posterior regions. These features are common among specimens attributed to H. erectus s.l., particularly the Middle Pleistocene endocasts from Zhoukoudian. The parietal lobes are markedly bossed. This lateral bulging is associated with the lower parietal circumvolutions, as in other archaic specimens. This pronounced parietal curvature is apparently due to a narrow cranial base, more than to wider parietal areas. CONCLUSIONS The endocast of UA 31 shows a general plesiomorphic phenotype, with some individual features (e.g., dolichocephaly and rounded lower parietal areas) which confirm a remarkable degree of morphological variability within the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:458-468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Burgos, 09002, Spain
| | - Luca Bondioli
- Sezione di Bioarcheologia, Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "Luigi Pigorini", 00144, Rome, Italy
| | - Alfredo Coppa
- Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Università di Roma "La Sapienza", 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - David W Frayer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Kansas, KS 66045-2110, Lawrence, USA
| | - Ralph L Holloway
- Department of Anthropology, Columbia University, 5532, New York, USA
| | | | - Tsegai Medin
- National Museum of Eritrea, 5284, Asmara, Eritrea.,Institut Catala de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007, Tarragona, Spain
| | - Lorenzo Rook
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Firenze, 50121, Italy
| | - Roberto Macchiarelli
- UMR 7194 CNRS-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, 75000, Paris, France.,Département Géosciences, Université de Poitiers, 86000, France
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12
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Baab KL. The role of neurocranial shape in defining the boundaries of an expanded Homo erectus hypodigm. J Hum Evol 2016; 92:1-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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13
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Lee SH. Homo erectus in Salkhit, Mongolia? HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2015; 66:287-98. [PMID: 25813423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In 2006, a skullcap was discovered in Salkhit, Mongolia. The Salkhit skullcap has a mostly complete frontal, two partially complete parietals, and nasals. No chronometric dating has been published yet, and suggested dates range from early Middle Pleistocene to terminal Late Pleistocene. While no chronometric date has been published, the presence of archaic features has led to a potential affiliation with archaic hominin species. If it is indeed Homo erectus or archaic Homo sapiens, Salkhit implies a much earlier spread of hominins farther north and inland Asia than previously thought. In this paper, the nature of the archaic features in Salkhit is investigated. The Salkhit skullcap morphology and metrics were compared with Middle and Late Pleistocene hominin fossils from northeast Asia: Zhoukoudian Locality 1, Dali, and Zhoukoudian Upper Cave. Results show an interesting pattern: on one hand, the archaic features that Salkhit shares with the Zhoukoudian Locality 1 sample also are shared with other later hominins; on the other hand, Salkhit is different from the Middle Pleistocene materials in the same way later hominins differ from the Middle Pleistocene sample, in having a broader frontal and thinner supraorbital region. This may reflect encephalization and gracilization, a modernization trend found in many places. It is concluded that the archaic features observed in Salkhit are regionally predominant features rather than diagnostic features of an archaic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hee Lee
- Department of Anthropology, University of California at Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521-0418, USA.
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14
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Chang CH, Kaifu Y, Takai M, Kono RT, Grün R, Matsu'ura S, Kinsley L, Lin LK. The first archaic Homo from Taiwan. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6037. [PMID: 25625212 PMCID: PMC4316746 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies of an increasing number of hominin fossils highlight regional and chronological diversities of archaic Homo in the Pleistocene of eastern Asia. However, such a realization is still based on limited geographical occurrences mainly from Indonesia, China and Russian Altai. Here we describe a newly discovered archaic Homo mandible from Taiwan (Penghu 1), which further increases the diversity of Pleistocene Asian hominins. Penghu 1 revealed an unexpectedly late survival (younger than 450 but most likely 190–10 thousand years ago) of robust, apparently primitive dentognathic morphology in the periphery of the continent, which is unknown among the penecontemporaneous fossil records from other regions of Asia except for the mid-Middle Pleistocene Homo from Hexian, Eastern China. Such patterns of geographic trait distribution cannot be simply explained by clinal geographic variation of Homo erectus between northern China and Java, and suggests survival of multiple evolutionary lineages among archaic hominins before the arrival of modern humans in the region. Growing evidence reveals great diversity of archaic Asian hominins. Here, Chang and colleagues describe a newly discovered archaic Homo mandible from Taiwan, which suggests the survival of multiple evolutionary lineages among archaic hominins before the arrival of modern humans to eastern Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hsiang Chang
- Department of Geology, National Museum of Natural Science, 1, Guancian Road, Taichung 40453, Taiwan
| | - Yousuke Kaifu
- 1] Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan [2] Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Masanaru Takai
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, 41-2 Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan
| | - Reiko T Kono
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
| | - Rainer Grün
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Mills Road Building 142, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Shuji Matsu'ura
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Ochanomizu University, 2-1-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8610, Japan
| | - Les Kinsley
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Mills Road Building 142, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia
| | - Liang-Kong Lin
- Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, 0704 PO Box 988, No. 181, Sector 3, Taichung Port Road, Taichung 40704, Taiwan
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Xing S, Martinón-Torres M, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Zhang Y, Fan X, Zheng L, Huang W, Liu W. Middle Pleistocene hominin teeth from Longtan Cave, Hexian, China. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114265. [PMID: 25551383 PMCID: PMC4281145 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Excavations at the Longtan Cave, Hexian, Anhui Province of Eastern China, have yielded several hominin fossils including crania, mandibular fragments, and teeth currently dated to 412 ± 25 ka. While previous studies have focused on the cranial remains, there are no detailed analyses of the dental evidence. In this study, we provide metric and morphological descriptions and comparisons of ten teeth recovered from Hexian, including microcomputed tomography analyses. Our results indicate that the Hexian teeth are metrically and morphologically primitive and overlap with H. ergaster and East Asian Early and mid-Middle Pleistocene hominins in their large dimensions and occlusal complexities. However, the Hexian teeth differ from H. ergaster in features such as conspicuous vertical grooves on the labial/buccal surfaces of the central incisor and the upper premolar, the crown outline shapes of upper and lower molars and the numbers, shapes, and divergences of the roots. Despite their close geological ages, the Hexian teeth are also more primitive than Zhoukoudian specimens, and resemble Sangiran Early Pleistocene teeth. In addition, no typical Neanderthal features have been identified in the Hexian sample. Our study highlights the metrical and morphological primitive status of the Hexian sample in comparison to contemporaneous or even earlier populations of Asia. Based on this finding, we suggest that the primitive-derived gradients of the Asian hominins cannot be satisfactorily fitted along a chronological sequence, suggesting complex evolutionary scenarios with the coexistence and/or survival of different lineages in Eurasia. Hexian could represent the persistence in time of a H. erectus group that would have retained primitive features that were lost in other Asian populations such as Zhoukoudian or Panxian Dadong. Our study expands the metrical and morphological variations known for the East Asian hominins before the mid-Middle Pleistocene and warns about the possibility that the Asian hominin variability may have been taxonomically oversimplified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xing
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Yingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Wanbo Huang
- Chongqing Three Gorges Institute of Paleoanthropology, China Three Gorges Museum, Chongqing, China
| | - Wu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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16
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Rightmire GP. Homo erectus and Middle Pleistocene hominins: Brain size, skull form, and species recognition. J Hum Evol 2013; 65:223-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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17
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Balzeau A. Thickened cranial vault and parasagittal keeling: Correlated traits and autapomorphies of Homo erectus? J Hum Evol 2013; 64:631-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2012] [Revised: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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18
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Plavcan JM. Body Size, Size Variation, and Sexual Size Dimorphism in Early Homo. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1086/667605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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19
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Grimaud-Hervé D, Widianto H, Détroit F, Sémah F. Comparative morphological and morphometric description of the hominin calvaria from Bukuran (Sangiran, Central Java, Indonesia). J Hum Evol 2012; 63:637-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2009] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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20
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Laurent CP, Jolivet E, Hodel J, Decq P, Skalli W. New method for 3D reconstruction of the human cranial vault from CT-scan data. Med Eng Phys 2011; 33:1270-5. [PMID: 21764623 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2011.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2011] [Revised: 06/06/2011] [Accepted: 06/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study presents a new method for the 3D reconstruction of the human cranial vault from routine Computed Tomography (CT) data. The reconstruction method was based on the conceptualization of the shape of the cranial vault with a parametric description. An initialization was first realized with the identification of anatomical landmarks and contours on Digitally Reconstructed Radiographs (DRR) in order to obtain a pre-personalized reconstruction. Then an optimization of the reconstruction was performed to segment the internal and external surfaces of the cranial vault for thickness computation. The method was validated by comparing final reconstructions issued from our approach and from a manual slice-by-slice segmentation method on ten CT-scans. Errors were comparable to the CT image resolution, and less than 2 min were dedicated to the operator-dependent marking step. The reconstruction of internal and external surfaces of the cranial vault allows quantifying and visualizing of thickness throughout the cranial vault. This thickness mapping is useful for clinical purposes as additional pre-surgical information. Moreover, this study constitutes a first step in the personalized characterization of skull resistance directly from routine exams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric P Laurent
- Arts et Métiers Paristech, CNRS, LBM, 151 boulevard de l'hôpital 75013, France.
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21
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Indriati E, Antón SC. The calvaria of Sangiran 38, Sendangbusik, Sangiran Dome, Java. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2010; 61:225-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2010.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2010] [Accepted: 05/26/2010] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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22
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Wu X, Schepartz LA, Liu W. A new Homo erectus (Zhoukoudian V) brain endocast from China. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:337-44. [PMID: 19403532 PMCID: PMC2842660 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2009] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A new Homo erectus endocast, Zhoukoudian (ZKD) V, is assessed by comparing it with ZKD II, ZKD III, ZKD X, ZKD XI, ZKD XII, Hexian, Trinil II, Sambungmacan (Sm) 3, Sangiran 2, Sangiran 17, KNM-ER 3733, KNM-WT 15 000, Kabwe, Liujiang and 31 modern Chinese. The endocast of ZKD V has an estimated endocranial volume of 1140 ml. As the geological age of ZKD V is younger than the other ZKD H. erectus, evolutionary changes in brain morphology are evaluated. The brain size of the ZKD specimens increases slightly over time. Compared with the other ZKD endocasts, ZKD V shows important differences, including broader frontal and occipital lobes, some indication of fuller parietal lobes, and relatively large brain size that reflect significant trends documented in later hominin brain evolution. Bivariate and principal component analyses indicate that geographical variation does not characterize the ZKD, African and other Asian specimens. The ZKD endocasts share some common morphological and morphometric features with other H. erectus endocasts that distinguish them from Homo sapiens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujie Wu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, People's Republic of China.
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23
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Lague MR, Collard NJ, Richmond BG, Wood BA. Hominid mandibular corpus shape variation and its utility for recognizing species diversity within fossil Homo. J Anat 2008; 213:670-85. [PMID: 19094183 PMCID: PMC2666136 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2008.00989.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/28/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mandibular corpora are well represented in the hominin fossil record, yet few studies have rigorously assessed the utility of mandibular corpus morphology for species recognition, particularly with respect to the linear dimensions that are most commonly available. In this study, we explored the extent to which commonly preserved mandibular corpus morphology can be used to: (i) discriminate among extant hominid taxa and (ii) support species designations among fossil specimens assigned to the genus Homo. In the first part of the study, discriminant analysis was used to test for significant differences in mandibular corpus shape at different taxonomic levels (genus, species and subspecies) among extant hominid taxa (i.e. Homo, Pan, Gorilla, Pongo). In the second part of the study, we examined shape variation among fossil mandibles assigned to Homo (including H. habilis sensu stricto, H. rudolfensis, early African H. erectus/H. ergaster, late African H. erectus, Asian H. erectus, H. heidelbergensis, H. neanderthalensis and H. sapiens). A novel randomization procedure designed for small samples (and using group 'distinctness values') was used to determine whether shape variation among the fossils is consistent with conventional taxonomy (or alternatively, whether a priori taxonomic groupings are completely random with respect to mandibular morphology). The randomization of 'distinctness values' was also used on the extant samples to assess the ability of the test to recognize known taxa. The discriminant analysis results demonstrated that, even for a relatively modest set of traditional mandibular corpus measurements, we can detect significant differences among extant hominids at the genus and species levels, and, in some cases, also at the subspecies level. Although the randomization of 'distinctness values' test is more conservative than discriminant analysis (based on comparisons with extant specimens), we were able to detect at least four distinct groups among the fossil specimens (i.e. H. sapiens, H. heidelbergensis, Asian H. erectus and a combined 'African Homo' group consisting of H. habilis sensu stricto, H. rudolfensis, early African H. erectus/H. ergaster and late African H. erectus). These four groups appear to be distinct at a level similar to, or greater than, that of modern hominid species. In addition, the mandibular corpora of H. neanderthalensis could be distinguished from those of 'African Homo', although not from those of H. sapiens, H. heidelbergensis, or the Asian H. erectus group. The results suggest that the features most commonly preserved on the hominin mandibular corpus have some taxonomic utility, although they are unlikely to be useful in generating a reliable alpha taxonomy for early African members of the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Lague
- Natural Sciences & Mathematics, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, NJ 08240-0195, USA.
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24
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The taxonomic implications of cranial shape variation in Homo erectus. J Hum Evol 2008; 54:827-47. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2006] [Revised: 10/27/2007] [Accepted: 11/18/2007] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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25
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Investigating early hominin dispersal patterns: developing a framework for climate data integration. J Hum Evol 2007; 53:465-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2005] [Revised: 10/04/2006] [Accepted: 12/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Abstract
The nature of the human fossil record is less than ideal for the generation of precise correlations between environmental variables and patterns of evolution in specific lineages. Nonetheless, a critical look at what can and cannot be said from individual fossil morphology and the correlation of specific environmental proxies with specific hominin fossils may lead to a greater understanding of the degree of certainty with which we should embrace environmental hypotheses for the evolution of Homo. Climate shifts have been implicated in both the origin of the genus and its dispersal from Africa. Here, I consider three areas in which a climatic influence has been posited to explain evolutionary shifts in the genus Homo: the origin and dispersal of the genus from Africa; geography, climate and body size in early Homo, and the influence of climate-induced sea level rise on morphological isolation in H. erectus. Each of the data sets is far from ideal, and interpretations of each of the data sets are fraught with issues of equifinality. Of the three hypotheses discussed, the clearest link is seen between latitudinal variation (and presumably temperature) and body size in H. erectus. Similarly, climate-induced sea level change seems a reasonable isolating mechanism to explain the pattern of cranial variation in later Asian H. erectus, but the distribution could also reflect incompletely sampled clinal variation. Alternatively, only equivocal support is found for the influence of climate on the differentiation of H. erectus from H. habilis (as proxied by body/brain size scaling), and therefore the dispersal of the genus Homo cannot be as clearly linked to changes in body size and shape as it has been in the past. These preliminary data suggest that an emphasis on understanding local adaptation before looking at global (and specific) level change is critical to elucidating the importance of climatic factors on the evolution of the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Antón
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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27
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Terhune CE, Kimbel WH, Lockwood CA. Variation and diversity in Homo erectus: a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of the temporal bone. J Hum Evol 2007; 53:41-60. [PMID: 17512034 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2006] [Revised: 11/30/2006] [Accepted: 01/29/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Although the level of taxonomic diversity within the fossil hominin species Homo erectus (sensu lato) is continually debated, there have been relatively few studies aiming to quantify the morphology of this species. Instead, most researchers have relied on qualitative descriptions or the evaluation of nonmetric characters, which in many cases display continuous variation. Also, only a few studies have used quantitative data to formally test hypotheses regarding the taxonomic composition of the "erectus" hypodigm. Despite these previous analyses, however, and perhaps in part due to these varied approaches for assessing variation within specimens typically referred to H. erectus (sensu lato) and the general lack of rigorous statistical testing of how variation within this taxon is partitioned, there is currently little consensus regarding whether this group is a single species, or whether it should instead be split into separate temporal or geographically delimited taxa. In order to evaluate possible explanations for variation within H. erectus, we tested the general hypothesis that variation within the temporal bone morphology of H. erectus is consistent with that of a single species, using great apes and humans as comparative taxa. Eighteen three-dimensional (3D) landmarks of the temporal bone were digitized on a total of 520 extant and fossil hominid crania. Landmarks were registered by Generalized Procrustes Analysis, and Procrustes distances were calculated for comparisons of individuals within and between the extant taxa. Distances between fossil specimens and between a priori groupings of fossils were then compared to the distances calculated within the extant taxa to assess the variation within the H. erectus sample relative to that of known species, subspecies, and populations. Results of these analyses indicate that shape variation within the entire H. erectus sample is generally higher than extant hominid intraspecific variation, and putative H. ergaster specimens are significantly different from other specimens in H. erectus (sensu lato). However, shape distances within geographical groups of H. erectus are also high, and OH 9 and Dmanisi 2280 are morphologically distinct from the Koobi Fora specimens that are sometimes classified as H. ergaster. These findings suggest that, although H. erectus may be composed of multiple species, the differentiation is complex, and specimens cannot easily be grouped geographically or chronologically. Consequently, more complicated scenarios seeking to explain the observed variation within H. erectus must be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Terhune
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Box 872402, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA.
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28
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Balzeau A, Grimaud-Hervé D. Cranial base morphology and temporal bone pneumatization in Asian Homo erectus. J Hum Evol 2006; 51:350-9. [PMID: 16911819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2005] [Revised: 03/16/2006] [Accepted: 04/13/2006] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The external morphological features of the temporal bone are used frequently to determine taxonomic affinities of fossils of the genus Homo. Temporal bone pneumatization has been widely studied in great apes and in early hominids. However, this feature is rarely examined in the later hominids, particularly in Asian Homo erectus. We provide a comparative morphological and quantitative analysis of Asian Homo erectus from the sites of Ngandong, Sambungmacan, and Zhoukoudian, and of Neandertals and anatomically modern Homo sapiens in order to discuss causes and modalities of temporal bone pneumatization during hominid evolution. The evolution of temporal bone pneumatization in the genus Homo is more complex than previously described. Indeed, the Zhoukoudian fossils have a unique pattern of temporal bone pneumatization, whereas Ngandong and Sambungmacan fossils, as well as the Neandertals, more closely resemble the modern human pattern. Moreover, these Chinese fossils are characterized by a wide midvault and a relatively narrow occipital bone. Our results support the point of view that cell development does not play an active role in determining cranial base morphology. Instead, pneumatization is related to available space and to temporal bone morphology, and its development is related to correlated morphology and the relative disposition of the bones and cerebral lobes. Because variation in pneumatization is extensive within the same species, the phyletic implications of pneumatization are limited in the taxa considered here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Balzeau
- Equipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 5198 du CNRS, USM 204, Département de Préhistoire du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.
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29
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Martinón-Torres M, Bastir M, Bermúdez de Castro JM, Gómez A, Sarmiento S, Muela A, Arsuaga JL. Hominin lower second premolar morphology: evolutionary inferences through geometric morphometric analysis. J Hum Evol 2006; 50:523-33. [PMID: 16472839 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2005] [Revised: 10/18/2005] [Accepted: 12/14/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Mandibular premolars are increasingly used in taxon-specific diagnostic analyses of hominins. Among the principal difficulties in these evaluations is the absence of discrete, discernible, and comparable anatomical structures for rigorous quantitative assessment. Previous research has addressed either internal crown surface features (such as cusps and fossae) or the morphology of the crown outline. In the present paper, we integrate both types of information in the examination of morphological variation of lower P4s (n = 96) among various fossil hominin species with an emphasis on genus Homo. We use a set of 34 2D landmarks combining coordinate data from four classical dental landmarks on the occlusal surface and 30 sliding semilandmarks of the crown outline. Our results indicate that external shape variation is closely related to the configuration of the occlusal morphological features and influenced by dental size. The external and internal shapes of P4 are polymorphic but still useful in depicting a primitive-derived gradient. The primitive pattern seems to have been an asymmetrical contour with a mesially displaced metaconid, development of a bulging talonid, and a broad occlusal polygon. The trend toward dental reduction during the Pleistocene produced different morphological variants with a reduced occlusal polygon and decreased lingual occlusal surface in later Homo species. Homo heidelbergensis/neanderthalensis have fixed plesiomorphic traits in high percentages, whereas in modern humans a symmetrical outline with a centered metaconid and talonid reduction evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Martinón-Torres
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre Evolución Humana (CENIEH), C/Toledo 4-5th, 09004 Burgos, Spain.
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30
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Wu X, Schepartz LA, Falk D, Liu W. Endocranial cast of HexianHomo erectus from South China. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2006; 130:445-54. [PMID: 16425176 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we present data on the morphological features and linear measurements for the Hexian Homo erectus and other comparative endocasts, in order to highlight variation during human brain evolution. The endocast of Hexian was reconstructed in 1982, and an endocranial volume of 1,025 ml was estimated. The geological age is about 412 ka, or roughly contemporaneous with the Zhoukoudian (ZKD) specimens. There are some differences between Hexian and the modern Chinese male endocasts in our sample, including low position of the greatest breadth, low maximum height, a well-marked and prominent frontal keel, the flat surface of the frontal lobes, prominent sagittal keel along the center frontal and parietal lobes, depressed Sylvian areas and parietal lobes superiorly, strong posterior projection of the occipital lobes, anterior position of the cerebellar lobes relative to the occipital lobes, and the relative simplicity of the meningeal vessels. Compared with the ZKD, Indonesian, and African Homo erectus specimens, Hexian has more morphological features in common with ZKD. Principal component analyses indicate that Hexian is closest to the ZKD Homo erectus compared with the modern Chinese and other Homo erectus, but its great breadth distinguishes it. Metric analyses show that the brain height, frontal breadth, cerebral height, frontal height, and parietal chord from Homo erectus to modern humans increased, while the length, breadth, frontal chord, and occipital breadth did not change substantially.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiujie Wu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.
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31
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McNabb J, Binyon F, Hazelwood L. The Large Cutting Tools from the South African Acheulean and the Question of Social Traditions. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2004. [DOI: 10.1086/423973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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