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{{short description|Contested extinct genus of hominins}} | {{short description|Contested extinct genus of hominins}} | ||
{{Italic title}} | {{Italic title}} | ||
{{Automatic taxobox |
{{Automatic taxobox | ||
| name = ''Paranthropus'' | | name = ''Paranthropus'' | ||
| fossil_range = ]–], {{fossilrange|2. |
| fossil_range = ]–], {{fossilrange|2.9|1.2}} | ||
| image = Smac Paläolithikum 013.jpg | | image = Smac Paläolithikum 013.jpg | ||
| image_caption = Skull of '']'' (MGL 95211) | | image_caption = Skull of '']'' (MGL 95211) | ||
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| taxon = Paranthropus | | taxon = Paranthropus | ||
| authority = ], 1938 | | authority = ], 1938 | ||
| type_species = †'']'' |
| type_species = †'']'' | ||
| type_species_authority = ], 1938 | | type_species_authority = ], 1938 | ||
| subdivision_ranks = ] | | subdivision_ranks = ] | ||
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*†'']'' | *†'']'' | ||
*†'']'' | *†'']'' | ||
| synonyms = *''Paraustralopithecus''<br/><small>] and ], 1968</small> | |||
*†'']''('']'')? | |||
*''Zinjanthropus''<br/><small>], 1959</small> | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''''Paranthropus''''' is a ] of extinct ] which contains two widely accepted species: '']'' and '']''. However, the validity of ''Paranthropus'' is contested, and it is sometimes considered to be ] with '']''. They are also referred to as the '''robust australopithecines'''. They lived between approximately 2. |
'''''Paranthropus''''' is a ] of extinct ] which contains two widely accepted ]: '']'' and '']''. However, the validity of ''Paranthropus'' is contested, and it is sometimes considered to be ] with '']''. They are also referred to as the '''robust australopithecines'''. They lived between approximately 2.9 and 1.2 million years ago (mya) from the end of the ] to the ]. | ||
''Paranthropus'' is characterised by ] |
''Paranthropus'' is characterised by robust ], with a prominent ]-like ] along the midline—which suggest strong chewing muscles—and broad, ] teeth used for grinding. However, they likely preferred soft food over tough and hard food. Typically, ''Paranthropus'' species were generalist feeders, but while ''P. robustus'' was likely an ], ''P. boisei'' seems to have been herbivorous, possibly preferring abundant ]s. Paranthropoids were ]. Despite their robust heads, they had comparatively small bodies. Average weight and height are estimated to be {{cvt|40|kg}} at {{cvt|132|cm|ft|0}} for ''P. robustus'' males, {{cvt|50|kg}} at {{cvt|137|cm|ftin|0}} for ''P. boisei'' males, {{cvt|32|kg}} at {{cvt|110|cm|ftin|0}} for ''P. robustus'' females, and {{cvt|34|kg}} at {{cvt|124|cm|ftin|0}} for ''P. boisei'' females. | ||
They were possibly ] and ], but there are no modern analogues for australopithecine societies. They are associated with bone tools and contested as the earliest evidence of fire usage. They typically inhabited woodlands, and coexisted with some early human species, namely '']'', '']'' and '']''. They were preyed upon by the large carnivores of the time, specifically crocodiles, leopards, ]s and hyenas. | They were possibly ] and ], but there are no modern analogues for australopithecine societies. They are associated with bone tools and contested as the earliest evidence of fire usage. They typically inhabited woodlands, and coexisted with some early human species, namely '']'', '']'' and '']''. They were preyed upon by the large carnivores of the time, specifically crocodiles, leopards, ]s and hyenas. | ||
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====''P. boisei''==== | ====''P. boisei''==== | ||
In 1959, '']'' was discovered by ] at ], ] (specimen ]). Her husband ] named it ''Zinjanthropus boisei'' because he believed it differed greatly from ''Paranthropus'' and ''Australopithecus''. The name derives from "]", an ancient Arabic word for the coast of East Africa, and "boisei", referring to their financial benefactor ].<ref name=Leakey1959>{{cite journal|first=L.|last=Leakey|author-link=Louis Leakey|year=1959|title=A New Fossil Skull from Olduvai|journal=Nature|volume=184|issue=4685|pages=491–493|url=https://www.academia.edu/616307|doi=10.1038/184491a0|bibcode=1959Natur.184..491L|s2cid=4217460}}</ref> However, this genus was rejected at Mr. Leakey's presentation before the 4th Pan-African Congress on Prehistory, as it was based on a single specimen.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morell|first=V.|year=2011|title=Ancestral Passions: The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings|publisher=Touchstone|page=193|isbn=978-1-4391-4387-2}}</ref> The discovery of the ] made the |
In 1959, '']'' was discovered by ] at ], ] (specimen ]). Her husband ] named it ''Zinjanthropus boisei'' because he believed it differed greatly from ''Paranthropus'' and ''Australopithecus''. The name derives from "]", an ancient Arabic word for the coast of East Africa, and "boisei", referring to their financial benefactor ].<ref name=Leakey1959>{{cite journal|first=L.|last=Leakey|author-link=Louis Leakey|year=1959|title=A New Fossil Skull from Olduvai|journal=Nature|volume=184|issue=4685|pages=491–493|url=https://www.academia.edu/616307|doi=10.1038/184491a0|bibcode=1959Natur.184..491L|s2cid=4217460}}</ref> However, this genus was rejected at Mr. Leakey's presentation before the 4th Pan-African Congress on Prehistory, as it was based on a single specimen.<ref>{{cite book|last=Morell|first=V.|year=2011|title=Ancestral Passions: The Leakey Family and the Quest for Humankind's Beginnings|publisher=Touchstone|page=193|isbn=978-1-4391-4387-2}}</ref> The discovery of the ] made the Leakeys reclassify their species as ''Australopithecus (Zinjanthropus) boisei'' in 1964,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Leakey|first1=L. S. B.|author-link=Louis Leakey|last2=Leakey|first2=M. B.|author-link2=Mary Leakey|year=1964|title=Recent discoveries of fossil hominidsin Tanganyika, at Olduvai and near Lake Natron|journal=Nature|volume=202|issue=4927|pages=5–7|doi=10.1038/202005a0|pmid=14166721|bibcode=1964Natur.202....5L|s2cid=4162123}}</ref> but in 1967, South African palaeoanthropologist ] subsumed it into ''Australopithecus'' as ''A. boisei''. However, as more specimens were found, the combination ''Paranthropus boisei'' became more popular.<ref>{{cite journal|first=B.|last=Wood|year=2005|title=A tale of two taxa|journal=Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa|volume=60|issue=2|pages=91–94|doi=10.1080/00359190509520483|bibcode=2005TRSSA..60...91W |s2cid=83659439}}</ref> | ||
It is debated whether the wide range of variation in jaw size indicates simply ] or a grounds for identifying a new species. It could be explained as ] filling in cracks naturally formed after death, inflating the perceived size of the bone.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=N.|last1=Silverman|first2=B.|last2=Richmond|first3=B.|last3=Wood|year=2001|title=Testing the taxonomic integrity of ''Paranthropus boisei sensu stricto''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=115|issue=2|pages=167–178|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1066|pmid=11385603}}</ref><ref name=Constantino2007/><ref name=Wood2007/> ''P. boisei'' also has a notably wide range of variation in skull anatomy, but these features likely have no taxonomic bearing.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=D.|last2=Lieberman|author-link2=Daniel Lieberman|year=2001|title=Craniodental variation in ''Paranthropus boisei'': a developmental and functional perspective|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=116|issue=1|pages=13–25|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1097|pmid=11536113|url=https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/dlieberman/files/2001a.pdf}}</ref> | It is debated whether the wide range of variation in jaw size indicates simply ] or a grounds for identifying a new species. It could be explained as ] filling in cracks naturally formed after death, inflating the perceived size of the bone.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=N.|last1=Silverman|first2=B.|last2=Richmond|first3=B.|last3=Wood|year=2001|title=Testing the taxonomic integrity of ''Paranthropus boisei sensu stricto''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=115|issue=2|pages=167–178|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1066|pmid=11385603}}</ref><ref name=Constantino2007/><ref name=Wood2007/> ''P. boisei'' also has a notably wide range of variation in skull anatomy, but these features likely have no taxonomic bearing.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=D.|last2=Lieberman|author-link2=Daniel Lieberman|year=2001|title=Craniodental variation in ''Paranthropus boisei'': a developmental and functional perspective|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=116|issue=1|pages=13–25|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1097|pmid=11536113|url=https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/dlieberman/files/2001a.pdf}}</ref> | ||
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====Others==== | ====Others==== | ||
In 1963, while in the Congo, French ethnographer ] assigned the name "P. congensis" to a super-strong, monstrous ]-man cryptid called "Kikomba", "Apamándi", "Abanaánji", "Zuluzúgu", or "Tshingómbe" by various native tribes which he heard stories about.<ref>{{cite journal|first=C.|last=Cordier|author-link=Charles Cordier|year=1963|title=Deux anthropoïdes inconnus marchant debout au Congo ex-Belge|language=fr|trans-title=Two unknown, upright-walking anthropoids in the ex-Belgian Congo|journal=Genus|volume=19|issue=1/4|pages=175–182|jstor=29787553}}</ref> | |||
In 2015, Ethiopian palaeoanthropologist ] and colleagues described the 3.5–3.2 Ma '']'' based on three jawbones from the ], Ethiopia. They noted that, though it shares many similarities with ''Paranthropus'', it may not have been closely related because it lacked enlarged molars which characterize the genus.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Y.|last1=Haile-Selassie|author-link=Yohannes Haile-Selassie|first2=L.|last2=Gilbert|first3=S. M.|last3=Melillo|display-authors=et al.|year=2015|title=New species from Ethiopia further expands Middle Pliocene hominin diversity|journal=Nature|volume=521|issue=14448|pages=483–488|doi=10.1038/nature14448|pmid=26017448|url=https://afanporsaber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/New-species-from-Ethiopia-further-expands-Middle-Pliocene-hominin-diversity.pdf|bibcode=2015Natur.521..483H|s2cid=4455029}}</ref> Nonetheless, in 2018, independent researcher Johan Nygren recommended moving it to ''Paranthropus'' based on dental and presumed dietary similarity.<ref name=Nygren>{{cite journal|first=J.|last=Nygren|year=2018|title=The speciation of ''Australopithecus'' and ''Paranthropus'' was caused by introgression from the ''Gorilla'' lineage|journal=PeerJ Preprints|volume=6|page=e27130v3|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf|doi=10.7287/peerj.preprints.27130v3|bibcode=2018arXiv180806307N|arxiv=1808.06307|s2cid=52054499}}</ref> | In 2015, Ethiopian palaeoanthropologist ] and colleagues described the 3.5–3.2 Ma '']'' based on three jawbones from the ], Ethiopia. They noted that, though it shares many similarities with ''Paranthropus'', it may not have been closely related because it lacked enlarged molars which characterize the genus.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=Y.|last1=Haile-Selassie|author-link=Yohannes Haile-Selassie|first2=L.|last2=Gilbert|first3=S. M.|last3=Melillo|display-authors=et al.|year=2015|title=New species from Ethiopia further expands Middle Pliocene hominin diversity|journal=Nature|volume=521|issue=14448|pages=483–488|doi=10.1038/nature14448|pmid=26017448|url=https://afanporsaber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/New-species-from-Ethiopia-further-expands-Middle-Pliocene-hominin-diversity.pdf|bibcode=2015Natur.521..483H|s2cid=4455029}}</ref> Nonetheless, in 2018, independent researcher Johan Nygren recommended moving it to ''Paranthropus'' based on dental and presumed dietary similarity.<ref name=Nygren>{{cite journal|first=J.|last=Nygren|year=2018|title=The speciation of ''Australopithecus'' and ''Paranthropus'' was caused by introgression from the ''Gorilla'' lineage|journal=PeerJ Preprints|volume=6|page=e27130v3|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf|doi=10.7287/peerj.preprints.27130v3|bibcode=2018arXiv180806307N|arxiv=1808.06307|s2cid=52054499 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | ||
===Validity=== | ===Validity=== | ||
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])]] | ])]] | ||
There is currently no clear consensus on the validity of ''Paranthropus''. The argument rests upon whether the genus is ]—is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants—and the argument against monophyly (that the genus is ]) says that ''P. robustus'' and ''P. boisei'' evolved similar gorilla-like heads independently of each other by coincidence (]), as chewing adaptations in hominins evolve very rapidly and multiple times at various points in the family tree (]).<ref name=Wood2007>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=J.|last2=Constantino|year=2007|title=''Paranthropus boisei'': Fifty Years of Evidence and Analysis|journal=Yearbook of Physical Anthropology|volume=50|pages=106–132|doi=10.1002/ajpa.20732|pmid=18046746|url=https://mds.marshall.edu/bio_sciences_faculty/37|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 1999, a chimp-like ] forearm bone was assigned to ''P. boisei'', the first discovered ulna of the species, which was markedly different from ''P. robustus'' ulnae, which could suggest paraphyly.<ref name=McHenry2007>{{cite journal|first1=H. M.|last1=McHenry|author-link=Henry McHenry|first2=C. C.|last2=Brown|first3=L. J.|last3=McHenry|year=2007|title=Fossil hominin ulnae and the forelimb of ''Paranthropus''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=134|issue=2|pages=209–218|doi=10.1002/ajpa.20656|pmid=17596856}}</ref> | There is currently no clear consensus on the validity of ''Paranthropus''. The argument rests upon whether the genus is ]—is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants—and the argument against monophyly (that the genus is ]) says that ''P. robustus'' and ''P. boisei'' evolved similar gorilla-like heads independently of each other by coincidence (]), as chewing adaptations in hominins evolve very rapidly and multiple times at various points in the family tree (]).<ref name=Wood2007>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=J.|last2=Constantino|year=2007|title=''Paranthropus boisei'': Fifty Years of Evidence and Analysis|journal=Yearbook of Physical Anthropology|volume=50|pages=106–132|doi=10.1002/ajpa.20732|pmid=18046746|url=https://mds.marshall.edu/bio_sciences_faculty/37|doi-access=free}}</ref> In 1999, a chimp-like ] forearm bone was assigned to ''P. boisei'', the first discovered ulna of the species, which was markedly different from ''P. robustus'' ulnae, which could suggest paraphyly.<ref name=McHenry2007>{{cite journal|first1=H. M.|last1=McHenry|author-link=Henry McHenry (anthropologist)|first2=C. C.|last2=Brown|first3=L. J.|last3=McHenry|year=2007|title=Fossil hominin ulnae and the forelimb of ''Paranthropus''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=134|issue=2|pages=209–218|doi=10.1002/ajpa.20656|pmid=17596856}}</ref> | ||
===Evolution=== | ===Evolution=== | ||
''P. aethiopicus'' is the earliest member of the genus, with the oldest remains, from the Ethiopian ], dated to 2.6 mya at the end of the ]. It is sometimes regarded as the direct ancestor of ''P. boisei'' and ''P. robustus''.<ref name=Constantino2007/> It is possible that ''P. aethiopicus'' evolved even earlier, up to 3.3 mya, on the expansive Kenyan floodplains of the time.<ref name=Joordens2019>{{cite journal|first1=J. C. A.|last1=Joordens|first2=C. S.|last2=Feibel|first3=H. B.|last3=Vonhof|first4=A. S.|last4=Schulp|first5=D.|last5=Kroon|year=2019|title=Relevance of the eastern African coastal forest for early hominin biogeography|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=131|pages=176–202|pmid=31182201|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.012|doi-access=free}}</ref> The oldest ''P. boisei'' remains date to about 2.3 mya from ], Malawi.<ref name=Constantino2007>{{cite journal|first1=P. J.|last1=Constantino|first2=B. A.|last2=Wood|year=2007|title=The Evolution of ''Zinjanthropus boisei''|journal=Evolutionary Anthropology|volume=16|issue=2|pages=49–62|doi=10.1002/evan.20130|s2cid=53574805|url=https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=bio_sciences_faculty}}</ref> ''P. boisei'' changed remarkably little over its nearly one-million-year existence.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=C.|last2=Wood|first3=L.|last3=Konigsberg|year=1994|title=''Paranthropus boisei'': an example of evolutionary stasis?|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=95|issue=2|pages=117–136|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330950202|pmid=7802091}}</ref> ''Paranthropus'' had spread into South Africa by 2 mya with the earliest ''P. robustus'' remains.<ref name=Wood2000>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=B. G.|last2=Richmond|year=2000|title=Human evolution: taxonomy and paleobiology|journal=Journal of Anatomy|volume=192|pages=34–38<!--only citing these pages-->|pmc=1468107|pmid=10999270|doi=10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19710019.x}}</ref><ref name=Stammers2018/><ref name=Herries2009/> | ''P. aethiopicus'' is the earliest member of the genus, with the oldest remains, from the Ethiopian ], dated to 2.6 mya at the end of the ]. It is sometimes regarded as the direct ancestor of ''P. boisei'' and ''P. robustus''.<ref name=Constantino2007/> It is possible that ''P. aethiopicus'' evolved even earlier, up to 3.3 mya, on the expansive Kenyan floodplains of the time.<ref name=Joordens2019>{{cite journal|first1=J. C. A.|last1=Joordens|first2=C. S.|last2=Feibel|first3=H. B.|last3=Vonhof|first4=A. S.|last4=Schulp|first5=D.|last5=Kroon|year=2019|title=Relevance of the eastern African coastal forest for early hominin biogeography|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=131|pages=176–202|pmid=31182201|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.012|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019JHumE.131..176J |hdl=20.500.11820/6c1ee960-79ba-45df-9e12-3350c768a497|hdl-access=free}}</ref> The oldest ''P. boisei'' remains date to about 2.3 mya from ], Malawi.<ref name=Constantino2007>{{cite journal|first1=P. J.|last1=Constantino|first2=B. A.|last2=Wood|year=2007|title=The Evolution of ''Zinjanthropus boisei''|journal=Evolutionary Anthropology|volume=16|issue=2|pages=49–62|doi=10.1002/evan.20130|s2cid=53574805|url=https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1027&context=bio_sciences_faculty}}</ref> ''P. boisei'' changed remarkably little over its nearly one-million-year existence.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=C.|last2=Wood|first3=L.|last3=Konigsberg|year=1994|title=''Paranthropus boisei'': an example of evolutionary stasis?|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=95|issue=2|pages=117–136|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330950202|pmid=7802091}}</ref> ''Paranthropus'' had spread into South Africa by 2 mya with the earliest ''P. robustus'' remains.<ref name=Wood2000>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=B. G.|last2=Richmond|year=2000|title=Human evolution: taxonomy and paleobiology|journal=Journal of Anatomy|volume=192|issue=Pt 1 |pages=34–38<!--only citing these pages-->|pmc=1468107|pmid=10999270|doi=10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19710019.x}}</ref><ref name=Stammers2018/><ref name=Herries2009/> | ||
It is sometimes suggested that ''Paranthropus'' and ''Homo'' are ], both evolving from '']''. This may have occurred during a drying trend 2.8–2.5 mya in the ], which caused the retreat of woodland environments in favor of open savanna, with forests growing only along rivers and lakes. ''Homo'' evolved in the former, and ''Paranthropus'' in the latter ] environment.<ref name=Joordens2019/><ref>{{cite journal|first1=O.|last1=Kullmer|first2=O.|last2=Sandrock|first3=F.|last3=Schrenk|first4=T. G.|last4=Bromage|year=1999|title=The Malawi Rift: Biogeography, Ecology and Coexistence of Homo and Paranthropus|journal=Anthropologie|volume=37|issue=3|pages=221–231|jstor=26294888}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=R.|last1=Bobe|first2=A. K.|last2=Behrensmeyer|first3=R. E.|last3=Chapman|title=Faunal change, environmental variability and late Pliocene hominin evolution|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=42|issue=4|pages=475–497|doi=10.1006/jhev.2001.0535|pmid=11908957|year=2002| |
It is sometimes suggested that ''Paranthropus'' and ''Homo'' are ], both evolving from '']''. This may have occurred during a drying trend 2.8–2.5 mya in the ], which caused the retreat of woodland environments in favor of open savanna, with forests growing only along rivers and lakes. ''Homo'' evolved in the former, and ''Paranthropus'' in the latter ] environment.<ref name=Joordens2019/><ref>{{cite journal|first1=O.|last1=Kullmer|first2=O.|last2=Sandrock|first3=F.|last3=Schrenk|first4=T. G.|last4=Bromage|year=1999|title=The Malawi Rift: Biogeography, Ecology and Coexistence of Homo and Paranthropus|journal=Anthropologie|volume=37|issue=3|pages=221–231|jstor=26294888}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=R.|last1=Bobe|first2=A. K.|last2=Behrensmeyer|first3=R. E.|last3=Chapman|title=Faunal change, environmental variability and late Pliocene hominin evolution|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=42|issue=4|pages=475–497|doi=10.1006/jhev.2001.0535|pmid=11908957|year=2002|bibcode=2002JHumE..42..475B |s2cid=26032638}}</ref> However, the classifications of ''Australopithecus'' species is problematic.<ref name=Parins2019/> | ||
]]] | ]]] | ||
] according to a 2019 study:<ref name=Parins2019>{{cite journal|first1=C.|last1=Parins-Fukuchi|first2=E.|last2=Greiner|first3=L. M.|last3=MacLatchy|first4=D. C.|last4=Fisher|year=2019|title=Phylogeny, ancestors and anagenesis in the hominin fossil record|journal=Paleobiology|volume=45|issue=2|pages=378–393|doi=10.1017/pab.2019.12|s2cid=196659329|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf}}</ref> | ] according to a 2019 study:<ref name=Parins2019>{{cite journal|first1=C.|last1=Parins-Fukuchi|first2=E.|last2=Greiner|first3=L. M.|last3=MacLatchy|first4=D. C.|last4=Fisher|year=2019|title=Phylogeny, ancestors and anagenesis in the hominin fossil record|journal=Paleobiology|volume=45|issue=2|pages=378–393|doi=10.1017/pab.2019.12|bibcode=2019Pbio...45..378P |s2cid=196659329|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2018/10/05/434894.full.pdf}}</ref> | ||
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==Description== | ==Description== | ||
{{Human timeline}} | |||
===Skull=== | ===Skull=== | ||
''Paranthropus'' had a massively built, tall and flat skull, with a prominent ]-like ] along the midline which anchored |
''Paranthropus'' had a massively built, tall and flat skull, with a prominent ]-like ] along the midline which anchored large ]s used in chewing.<ref name=Wood2004/> Like other australopithecines, ''Paranthropus'' exhibited sexual dimorphism, with males notably larger than females.<ref name=Wood2000/><ref name=McHenry1991a/><ref name=McHenry1991b/> They had large ] with a relatively thick ] coating (]),<ref>{{cite journal|first1=A. J.|last1=Olejniczak|first2=T. M.|last2=Smith|first3=M. M.|last3=Skinner|display-authors=et al.|year=2008|title=Three-dimensional molar enamel distribution and thickness in ''Australopithecus'' and ''Paranthropus''|journal=Biology Letters|volume=4|issue=4|pages=406–410|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2008.0223|pmid=18522924|pmc=2610159}}</ref> and comparatively small ]s (similar in size to modern ]s),<ref>{{cite journal|first1=P. S.|last1=Ungar|first2=F. E.|last2=Grine|year=1991|title=Incisor size and wear in ''Australopithecus africanus'' and ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=20|issue=4|pages=313–340|doi=10.1016/0047-2484(91)90013-L|bibcode=1991JHumE..20..313U }}</ref> possibly adaptations to processing abrasive foods.<ref name=Williams2015>{{cite journal|first=F. L.|last=Williams|year=2015|title=Dietary proclivities of ''Paranthropus robustus'' from Swartkrans, South Africa|journal=Anthropological Review|volume=78|issue=1|pages=1–19|doi=10.1515/anre-2015-0001|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref name=Wood2012>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=K.|last2=Schroer|year=2012|title=Reconstructing the Diet of an Extinct Hominin Taxon: The Role of Extant Primate Models|journal=International Journal of Primatology|volume=33|issue=3|pages=716–742|doi=10.1007/s10764-012-9602-7|s2cid=15983306}}</ref> The teeth of ''P. aethiopicus'' developed faster than those of ''P. boisei''.<ref>{{cite journal|first=F. V.|last=Ramirez-Rozzi|year=1993|title=Tooth development in East African ''Paranthropus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=24|issue=6|pages=429–454|doi=10.1006/jhev.1993.1030|bibcode=1993JHumE..24..429R }}</ref> | ||
''Paranthropus'' had adaptations to the skull to resist large bite loads while feeding, namely the expansive ]s.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=C.|last1=Dzialo|first2=S. A.|last2=Wood|first3=M.|last3=Berthaume|display-authors=et al.|year=2013|title=Functional implications of squamosal suture size in ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=153|issue=2|pages=260–268|doi=10.1002/ajpa.22427|pmid=24242913}}</ref> The notably thick ] was once thought to have been an adaptation to resist a high bite force, but is better explained as a byproduct of facial lengthening and nasal anatomy.<ref>{{cite journal|first=M. A.|last=McCollum|year=1998|title=Palatal thickening and facial form in ''Paranthropus'': Examination of alternative developmental models|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=103|issue=3|pages=375–392|doi=10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199707)103:3<375::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-P|pmid=9261500}}</ref> | ''Paranthropus'' had adaptations to the skull to resist large bite loads while feeding, namely the expansive ]s.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=C.|last1=Dzialo|first2=S. A.|last2=Wood|first3=M.|last3=Berthaume|display-authors=et al.|year=2013|title=Functional implications of squamosal suture size in ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=153|issue=2|pages=260–268|doi=10.1002/ajpa.22427|pmid=24242913}}</ref> The notably thick ] was once thought to have been an adaptation to resist a high bite force, but is better explained as a byproduct of facial lengthening and nasal anatomy.<ref>{{cite journal|first=M. A.|last=McCollum|year=1998|title=Palatal thickening and facial form in ''Paranthropus'': Examination of alternative developmental models|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=103|issue=3|pages=375–392|doi=10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199707)103:3<375::AID-AJPA7>3.0.CO;2-P|pmid=9261500|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
In ''P. boisei'', the ] was adapted to grinding food side-to-side (rather than up-and-down in modern humans), which is better at processing the ]y abrasive foods that likely made up the bulk of its diet. ''P. robustus'' may have chewed in a front-to-back direction instead, and had less exaggerated (less ]) anatomical features than ''P. boisei'' as it perhaps did not require them with this kind of chewing strategy. This may have also allowed ''P. robustus'' to better process tougher foods.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=K.|last1=Kupczik|first2=V.|last2=Toro-Ibacache|first3=G. A.|last3=Macho|year=2018|title=On the relationship between maxillary molar root shape and jaw kinematics in ''Australopithecus africanus'' and ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Royal Society Open Science|volume=5|issue=8|page=180825|doi=10.1098/rsos.180825|pmc=6124107|pmid=30225074|bibcode=2018RSOS....580825K}}</ref> | In ''P. boisei'', the ] was adapted to grinding food side-to-side (rather than up-and-down in modern humans), which is better at processing the ]y abrasive foods that likely made up the bulk of its diet. ''P. robustus'' may have chewed in a front-to-back direction instead, and had less exaggerated (less ]) anatomical features than ''P. boisei'' as it perhaps did not require them with this kind of chewing strategy. This may have also allowed ''P. robustus'' to better process tougher foods.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=K.|last1=Kupczik|first2=V.|last2=Toro-Ibacache|first3=G. A.|last3=Macho|year=2018|title=On the relationship between maxillary molar root shape and jaw kinematics in ''Australopithecus africanus'' and ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Royal Society Open Science|volume=5|issue=8|page=180825|doi=10.1098/rsos.180825|pmc=6124107|pmid=30225074|bibcode=2018RSOS....580825K}}</ref> | ||
The braincase volume averaged about {{cvt|500|cm3}}, comparable to gracile australopithecines, but smaller than ''Homo''.<ref name=Du2018>{{cite journal|first1=A.|last1=Du|first2=A. M.|last2=Zipkin|first3=K. G.|last3=Hatala|display-authors=et al.|year=2018|title=Pattern and process in hominin brain size evolution are scale-dependent|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B|volume=285|issue=1873|pages=20172738|doi=10.1098/rspb.2017.2738|pmc=5832710|pmid=29467267}}</ref> Modern human brain volume averages {{cvt|1270|cm3}} for men and {{cvt|1130|cm3}} for women.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=J. S.|last1=Allen|first2=H.|last2=Damasio|first3=T. J.|last3=Grabowski|year=2002|title=Normal neuroanatomical variation in the human brain: an MRI-volumetric study|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=118|issue=4|pages=341–358|doi=10.1002/ajpa.10092|pmid=12124914|s2cid=21705705 |
The braincase volume averaged about {{cvt|500|cm3}}, comparable to gracile australopithecines, but smaller than ''Homo''.<ref name=Du2018>{{cite journal|first1=A.|last1=Du|first2=A. M.|last2=Zipkin|first3=K. G.|last3=Hatala|display-authors=et al.|year=2018|title=Pattern and process in hominin brain size evolution are scale-dependent|journal=Proceedings of the Royal Society B|volume=285|issue=1873|pages=20172738|doi=10.1098/rspb.2017.2738|pmc=5832710|pmid=29467267}}</ref> Modern human brain volume averages {{cvt|1270|cm3}} for men and {{cvt|1130|cm3}} for women.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=J. S.|last1=Allen|first2=H.|last2=Damasio|first3=T. J.|last3=Grabowski|year=2002|title=Normal neuroanatomical variation in the human brain: an MRI-volumetric study|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=118|issue=4|pages=341–358|doi=10.1002/ajpa.10092|pmid=12124914|s2cid=21705705}}</ref> | ||
===Limbs and locomotion=== | ===Limbs and locomotion=== | ||
Unlike ''P. robustus'', the forearms of ''P. boisei'' were heavily built, which might suggest habitual ] as in ]s and ]s.<ref name=McHenry2007/><ref name=Dominguez2013/><ref name=Lague2019/> A ''P. boisei'' ] indicates long ]s, which is also associated with suspensory behavior.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=D. J.|last1=Green|first2=H.|last2=Chirchir|first3=E.|last3=Mbua|year=2018|title=Scapular anatomy of ''Paranthropus boisei'' from Ileret, Kenya|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=125|pages=181–192|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.013|pmid=30502893|doi-access=free}}</ref> A ''P. aethiopicus'' ulna, on the other hand, shows more similarities to ''Homo'' than ''P. boisei''.<ref name=Lague2019>{{cite journal|first1=M. R.|last1=Lague|first2=H.|last2=Chirchir|first3=D. J.|last3=Green|first4=E.|last4=Mbua|year=2019|title=Humeral anatomy of the KNM-ER 47000 upper limb skeleton from Ileret, Kenya: Implications for taxonomic identification|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=126|pages=24–38|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.06.011|pmid=30583842|s2cid=58607106|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329486548}}</ref> | Unlike ''P. robustus'', the forearms of ''P. boisei'' were heavily built, which might suggest habitual ] as in ]s and ]s.<ref name=McHenry2007/><ref name=Dominguez2013/><ref name=Lague2019/> A ''P. boisei'' ] indicates long ]s, which is also associated with suspensory behavior.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=D. J.|last1=Green|first2=H.|last2=Chirchir|first3=E.|last3=Mbua|year=2018|title=Scapular anatomy of ''Paranthropus boisei'' from Ileret, Kenya|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=125|pages=181–192|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.013|pmid=30502893|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018JHumE.125..181G }}</ref> A ''P. aethiopicus'' ulna, on the other hand, shows more similarities to ''Homo'' than ''P. boisei''.<ref name=Lague2019>{{cite journal|first1=M. R.|last1=Lague|first2=H.|last2=Chirchir|first3=D. J.|last3=Green|first4=E.|last4=Mbua|year=2019|title=Humeral anatomy of the KNM-ER 47000 upper limb skeleton from Ileret, Kenya: Implications for taxonomic identification|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=126|pages=24–38|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.06.011|pmid=30583842|s2cid=58607106|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329486548|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019JHumE.126...24L }}</ref> | ||
''Paranthropus'' were ]s, and their hips, legs and feet resemble ''A. afarensis'' and modern humans.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Wood B, Richmond BG |title=Human evolution: taxonomy and paleobiology |journal=Journal of Anatomy |volume=197 |issue=1 |pages=19–60 |date=July 2000 |pmid=10999270 |pmc=1468107 |doi=10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19710019.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=T. M.|last1=Ryan|first2=K. J.|last2=Carlson|first3=A. D.|last3=Gordon|display-authors=et al.|year=2018|title=Human-like hip joint loading in ''Australopithecus africanus'' and ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Journal of Human Anthropology|volume=121|pages=12–24|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.03.008|pmid=29706230|s2cid=14060188|url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277557}}</ref> The pelvis is similar to ''A. afarensis'', but the hip joints are smaller in ''P. robustus''. The physical similarity implies a similar walking gait.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Macchiarelli R, Bondioli L, Galichon V, Tobias PV |title=Hip bone trabecular architecture shows uniquely distinctive locomotor behaviour in South African australopithecines |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=211–32 |date=February 1999 |pmid=10068067 |doi=10.1006/jhev.1998.0267}}</ref> Their modern-humanlike big toe indicates a modern-humanlike foot posture and range of motion, but the more distal ankle joint would have inhibited the modern human toe-off ]. By 1.8 mya, ''Paranthropus'' and '']'' may have achieved about the same grade of bipedality.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=R. L.|last1=Susman|first2=T. M.|last2=Brain|year=1988|title=New first metatarsal (SKX 5017) from Swartkrans and the gait of ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=77|issue=1|pages=7–15|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330770103|pmid=3189526}}</ref> | ''Paranthropus'' were ]s, and their hips, legs and feet resemble ''A. afarensis'' and modern humans.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Wood B, Richmond BG |title=Human evolution: taxonomy and paleobiology |journal=Journal of Anatomy |volume=197 |issue=1 |pages=19–60 |date=July 2000 |pmid=10999270 |pmc=1468107 |doi=10.1046/j.1469-7580.2000.19710019.x}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=T. M.|last1=Ryan|first2=K. J.|last2=Carlson|first3=A. D.|last3=Gordon|display-authors=et al.|year=2018|title=Human-like hip joint loading in ''Australopithecus africanus'' and ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Journal of Human Anthropology|volume=121|pages=12–24|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.03.008|pmid=29706230|s2cid=14060188|url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/277557|doi-access=free|bibcode=2018JHumE.121...12R }}</ref> The pelvis is similar to ''A. afarensis'', but the hip joints are smaller in ''P. robustus''. The physical similarity implies a similar walking gait.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Macchiarelli R, Bondioli L, Galichon V, Tobias PV |title=Hip bone trabecular architecture shows uniquely distinctive locomotor behaviour in South African australopithecines |journal=Journal of Human Evolution |volume=36 |issue=2 |pages=211–32 |date=February 1999 |pmid=10068067 |doi=10.1006/jhev.1998.0267|bibcode=1999JHumE..36..211M }}</ref> Their modern-humanlike big toe indicates a modern-humanlike foot posture and range of motion, but the more distal ankle joint would have inhibited the modern human toe-off ]. By 1.8 mya, ''Paranthropus'' and '']'' may have achieved about the same grade of bipedality.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=R. L.|last1=Susman|first2=T. M.|last2=Brain|year=1988|title=New first metatarsal (SKX 5017) from Swartkrans and the gait of ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=77|issue=1|pages=7–15|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330770103|pmid=3189526}}</ref> | ||
===Height and weight=== | ===Height and weight=== | ||
In comparison to the large, robust head, the body was rather small. Average weight for ''P. robustus'' may have been {{cvt|40|kg}} for males and {{cvt|32|kg}} for females;<ref name=Wood2000/> and for ''P. boisei'' {{cvt|50|kg}} for males and {{cvt|34|kg}} for females.<ref name=Wood2000/> At Swartkrans Cave Members 1 and 2, about 35% of the ''P. robustus'' individuals are estimated to have weighed {{cvt|28|kg}}, 22% about {{cvt|43|kg}}, and the remaining 43% bigger than the former but less than {{cvt|54|kg}}. At Member 3, all individuals were about {{cvt|45|kg}}.<ref name=McHenry1991a/> Female weight was about the same in contemporaneous ''H. erectus'', but male ''H. erectus'' were on average {{cvt|13|kg|1}} heavier than ''P. robustus'' males.<ref name=Susman2001>{{cite journal|first1=R. L.|last1=Susman|first2=D.|last2=de Ruiter|first3=C. K.|last3=Brain|year=2001|title=Recently identified postcranial remains of ''Paranthropus'' and Early ''Homo'' from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=41|issue=6|pages=607–629|doi=10.1006/jhev.2001.0510|pmid=11782111|s2cid=26326715 |
In comparison to the large, robust head, the body was rather small. Average weight for ''P. robustus'' may have been {{cvt|40|kg}} for males and {{cvt|32|kg}} for females;<ref name=Wood2000/> and for ''P. boisei'' {{cvt|50|kg}} for males and {{cvt|34|kg}} for females.<ref name=Wood2000/> At Swartkrans Cave Members 1 and 2, about 35% of the ''P. robustus'' individuals are estimated to have weighed {{cvt|28|kg}}, 22% about {{cvt|43|kg}}, and the remaining 43% bigger than the former but less than {{cvt|54|kg}}. At Member 3, all individuals were about {{cvt|45|kg}}.<ref name=McHenry1991a/> Female weight was about the same in contemporaneous ''H. erectus'', but male ''H. erectus'' were on average {{cvt|13|kg|1}} heavier than ''P. robustus'' males.<ref name=Susman2001>{{cite journal|first1=R. L.|last1=Susman|first2=D.|last2=de Ruiter|first3=C. K.|last3=Brain|year=2001|title=Recently identified postcranial remains of ''Paranthropus'' and Early ''Homo'' from Swartkrans Cave, South Africa|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=41|issue=6|pages=607–629|doi=10.1006/jhev.2001.0510|pmid=11782111|bibcode=2001JHumE..41..607S |s2cid=26326715}}</ref> ''P. robustus'' sites are oddly dominated by small adults, which could be explained as heightened predation or mortality of the larger males of a group.<ref name=Braga2017>{{cite journal|first1=J.|last1=Braga|first2=J. F.|last2=Thackeray|first3=L.|last3=Bruxelles|first4=J.|last4=Dumoncel|first5=J.-P.|last5=Fourvel|year=2017|title=Stretching the time span of hominin evolution at Kromdraai (Gauteng, South Africa): Recent discoveries|journal=Comptes Rendus Palevol|volume=16|issue=1|pages=58–70|doi=10.1016/j.crpv.2016.03.003|bibcode=2017CRPal..16...58B |doi-access=free}}</ref> The largest-known ''Paranthropus'' individual was estimated at {{cvt|54|kg}}.<ref name=McHenry1991a>{{cite journal|first=H. M.|last=McHenry|author-link=Henry McHenry (anthropologist)|year=1991|title=Petite bodies of the "robust" australopithecines|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=86|issue=4|pages=445–454|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330860402}}</ref> | ||
According to a 1991 study, based on ] length and using the dimensions of modern humans, male and female ''P. robustus'' are estimated to have stood on average {{cvt|132|and|110|cm|ftin|0}}, respectively, and ''P. boisei'' {{cvt|137|and|124|cm|ftin|0}}. However, the latter estimates are problematic as there were no positively identified male ''P. boisei'' femurs at the time.<ref name=McHenry1991b>{{cite journal|first=H. M.|last=McHenry|author-link=Henry McHenry|year=1991|title=Femoral lengths and stature in Plio-Pleistocene hominids|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=85|issue=2|pages=149–158|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330850204|pmid=1882979}}</ref> In 2013, a 1.34 Ma male ''P. boisei'' partial skeleton was estimated to be at least {{cvt|156|cm|ftin|0}} and {{cvt|50|kg}}.<ref name=Dominguez2013>{{cite journal|first1=M.|last1=Domínguez-Rodrigo|first2=T. R.|last2=Rayne|first3=E.|last3=Baquedano|display-authors=et al.|year=2013|title=First Partial Skeleton of a 1.34-Million-Year-Old ''Paranthropus boisei'' from Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|issue=12|page=e80347|pmc=3855051|pmid=24339873|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0080347|bibcode=2013PLoSO...880347D|doi-access=free}}</ref> | According to a 1991 study, based on ] length and using the dimensions of modern humans, male and female ''P. robustus'' are estimated to have stood on average {{cvt|132|and|110|cm|ftin|0}}, respectively, and ''P. boisei'' {{cvt|137|and|124|cm|ftin|0}}. However, the latter estimates are problematic as there were no positively identified male ''P. boisei'' femurs at the time.<ref name=McHenry1991b>{{cite journal|first=H. M.|last=McHenry|author-link=Henry McHenry (anthropologist)|year=1991|title=Femoral lengths and stature in Plio-Pleistocene hominids|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=85|issue=2|pages=149–158|doi=10.1002/ajpa.1330850204|pmid=1882979}}</ref> In 2013, a 1.34 Ma male ''P. boisei'' partial skeleton was estimated to be at least {{cvt|156|cm|ftin|0}} and {{cvt|50|kg}}.<ref name=Dominguez2013>{{cite journal|first1=M.|last1=Domínguez-Rodrigo|first2=T. R.|last2=Rayne|first3=E.|last3=Baquedano|display-authors=et al.|year=2013|title=First Partial Skeleton of a 1.34-Million-Year-Old ''Paranthropus boisei'' from Bed II, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|issue=12|page=e80347|pmc=3855051|pmid=24339873|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0080347|bibcode=2013PLoSO...880347D|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
===Pathology=== | ===Pathology=== | ||
''Paranthropus'' seems to have had notably high rates of ] (PEH), where ] formation is spotty instead of mostly uniform. In ''P. robustus'', about 47% of ] and 14% of adult teeth were affected, in comparison to about 6.7% and 4.3%, respectively, in any other tested hominin species. The condition of these holes covering the entire tooth is consistent with the modern human ailment ]. However, since circular holes in enamel coverage are uniform in size, only present on the ], and have the same severity across individuals, the PEH may have been a genetic condition. It is possible that the ] concerned with thickening enamel also left them more vulnerable to PEH.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=I.|last1=Towle|first2=J. D.|last2=Irish|year=2019|title=A probable genetic origin for pitting enamel hypoplasia on the molars of ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=129|pages=54–61|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.002|pmid=30904040|s2cid=85502058|url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10289/1/Towle_Irish_JHE%202019.pdf}}</ref> | ''Paranthropus'' seems to have had notably high rates of ] (PEH), where ] formation is spotty instead of mostly uniform. In ''P. robustus'', about 47% of ] and 14% of adult teeth were affected, in comparison to about 6.7% and 4.3%, respectively, in any other tested hominin species. The condition of these holes covering the entire tooth is consistent with the modern human ailment ]. However, since circular holes in enamel coverage are uniform in size, only present on the ], and have the same severity across individuals, the PEH may have been a genetic condition. It is possible that the ] concerned with thickening enamel also left them more vulnerable to PEH.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=I.|last1=Towle|first2=J. D.|last2=Irish|year=2019|title=A probable genetic origin for pitting enamel hypoplasia on the molars of ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=129|pages=54–61|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.002|pmid=30904040|bibcode=2019JHumE.129...54T |s2cid=85502058|url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/10289/1/Towle_Irish_JHE%202019.pdf}}</ref> | ||
There have been 10 identified cases of ] in ''P. robustus'', indicating a rate similar to modern humans. A molar from ], South Africa, showed a cavity on the ], a rare occurrence in fossil great |
There have been 10 identified cases of ] in ''P. robustus'', indicating a rate similar to modern humans. A molar from ], South Africa, showed a cavity on the ], a rare occurrence in fossil ]s. In order for cavity-creating bacteria to reach this area, the individual would have had to have also presented either ], which is commonly associated with ]; or super-eruption of teeth which occurs when teeth become worn down and have to erupt a bit more in order to maintain a proper bite, and this exposed the root. The latter is most likely, and the exposed root seems to have caused ] to anchor the tooth in place. The cavity seems to have been healing, which may have been caused by a change in diet or ], or the loss of the adjacent molar.<ref name=Towle2019>{{cite journal|first1=I.|last1=Towle|first2=A.|last2=Riga|first3=J. D.|last3=Irish|display-authors=et al.|year=2019|title=Root caries on a ''Paranthropus robustus'' third molar from Drimolen|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|volume=170|issue=2|pages=319–323|doi=10.1002/ajpa.23891|pmid=31265762|s2cid=195786562|url=https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2019/04/11/573964.full.pdf}}</ref> | ||
==Palaeobiology== | ==Palaeobiology== | ||
===Diet=== | ===Diet=== | ||
]]] | ]]] | ||
It was once thought ''P. boisei'' cracked open nuts with its powerful teeth, giving OH 5 the nickname "Nutcracker Man". However, like gorillas, ''Paranthropus'' likely preferred soft foods, but would consume tough or hard food during leaner times, and the powerful jaws were used only in the latter situation.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=P. S.|last1=Ungar|first2=F. E.|last2=Grine|first3=M. F.|last3=Teaford|year=2008|title=Dental Microwear and Diet of the Plio-Pleistocene Hominin ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=3|issue=4|page=e2044|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0002044|pmc=2315797|pmid=18446200|bibcode=2008PLoSO...3.2044U|doi-access=free}}</ref> In ''P. boisei'', thick enamel was more likely used to resist abrasive gritty particles rather than to minimize chipping while eating hard foods.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=D.|last1=Rabenold|first2=O. M.|last2=Pearson|year=2011|title=Abrasive, Silica Phytoliths and the Evolution of Thick Molar Enamel in Primates, with Implications for the Diet of ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=6|issue=12|page=e28379|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0028379|pmc=3233556|pmid=22163299|bibcode=2011PLoSO...628379R|doi-access=free}}</ref> In fact, there is a distinct lack of tooth fractures which would have resulted from such activity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Towle|first1=Ian|last2=Irish|first2=Joel D.|last3=Groote|first3=Isabelle De|date=2017|title=Behavioral inferences from the high levels of dental chipping in ''Homo naledi''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|language=en|volume=164|issue=1|pages=184–192|doi=10.1002/ajpa.23250|pmid=28542710|issn=1096-8644|url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6367/3/Towle%20et%20al%20Homo%20naledi%20chipping%20%282%29.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|year=2005|title=Hominins, sedges, and termites: new carbon isotope data from the Sterkfontein valley and Kruger National Park|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|language=en|volume=48|issue=3|pages=301–312|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.11.008|pmid=15737395|last1=Sponheimer|first1=M.|last2=Lee-Thorp|first2=J.|last3=De Ruiter|first3=D.|last4=Codron|first4=D.|last5=Codron|first5=J.|last6=Baugh|first6=A. T.|last7=Thackeray|first7=F.|citeseerx=10.1.1.421.8468}}</ref> | It was once thought ''P. boisei'' cracked open nuts with its powerful teeth, giving OH 5 the nickname "Nutcracker Man". However, like gorillas, ''Paranthropus'' likely preferred soft foods, but would consume tough or hard food during leaner times, and the powerful jaws were used only in the latter situation.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=P. S.|last1=Ungar|first2=F. E.|last2=Grine|first3=M. F.|last3=Teaford|year=2008|title=Dental Microwear and Diet of the Plio-Pleistocene Hominin ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=3|issue=4|page=e2044|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0002044|pmc=2315797|pmid=18446200|bibcode=2008PLoSO...3.2044U|doi-access=free}}</ref> In ''P. boisei'', thick enamel was more likely used to resist abrasive gritty particles rather than to minimize chipping while eating hard foods.<ref>{{cite journal|first1=D.|last1=Rabenold|first2=O. M.|last2=Pearson|year=2011|title=Abrasive, Silica Phytoliths and the Evolution of Thick Molar Enamel in Primates, with Implications for the Diet of ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=6|issue=12|page=e28379|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0028379|pmc=3233556|pmid=22163299|bibcode=2011PLoSO...628379R|doi-access=free}}</ref> In fact, there is a distinct lack of tooth fractures which would have resulted from such activity.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last1=Towle|first1=Ian|last2=Irish|first2=Joel D.|last3=Groote|first3=Isabelle De|date=2017|title=Behavioral inferences from the high levels of dental chipping in ''Homo naledi''|journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology|language=en|volume=164|issue=1|pages=184–192|doi=10.1002/ajpa.23250|pmid=28542710|s2cid=24296825 |issn=1096-8644|url=http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/6367/3/Towle%20et%20al%20Homo%20naledi%20chipping%20%282%29.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|year=2005|title=Hominins, sedges, and termites: new carbon isotope data from the Sterkfontein valley and Kruger National Park|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|language=en|volume=48|issue=3|pages=301–312|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.11.008|pmid=15737395|last1=Sponheimer|first1=M.|last2=Lee-Thorp|first2=J.|last3=De Ruiter|first3=D.|last4=Codron|first4=D.|last5=Codron|first5=J.|last6=Baugh|first6=A. T.|last7=Thackeray|first7=F.|bibcode=2005JHumE..48..301S |citeseerx=10.1.1.421.8468}}</ref> | ||
''Paranthropus'' were generalist feeders, but diet seems to have ranged dramatically with location. The South African ''P. robustus'' appears to have been an omnivore, with a diet similar to contemporaneous ''Homo''<ref name=Wood2004>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=D.|last2=Strait|year=2004|title=Patterns of resource use in early ''Homo'' and ''Paranthropus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=46|issue=2|pages=119–162|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.11.004|pmid=14871560}}</ref> and nearly identical to the later '']'',<ref name=Lee2000>{{cite journal|first1=J.|last1=Lee-Thorp|first2=J. F.|last2=Thackeray|first3=N. V.|last3=der Merwe|year=2000|title=The hunters and the hunted revisited|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=39|issue=6|pages=565–576|doi=10.1006/jhev.2000.0436|pmid=11102267}}</ref> and subsisted on mainly ] savanna plants and ] forest plants, which could indicate either seasonal shifts in diet or seasonal migration from forest to savanna. In leaner times it may have fallen back on brittle food. It likely also consumed seeds<ref name=Sponheimer2006>{{cite journal|first1=M.|last1=Sponheimer|first2=B. H.|last2=Passey|first3=D. J.|last3=de Ruiter|display-authors=et al.|year=2006|title=Isotopic Evidence for Dietary Variability in the Early Hominin ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Science|volume=314|issue=5801|pages=980–982|doi=10.1126/science.1133827|pmid=17095699 |
''Paranthropus'' were generalist feeders, but diet seems to have ranged dramatically with location. The South African ''P. robustus'' appears to have been an omnivore, with a diet similar to contemporaneous ''Homo''<ref name=Wood2004>{{cite journal|first1=B.|last1=Wood|first2=D.|last2=Strait|year=2004|title=Patterns of resource use in early ''Homo'' and ''Paranthropus''|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=46|issue=2|pages=119–162|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2003.11.004|pmid=14871560|bibcode=2004JHumE..46..119W }}</ref> and nearly identical to the later '']'',<ref name=Lee2000>{{cite journal|first1=J.|last1=Lee-Thorp|first2=J. F.|last2=Thackeray|first3=N. V.|last3=der Merwe|year=2000|title=The hunters and the hunted revisited|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=39|issue=6|pages=565–576|doi=10.1006/jhev.2000.0436|pmid=11102267|bibcode=2000JHumE..39..565L }}</ref> and subsisted on mainly ] savanna plants and ] forest plants, which could indicate either seasonal shifts in diet or seasonal migration from forest to savanna. In leaner times it may have fallen back on brittle food. It likely also consumed seeds<ref name=Sponheimer2006>{{cite journal|first1=M.|last1=Sponheimer|first2=B. H.|last2=Passey|first3=D. J.|last3=de Ruiter|display-authors=et al.|year=2006|title=Isotopic Evidence for Dietary Variability in the Early Hominin ''Paranthropus robustus''|journal=Science|volume=314|issue=5801|pages=980–982|doi=10.1126/science.1133827|pmid=17095699|bibcode=2006Sci...314..980S|s2cid=22291574}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|first1=P. J.|last1=Constantino|first2=O.|last2=Borrero-Lopez|first3=B. R.|last3=Lawn|year=2018|title=Mechanisms of Tooth Damage in ''Paranthropus'' Dietary Reconstruction|journal= Biosurface and Biotribology|volume=4|issue=3|pages=73–78|doi=10.1049/bsbt.2018.0017|doi-access=free}}</ref> and possibly ]s or ]s.<ref name=Backwell2001/> A high cavity rate could indicate ] consumption.<ref name=Towle2019/> | ||
The East African ''P. boisei'', on the other hand, seems to have been largely herbivorous and fed on C4 plants. Its powerful jaws allowed it to consume a wide variety of different plants,<ref name=Wood2012/><ref name=Cerling2011>{{cite journal|last1=Cerling|first1=T. E.|last2=Mbua|first2=E.|last3=Kirera|first3=F. M.|display-authors=et al.|title=Diet of ''Paranthropus boisei'' in the early Pleistocene of East Africa |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=108 |issue=23 |pages=9337–41 |year= 2011 |pmid=21536914 |pmc=3111323 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1104627108 |bibcode=2011PNAS..108.9337C|doi-access=free}}</ref> though it may have largely preferred nutrient-rich ]s as these are known to thrive in the well-watered woodlands it is thought to have inhabited. Feeding on these, ''P. boisei'' may have been able to meet its daily caloric requirements of approximately 9,700 kJ after about 6 hours of foraging.<ref name=Macho2014>{{cite journal|first=G. M.|last=Macho|year=2014|title=Baboon Feeding Ecology Informs the Dietary Niche of ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=9|issue=1|page=e84942|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0084942|pmc=3885648|pmid=24416315|bibcode=2014PLoSO...984942M|doi-access=free}}</ref> | The East African ''P. boisei'', on the other hand, seems to have been largely herbivorous and fed on C4 plants. Its powerful jaws allowed it to consume a wide variety of different plants,<ref name=Wood2012/><ref name=Cerling2011>{{cite journal|last1=Cerling|first1=T. E.|last2=Mbua|first2=E.|last3=Kirera|first3=F. M.|display-authors=et al.|title=Diet of ''Paranthropus boisei'' in the early Pleistocene of East Africa |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |volume=108 |issue=23 |pages=9337–41 |year= 2011 |pmid=21536914 |pmc=3111323 |doi=10.1073/pnas.1104627108 |bibcode=2011PNAS..108.9337C|doi-access=free}}</ref> though it may have largely preferred nutrient-rich ]s as these are known to thrive in the well-watered woodlands it is thought to have inhabited. Feeding on these, ''P. boisei'' may have been able to meet its daily caloric requirements of approximately 9,700 kJ after about 6 hours of foraging.<ref name=Macho2014>{{cite journal|first=G. M.|last=Macho|year=2014|title=Baboon Feeding Ecology Informs the Dietary Niche of ''Paranthropus boisei''|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=9|issue=1|page=e84942|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0084942|pmc=3885648|pmid=24416315|bibcode=2014PLoSO...984942M|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
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===Technology=== | ===Technology=== | ||
], the most complete ''P. robustus'' skull known until the description of DNH155 in 2020<ref name=Stammers2018/>]] | ], the most complete ''P. robustus'' skull known until the description of DNH155 in 2020<ref name=Stammers2018/>]] | ||
Oldowan toolkits were uncovered at an excavation site on the Homa Peninsula in western Kenya. Stone tools called "oldowan toolkits" are used to pound and shape other rocks or plant materials. These tools are thought to be between 2.6 and 3 million years old. The stone tools were found near Paranthropus teeth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/smallbusiness/stone-tools-used-by-hippo-eating-human-ancestors-are-millions-of-years-old-researchers-say/ar-AA17iMEE?ocid=Peregrine&cvid=5d8b2955d48b41618f23d23f75d09dc3|title=Stone Tools Used By Hippo-Eating Human Ancestors Are Millions Of Years Old, Researchers Say|website=] |date=2023-02-09}}</ref> | |||
Bone tools dating between 2.3 and 0.6 mya have been found in abundance in Swartkrans,<ref name=Backwell2001/> Kromdraai and ] caves, and are often associated with ''P. robustus''. Though ''Homo'' is also known from these caves, their remains are comparatively scarce to ''Paranthropus'', making ''Homo''-attribution unlikely. The tools also cooccur with ''Homo''-associated ] and possibly ] stone tool ]. The bone tools were typically sourced from the ] of ]s from medium- to large-sized mammals, but tools made sourced from ]s, ]s and horn cores have also been found. Bone tools have also been found at Oldawan Gorge and directly associated with ''P. boisei'', the youngest dating to 1.34 mya, though a great proportion of other bone tools from here have ambiguous attribution. Stone tools from Kromdraai could possibly be attributed to ''P. robustus'', as no ''Homo'' have been found there yet.<ref name=Stammers2018/> | Bone tools dating between 2.3 and 0.6 mya have been found in abundance in Swartkrans,<ref name=Backwell2001/> Kromdraai and ] caves, and are often associated with ''P. robustus''. Though ''Homo'' is also known from these caves, their remains are comparatively scarce to ''Paranthropus'', making ''Homo''-attribution unlikely. The tools also cooccur with ''Homo''-associated ] and possibly ] stone tool ]. The bone tools were typically sourced from the ] of ]s from medium- to large-sized mammals, but tools made sourced from ]s, ]s and horn cores have also been found. Bone tools have also been found at Oldawan Gorge and directly associated with ''P. boisei'', the youngest dating to 1.34 mya, though a great proportion of other bone tools from here have ambiguous attribution. Stone tools from Kromdraai could possibly be attributed to ''P. robustus'', as no ''Homo'' have been found there yet.<ref name=Stammers2018/> | ||
The bone tools were not manufactured or purposefully shaped for a task. However, since the bones display no weathering (and were not scavenged randomly), and there is a preference displayed for certain bones, raw materials were likely specifically hand-picked. This could indicate a similar cognitive ability to contemporary Stone Age ''Homo''.<ref name=Stammers2018>{{cite journal|first1=R. C.|last1=Stammers|first2=M.|last2=Caruana|first3=A. I. R.|last3=Herries|year=2018|title=The first bone tools from Kromdraai and stone tools from Drimolen, and the place of bone tools in the South African Earlier Stone Age|journal= Quaternary International|volume=495|pages=87–101|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2018.04.026|bibcode=2018QuInt.495...87S|s2cid=135196415}}</ref> | The bone tools were not manufactured or purposefully shaped for a task. However, since the bones display no weathering (and were not scavenged randomly), and there is a preference displayed for certain bones, raw materials were likely specifically hand-picked. This could indicate a similar cognitive ability to contemporary Stone Age ''Homo''.<ref name=Stammers2018>{{cite journal|first1=R. C.|last1=Stammers|first2=M.|last2=Caruana|first3=A. I. R.|last3=Herries|year=2018|title=The first bone tools from Kromdraai and stone tools from Drimolen, and the place of bone tools in the South African Earlier Stone Age|journal= Quaternary International|volume=495|pages=87–101|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2018.04.026|bibcode=2018QuInt.495...87S|s2cid=135196415|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
Bone tools may have been used to cut or process vegetation,<ref name=Susman1988>{{cite journal |last=Susman|first=R. L. |title=Hand of ''Paranthropus robustus'' from Member 1, Swartkrans: fossil evidence for tool behavior |journal=Science |volume=240 |issue=4853 |pages=781–784 |year= 1988 |pmid=3129783 |doi=10.1126/science.3129783|bibcode=1988Sci...240..781S }}</ref> or dig up ]s or ]s,<ref name=Stammers2018/><ref name=Backwell2001>{{cite journal|first1=L. R.|last1=Backwell|first2=F.|last2=d'Errico|year=2001|title=Evidence of termite foraging by Swartkrans early hominids|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=98|issue=4|pages=1358–1363|doi=10.1073/pnas.021551598|pmid=11171955|pmc=29261|doi-access=free}}</ref> The form of ''P. robustus'' incisors appear to be intermediate between ''H. erectus'' and modern humans, which could indicate less food processing done by the teeth due to preparation with simple tools.<ref name=Williams2015/> | Bone tools may have been used to cut or process vegetation,<ref name=Susman1988>{{cite journal |last=Susman|first=R. L. |title=Hand of ''Paranthropus robustus'' from Member 1, Swartkrans: fossil evidence for tool behavior |journal=Science |volume=240 |issue=4853 |pages=781–784 |year= 1988 |pmid=3129783 |doi=10.1126/science.3129783|bibcode=1988Sci...240..781S }}</ref> or dig up ]s or ]s,<ref name=Stammers2018/><ref name=Backwell2001>{{cite journal|first1=L. R.|last1=Backwell|first2=F.|last2=d'Errico|year=2001|title=Evidence of termite foraging by Swartkrans early hominids|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=98|issue=4|pages=1358–1363|doi=10.1073/pnas.021551598|pmid=11171955|pmc=29261|doi-access=free}}</ref> The form of ''P. robustus'' incisors appear to be intermediate between ''H. erectus'' and modern humans, which could indicate less food processing done by the teeth due to preparation with simple tools.<ref name=Williams2015/> | ||
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Given the marked anatomical and physical differences with modern great apes, there may be no modern analogue for australopithecine societies, so comparisons drawn with modern primates will not be entirely accurate.<ref name=Copeland2011/><ref name=Kaszycka2016/> | Given the marked anatomical and physical differences with modern great apes, there may be no modern analogue for australopithecine societies, so comparisons drawn with modern primates will not be entirely accurate.<ref name=Copeland2011/><ref name=Kaszycka2016/> | ||
''Paranthropus'' had pronounced ], with males notably larger than females, which is commonly correlated with a male-dominated ] society. ''P. robustus'' may have had a harem society similar to modern forest-dwelling ]s, where one male has exclusive breeding rights to a group of females, as male-female size disparity is comparable to gorillas (based on facial dimensions), and younger males were less robust than older males (delayed maturity is also exhibited in gorillas).<ref>{{cite journal|first1=C. A.|last1=Lockwood|first2=C. G.|last2=Menter|first3=J.|last3=Moggi-Cecchi|first4=A. W.|last4=Keyser|year=2007|title=Extended male growth in a fossil hominin species|journal=Science|volume=318|issue=5855|pages=1443–1446|doi=10.1126/science.1149211|pmid=18048687|bibcode=2007Sci...318.1443L|s2cid=32900905}}</ref> | ''Paranthropus'' had pronounced ], with males notably larger than females, which is commonly correlated with a male-dominated ] society. ''P. robustus'' may have had a harem society similar to modern forest-dwelling ]s, where one male has exclusive breeding rights to a group of females, as male-female size disparity is comparable to gorillas (based on facial dimensions), and younger males were less robust than older males (delayed maturity is also exhibited in gorillas).<ref>{{cite journal|first1=C. A.|last1=Lockwood|first2=C. G.|last2=Menter|first3=J.|last3=Moggi-Cecchi|first4=A. W.|last4=Keyser|year=2007|title=Extended male growth in a fossil hominin species|journal=Science|volume=318|issue=5855|pages=1443–1446|doi=10.1126/science.1149211|pmid=18048687|bibcode=2007Sci...318.1443L|s2cid=32900905|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/15464/files/PAL_E2851.pdf }}</ref> | ||
However, if ''P. robustus'' preferred a savanna habitat, a multi-male society would have been more productive to better defend the troop from predators in the more exposed environment, much like savanna ]s. Further, among primates, delayed maturity is also exhibited in the ] which has a multi-male society, and may not be an accurate indicator of social structure.<ref name=Kaszycka2016>{{cite journal|first=K. A.|last=Kaszycka|year=2016|title=''Australopithecus robustus'' societies - one-male or multimale?|journal=South African Journal of Science|volume=112|issue=1–2|pages=124–131|doi=10.17159/sajs.2016/20150165|doi-access=free}}</ref> | However, if ''P. robustus'' preferred a savanna habitat, a multi-male society would have been more productive to better defend the troop from predators in the more exposed environment, much like savanna ]s. Further, among primates, delayed maturity is also exhibited in the ] which has a multi-male society, and may not be an accurate indicator of social structure.<ref name=Kaszycka2016>{{cite journal|first=K. A.|last=Kaszycka|year=2016|title=''Australopithecus robustus'' societies - one-male or multimale?|journal=South African Journal of Science|volume=112|issue=1–2|pages=124–131|doi=10.17159/sajs.2016/20150165|doi-access=free}}</ref> | ||
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===Habitat=== | ===Habitat=== | ||
] Valley]] | ] Valley]] | ||
It is generally thought that ''Paranthropus'' preferred to inhabit wooded, riverine landscapes.<ref name=Cerling2011/> The teeth of ''Paranthropus'', ''H. habilis'' and '']'' are all known from various overlapping beds in East Africa, such as at Olduvai Gorge<ref>{{cite journal|first=R. J.|last=Clarke|year=2012|title=A ''Homo habilis'' maxilla and other newly-discovered hominid fossils from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=63|issue=2|pages=418–428|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.007|pmid=22561056}}</ref> and the ].<ref name="Lague2019"/> ''P. robustus'' and ''H. erectus'' also appear to have coexisted.<ref name=Susman2001/><ref name=Pickering/> | It is generally thought that ''Paranthropus'' preferred to inhabit wooded, riverine landscapes.<ref name=Cerling2011/> The teeth of ''Paranthropus'', ''H. habilis'' and '']'' are all known from various overlapping beds in East Africa, such as at Olduvai Gorge<ref>{{cite journal|first=R. J.|last=Clarke|year=2012|title=A ''Homo habilis'' maxilla and other newly-discovered hominid fossils from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=63|issue=2|pages=418–428|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.11.007|pmid=22561056|bibcode=2012JHumE..63..418C }}</ref> and the ].<ref name="Lague2019"/> ''P. robustus'' and ''H. erectus'' also appear to have coexisted.<ref name=Susman2001/><ref name=Pickering/> | ||
''P. boisei'', known from the Great Rift Valley, may have typically inhabited wetlands along lakes and rivers, wooded or arid ]s, and semiarid woodlands,<ref name=Cerling2011/> though their presence in the savanna-dominated Malawian ] implies they could tolerate a range of habitats.<ref name=Bocherens>{{cite journal|first1=H.|last1=Bocherens|first2=O.|last2=Sandrock|first3=O.|last3=Kullmer|first4=F.|last4=Schrenk|year=2011|title=Hominin palaeoecology in late Pliocene Malawi: first insights from isotopes (<sup>13</sup>C, <sup>18</sup>O) in mammal teeth|journal=South African Journal of Science|volume=107|issue=3–4|pages=1–6|doi=10.4102/sajs.v107i3/4.331|doi-access=free}}</ref> During the Pleistocene, there |
''P. boisei'', known from the Great Rift Valley, may have typically inhabited wetlands along lakes and rivers, wooded or arid ]s, and semiarid woodlands,<ref name=Cerling2011/> though their presence in the savanna-dominated Malawian ] implies they could tolerate a range of habitats.<ref name=Bocherens>{{cite journal|first1=H.|last1=Bocherens|first2=O.|last2=Sandrock|first3=O.|last3=Kullmer|first4=F.|last4=Schrenk|year=2011|title=Hominin palaeoecology in late Pliocene Malawi: first insights from isotopes (<sup>13</sup>C, <sup>18</sup>O) in mammal teeth|journal=South African Journal of Science|volume=107|issue=3–4|pages=1–6|doi=10.4102/sajs.v107i3/4.331|doi-access=free}}</ref> During the Pleistocene, there seem to have been coastal and montane forests in Eastern Africa. More expansive river valleys—namely the ] Valley—may have served as important refuges for forest-dwelling creatures. Being cut off from the forests of Central Africa by a savanna corridor, these East African forests would have promoted high rates of ], especially during times of climatic volatility.<ref>{{cite journal|first=R.|last=Bobe|year=2006|title=The evolution of arid ecosystems in eastern Africa|journal=Journal of Arid Environments|volume=66|issue=3|pages=564–584|doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.01.010|bibcode=2006JArEn..66..564B}}</ref> | ||
The Cradle of Humankind, the only area ''P. robustus'' is known from, was mainly dominated by the ] ''Antidorcas recki'', but other antelope, ] and ] were also seemingly abundant megafauna. Other known primates are early ''Homo'', the ], and the extinct ] monkey '']''.<ref name=Adams>{{cite journal|first1=J. W.|last1=Adams|first2=D. S.|last2=Rovinsky|first3=A. I. R.|last3=Herries|first4=C. G.|last4=Menter|year=2016|title=Macromammalian faunas, biochronology and palaeoecology of the early Pleistocene Main Quarry hominin-bearing deposits of the Drimolen Palaeocave System, South Africa|journal=PeerJ|volume=4|page=e1941|pmid=27114884|pmc=4841245|doi=10.7717/peerj.1941}}</ref> | The Cradle of Humankind, the only area ''P. robustus'' is known from, was mainly dominated by the ] ''Antidorcas recki'', but other antelope, ] and ] were also seemingly abundant megafauna. Other known primates are early ''Homo'', the ], and the extinct ] monkey '']''.<ref name=Adams>{{cite journal|first1=J. W.|last1=Adams|first2=D. S.|last2=Rovinsky|first3=A. I. R.|last3=Herries|first4=C. G.|last4=Menter|year=2016|title=Macromammalian faunas, biochronology and palaeoecology of the early Pleistocene Main Quarry hominin-bearing deposits of the Drimolen Palaeocave System, South Africa|journal=PeerJ|volume=4|page=e1941|pmid=27114884|pmc=4841245|doi=10.7717/peerj.1941 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | ||
===Predators=== | ===Predators=== | ||
The left foot of a ''P. boisei'' specimen (though perhaps actually belonging to ''H. habilis'') from Olduvai Gorge seems to have been bitten off by a crocodile,<ref name=Njau2012>{{cite journal|first1=J. K.|last1=Njau|first2=R. J.|last2=Blumenschine|year=2012|title=Crocodylian and mammalian carnivore feeding traces on hominid fossils from FLK 22 and FLK NN 3, Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=63|issue=2|pages=408–417|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.008|pmid=21937084}}</ref> possibly '']'',<ref name=Brochu2010>{{cite journal |first1=C. A.|last1=Brochu|first2=J.|last2=Njau|first3=R. J.|last3=Blumenschine|first4=L. D.|last4=Densmore |year=2010 |title=A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=e9333 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0009333 |pmid=20195356 |pmc=2827537|bibcode=2010PLoSO...5.9333B|doi-access=free}}</ref> and another's leg shows evidence of leopard predation.<ref name=Njau2012/> Other likely Olduvan predators of great apes include the ] ''Chasmaporthetes nitidula'', and the ]s '']'' and '']''.<ref name=Lee2000/> The carnivore assemblage at the Cradle of Humankind comprises the two sabertooths, and the hyena '']''.<ref name=Adams/> | The left foot of a ''P. boisei'' specimen (though perhaps actually belonging to ''H. habilis'') from Olduvai Gorge seems to have been bitten off by a crocodile,<ref name=Njau2012>{{cite journal|first1=J. K.|last1=Njau|first2=R. J.|last2=Blumenschine|year=2012|title=Crocodylian and mammalian carnivore feeding traces on hominid fossils from FLK 22 and FLK NN 3, Plio-Pleistocene, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania|journal=Journal of Human Evolution|volume=63|issue=2|pages=408–417|doi=10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.05.008|pmid=21937084|bibcode=2012JHumE..63..408N }}</ref> possibly '']'',<ref name=Brochu2010>{{cite journal |first1=C. A.|last1=Brochu|first2=J.|last2=Njau|first3=R. J.|last3=Blumenschine|first4=L. D.|last4=Densmore |year=2010 |title=A New Horned Crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene Hominid Sites at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=e9333 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0009333 |pmid=20195356 |pmc=2827537|bibcode=2010PLoSO...5.9333B|doi-access=free}}</ref> and another's leg shows evidence of leopard predation.<ref name=Njau2012/> Other likely Olduvan predators of great apes include the ] ''Chasmaporthetes nitidula'', and the ]s '']'' and '']''.<ref name=Lee2000/> The carnivore assemblage at the Cradle of Humankind comprises the two sabertooths, and the hyena '']''.<ref name=Adams/> | ||
Male ''P. robustus'' appear to have had a higher mortality rate than females. It is possible that males were more likely to be kicked out of a group, and these lone males had a higher risk of predation.<ref name=Kaszycka2016/> | Male ''P. robustus'' appear to have had a higher mortality rate than females. It is possible that males were more likely to be kicked out of a group, and these lone males had a higher risk of predation.<ref name=Kaszycka2016/> | ||
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==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Portal|Paleontology}} | {{Portal|Paleontology}} | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
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==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
*{{cite book|first=F. E.|last=Grine|year=2007|title=Evolutionary History of the Robust Australopithecines|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-0-202-36596-1}} | *{{cite book|first=F. E.|last=Grine|year=2007|title=Evolutionary History of the Robust Australopithecines|publisher=Transaction Publishers|isbn=978-0-202-36596-1}} | ||
*{{cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=Bernard |last2=Williams |first2=Alexis |title=Meet Your Exotic, Extinct Close Relative: For a million years our likely ancestors in eastern Africa lived alongside creatures so peculiar that scientists today still struggle to make sense of them. |journal=American Scientist |date=2020 |volume=108 |issue=6 |page=348 |doi=10.1511/2020.108.6.348 |s2cid=241348079 |url=https://www.americanscientist.org/article/meet-your-exotic-extinct-close-relative}} | *{{cite journal |last1=Wood |first1=Bernard |last2=Williams |first2=Alexis |title=Meet Your Exotic, Extinct Close Relative: For a million years our likely ancestors in eastern Africa lived alongside creatures so peculiar that scientists today still struggle to make sense of them. |journal=American Scientist |date=2020 |volume=108 |issue=6 |page=348 |doi=10.1511/2020.108.6.348 |s2cid=241348079 |url=https://www.americanscientist.org/article/meet-your-exotic-extinct-close-relative}} | ||
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| title = Early Human Phylogeny | | title = Early Human Phylogeny | ||
| publisher = ] | | publisher = ] | ||
| access-date = 2006-09-14 | |||
| archive-date = 2005-11-02 | |||
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051102090342/http://www.mnh.si.edu/anthro/humanorigins/ha/a_tree.html | |||
| url-status = dead | |||
}} | }} | ||
* – ], ] (August 2016). | * – ], ] (August 2016). |
Latest revision as of 21:03, 17 July 2024
Contested extinct genus of hominins
Paranthropus Temporal range: Piacenzian–Chibanian, 2.9–1.2 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓ | |
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Skull of P. boisei (MGL 95211) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | Hominidae |
Subfamily: | Homininae |
Tribe: | Hominini |
Subtribe: | Australopithecina |
Genus: | †Paranthropus Broom, 1938 |
Type species | |
†Paranthropus robustus Broom, 1938 | |
Species | |
Synonyms | |
Paranthropus is a genus of extinct hominin which contains two widely accepted species: P. robustus and P. boisei. However, the validity of Paranthropus is contested, and it is sometimes considered to be synonymous with Australopithecus. They are also referred to as the robust australopithecines. They lived between approximately 2.9 and 1.2 million years ago (mya) from the end of the Pliocene to the Middle Pleistocene.
Paranthropus is characterised by robust skulls, with a prominent gorilla-like sagittal crest along the midline—which suggest strong chewing muscles—and broad, herbivorous teeth used for grinding. However, they likely preferred soft food over tough and hard food. Typically, Paranthropus species were generalist feeders, but while P. robustus was likely an omnivore, P. boisei seems to have been herbivorous, possibly preferring abundant bulbotubers. Paranthropoids were bipeds. Despite their robust heads, they had comparatively small bodies. Average weight and height are estimated to be 40 kg (88 lb) at 132 cm (4 ft) for P. robustus males, 50 kg (110 lb) at 137 cm (4 ft 6 in) for P. boisei males, 32 kg (71 lb) at 110 cm (3 ft 7 in) for P. robustus females, and 34 kg (75 lb) at 124 cm (4 ft 1 in) for P. boisei females.
They were possibly polygamous and patrilocal, but there are no modern analogues for australopithecine societies. They are associated with bone tools and contested as the earliest evidence of fire usage. They typically inhabited woodlands, and coexisted with some early human species, namely A. africanus, H. habilis and H. erectus. They were preyed upon by the large carnivores of the time, specifically crocodiles, leopards, sabertoothed cats and hyenas.
Taxonomy
Species
From top to bottom, P. robustus (SK 48), P. boisei (OH 5) and P. aethiopicus (KNM WT 17000)P. robustus
The genus Paranthropus was first erected by Scottish-South African palaeontologist Robert Broom in 1938, with the type species P. robustus. "Paranthropus" derives from Ancient Greek παρα para beside or alongside; and άνθρωπος ánthropos man. The type specimen, a male braincase, TM 1517, was discovered by schoolboy Gert Terblanche at the Kromdraai fossil site, about 70 km (43 mi) southwest of Pretoria, South Africa. By 1988, at least six individuals were unearthed in around the same area, now known as the Cradle of Humankind.
In 1948, at Swartkrans Cave, in about the same vicinity as Kromdraai, Broom and South African palaeontologist John Talbot Robinson described P. crassidens based on a subadult jaw, SK 6. He believed later Paranthropus were morphologically distinct from earlier Paranthropus in the cave—that is, the Swartkrans Paranthropus were reproductively isolated from Kromdraai Paranthropus and the former eventually speciated. By 1988, several specimens from Swartkrans had been placed into P. crassidens. However, this has since been synonymised with P. robustus as the two populations do not seem to be very distinct.
P. boisei
In 1959, P. boisei was discovered by Mary Leakey at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania (specimen OH 5). Her husband Louis named it Zinjanthropus boisei because he believed it differed greatly from Paranthropus and Australopithecus. The name derives from "Zinj", an ancient Arabic word for the coast of East Africa, and "boisei", referring to their financial benefactor Charles Watson Boise. However, this genus was rejected at Mr. Leakey's presentation before the 4th Pan-African Congress on Prehistory, as it was based on a single specimen. The discovery of the Peninj Mandible made the Leakeys reclassify their species as Australopithecus (Zinjanthropus) boisei in 1964, but in 1967, South African palaeoanthropologist Phillip V. Tobias subsumed it into Australopithecus as A. boisei. However, as more specimens were found, the combination Paranthropus boisei became more popular.
It is debated whether the wide range of variation in jaw size indicates simply sexual dimorphism or a grounds for identifying a new species. It could be explained as groundmass filling in cracks naturally formed after death, inflating the perceived size of the bone. P. boisei also has a notably wide range of variation in skull anatomy, but these features likely have no taxonomic bearing.
P. aethiopicus
In 1968, French palaeontologists Camille Arambourg and Yves Coppens described "Paraustralopithecus aethiopicus" based on a toothless mandible from the Shungura Formation, Ethiopia (Omo 18). In 1976, American anthropologist Francis Clark Howell and Breton anthropologist Yves Coppens reclassified it as A. africanus. In 1986, after the discovery of the skull KNM WT 17000 by English anthropologist Alan Walker and Richard Leakey classified it into Paranthropus as P. aethiopicus. There is debate whether this is synonymous with P. boisei, the main argument for separation being the skull seems less adapted for chewing tough vegetation.
In 1989, palaeoartist and zoologist Walter Ferguson reclassified KNM WT 17000 into a new species, walkeri, because he considered the skull's species designation questionable as it comprised the skull whereas the holotype of P. aethiopicus comprised only the mandible. Ferguson's classification is almost universally ignored, and is considered to be synonymous with P. aethiopicus.
Others
In 2015, Ethiopian palaeoanthropologist Yohannes Haile-Selassie and colleagues described the 3.5–3.2 Ma A. deyiremeda based on three jawbones from the Afar Region, Ethiopia. They noted that, though it shares many similarities with Paranthropus, it may not have been closely related because it lacked enlarged molars which characterize the genus. Nonetheless, in 2018, independent researcher Johan Nygren recommended moving it to Paranthropus based on dental and presumed dietary similarity.
Validity
In 1951, American anthropologists Sherwood Washburn and Bruce D. Patterson were the first to suggest that Paranthropus should be considered a junior synonym of Australopithecus as the former was only known from fragmentary remains at the time, and dental differences were too minute to serve as justification. In face of calls for subsumation, Leakey and Robinson continued defending its validity. Various other authors were still unsure until more complete remains were found. Paranthropus is sometimes classified as a subgenus of Australopithecus.
There is currently no clear consensus on the validity of Paranthropus. The argument rests upon whether the genus is monophyletic—is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants—and the argument against monophyly (that the genus is paraphyletic) says that P. robustus and P. boisei evolved similar gorilla-like heads independently of each other by coincidence (convergent evolution), as chewing adaptations in hominins evolve very rapidly and multiple times at various points in the family tree (homoplasy). In 1999, a chimp-like ulna forearm bone was assigned to P. boisei, the first discovered ulna of the species, which was markedly different from P. robustus ulnae, which could suggest paraphyly.
Evolution
P. aethiopicus is the earliest member of the genus, with the oldest remains, from the Ethiopian Omo Kibish Formation, dated to 2.6 mya at the end of the Pliocene. It is sometimes regarded as the direct ancestor of P. boisei and P. robustus. It is possible that P. aethiopicus evolved even earlier, up to 3.3 mya, on the expansive Kenyan floodplains of the time. The oldest P. boisei remains date to about 2.3 mya from Malema, Malawi. P. boisei changed remarkably little over its nearly one-million-year existence. Paranthropus had spread into South Africa by 2 mya with the earliest P. robustus remains.
It is sometimes suggested that Paranthropus and Homo are sister taxa, both evolving from Australopithecus. This may have occurred during a drying trend 2.8–2.5 mya in the Great Rift Valley, which caused the retreat of woodland environments in favor of open savanna, with forests growing only along rivers and lakes. Homo evolved in the former, and Paranthropus in the latter riparian environment. However, the classifications of Australopithecus species is problematic.
Evolutionary tree according to a 2019 study:
Hominini |
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Description
Skull
Paranthropus had a massively built, tall and flat skull, with a prominent gorilla-like sagittal crest along the midline which anchored large temporalis muscles used in chewing. Like other australopithecines, Paranthropus exhibited sexual dimorphism, with males notably larger than females. They had large molars with a relatively thick tooth enamel coating (post-canine megadontia), and comparatively small incisors (similar in size to modern humans), possibly adaptations to processing abrasive foods. The teeth of P. aethiopicus developed faster than those of P. boisei.
Paranthropus had adaptations to the skull to resist large bite loads while feeding, namely the expansive squamosal sutures. The notably thick palate was once thought to have been an adaptation to resist a high bite force, but is better explained as a byproduct of facial lengthening and nasal anatomy.
In P. boisei, the jaw hinge was adapted to grinding food side-to-side (rather than up-and-down in modern humans), which is better at processing the starchy abrasive foods that likely made up the bulk of its diet. P. robustus may have chewed in a front-to-back direction instead, and had less exaggerated (less derived) anatomical features than P. boisei as it perhaps did not require them with this kind of chewing strategy. This may have also allowed P. robustus to better process tougher foods.
The braincase volume averaged about 500 cm (31 cu in), comparable to gracile australopithecines, but smaller than Homo. Modern human brain volume averages 1,270 cm (78 cu in) for men and 1,130 cm (69 cu in) for women.
Limbs and locomotion
Unlike P. robustus, the forearms of P. boisei were heavily built, which might suggest habitual suspensory behaviour as in orangutans and gibbons. A P. boisei shoulder blade indicates long infraspinatus muscles, which is also associated with suspensory behavior. A P. aethiopicus ulna, on the other hand, shows more similarities to Homo than P. boisei.
Paranthropus were bipeds, and their hips, legs and feet resemble A. afarensis and modern humans. The pelvis is similar to A. afarensis, but the hip joints are smaller in P. robustus. The physical similarity implies a similar walking gait. Their modern-humanlike big toe indicates a modern-humanlike foot posture and range of motion, but the more distal ankle joint would have inhibited the modern human toe-off gait cycle. By 1.8 mya, Paranthropus and H. habilis may have achieved about the same grade of bipedality.
Height and weight
In comparison to the large, robust head, the body was rather small. Average weight for P. robustus may have been 40 kg (88 lb) for males and 32 kg (71 lb) for females; and for P. boisei 50 kg (110 lb) for males and 34 kg (75 lb) for females. At Swartkrans Cave Members 1 and 2, about 35% of the P. robustus individuals are estimated to have weighed 28 kg (62 lb), 22% about 43 kg (95 lb), and the remaining 43% bigger than the former but less than 54 kg (119 lb). At Member 3, all individuals were about 45 kg (99 lb). Female weight was about the same in contemporaneous H. erectus, but male H. erectus were on average 13 kg (28.7 lb) heavier than P. robustus males. P. robustus sites are oddly dominated by small adults, which could be explained as heightened predation or mortality of the larger males of a group. The largest-known Paranthropus individual was estimated at 54 kg (119 lb).
According to a 1991 study, based on femur length and using the dimensions of modern humans, male and female P. robustus are estimated to have stood on average 132 and 110 cm (4 ft 4 in and 3 ft 7 in), respectively, and P. boisei 137 and 124 cm (4 ft 6 in and 4 ft 1 in). However, the latter estimates are problematic as there were no positively identified male P. boisei femurs at the time. In 2013, a 1.34 Ma male P. boisei partial skeleton was estimated to be at least 156 cm (5 ft 1 in) and 50 kg (110 lb).
Pathology
Paranthropus seems to have had notably high rates of pitting enamel hypoplasia (PEH), where tooth enamel formation is spotty instead of mostly uniform. In P. robustus, about 47% of baby teeth and 14% of adult teeth were affected, in comparison to about 6.7% and 4.3%, respectively, in any other tested hominin species. The condition of these holes covering the entire tooth is consistent with the modern human ailment amelogenesis imperfecta. However, since circular holes in enamel coverage are uniform in size, only present on the molar teeth, and have the same severity across individuals, the PEH may have been a genetic condition. It is possible that the coding-DNA concerned with thickening enamel also left them more vulnerable to PEH.
There have been 10 identified cases of cavities in P. robustus, indicating a rate similar to modern humans. A molar from Drimolen, South Africa, showed a cavity on the tooth root, a rare occurrence in fossil great apes. In order for cavity-creating bacteria to reach this area, the individual would have had to have also presented either alveolar resportion, which is commonly associated with gum disease; or super-eruption of teeth which occurs when teeth become worn down and have to erupt a bit more in order to maintain a proper bite, and this exposed the root. The latter is most likely, and the exposed root seems to have caused hypercementosis to anchor the tooth in place. The cavity seems to have been healing, which may have been caused by a change in diet or mouth microbiome, or the loss of the adjacent molar.
Palaeobiology
Diet
It was once thought P. boisei cracked open nuts with its powerful teeth, giving OH 5 the nickname "Nutcracker Man". However, like gorillas, Paranthropus likely preferred soft foods, but would consume tough or hard food during leaner times, and the powerful jaws were used only in the latter situation. In P. boisei, thick enamel was more likely used to resist abrasive gritty particles rather than to minimize chipping while eating hard foods. In fact, there is a distinct lack of tooth fractures which would have resulted from such activity.
Paranthropus were generalist feeders, but diet seems to have ranged dramatically with location. The South African P. robustus appears to have been an omnivore, with a diet similar to contemporaneous Homo and nearly identical to the later H. ergaster, and subsisted on mainly C4 savanna plants and C3 forest plants, which could indicate either seasonal shifts in diet or seasonal migration from forest to savanna. In leaner times it may have fallen back on brittle food. It likely also consumed seeds and possibly tubers or termites. A high cavity rate could indicate honey consumption.
The East African P. boisei, on the other hand, seems to have been largely herbivorous and fed on C4 plants. Its powerful jaws allowed it to consume a wide variety of different plants, though it may have largely preferred nutrient-rich bulbotubers as these are known to thrive in the well-watered woodlands it is thought to have inhabited. Feeding on these, P. boisei may have been able to meet its daily caloric requirements of approximately 9,700 kJ after about 6 hours of foraging.
Juvenile P. robustus may have relied more on tubers than adults, given the elevated levels of strontium compared to adults in teeth from Swartkrans Cave, which, in the area, was most likely sourced from tubers. Dentin exposure on juvenile teeth could indicate early weaning, or a more abrasive diet than adults which wore away the cementum and enamel coatings, or both. It is also possible juveniles were less capable of removing grit from dug-up food rather than purposefully seeking out more abrasive foods.
Technology
Oldowan toolkits were uncovered at an excavation site on the Homa Peninsula in western Kenya. Stone tools called "oldowan toolkits" are used to pound and shape other rocks or plant materials. These tools are thought to be between 2.6 and 3 million years old. The stone tools were found near Paranthropus teeth.
Bone tools dating between 2.3 and 0.6 mya have been found in abundance in Swartkrans, Kromdraai and Drimolen caves, and are often associated with P. robustus. Though Homo is also known from these caves, their remains are comparatively scarce to Paranthropus, making Homo-attribution unlikely. The tools also cooccur with Homo-associated Oldawan and possibly Acheulian stone tool industries. The bone tools were typically sourced from the shaft of long bones from medium- to large-sized mammals, but tools made sourced from mandibles, ribs and horn cores have also been found. Bone tools have also been found at Oldawan Gorge and directly associated with P. boisei, the youngest dating to 1.34 mya, though a great proportion of other bone tools from here have ambiguous attribution. Stone tools from Kromdraai could possibly be attributed to P. robustus, as no Homo have been found there yet.
The bone tools were not manufactured or purposefully shaped for a task. However, since the bones display no weathering (and were not scavenged randomly), and there is a preference displayed for certain bones, raw materials were likely specifically hand-picked. This could indicate a similar cognitive ability to contemporary Stone Age Homo.
Bone tools may have been used to cut or process vegetation, or dig up tubers or termites, The form of P. robustus incisors appear to be intermediate between H. erectus and modern humans, which could indicate less food processing done by the teeth due to preparation with simple tools.
Burnt bones were also associated with the inhabitants of Swartkrans, which could indicate some of the earliest fire usage. However, these bones were found in Member 3, where Paranthropus remains are rarer than H. erectus, and it is also possible the bones were burned in a wildfire and washed into the cave as it is known the bones were not burned onsite.
Social structure
Given the marked anatomical and physical differences with modern great apes, there may be no modern analogue for australopithecine societies, so comparisons drawn with modern primates will not be entirely accurate.
Paranthropus had pronounced sexual dimorphism, with males notably larger than females, which is commonly correlated with a male-dominated polygamous society. P. robustus may have had a harem society similar to modern forest-dwelling silverback gorillas, where one male has exclusive breeding rights to a group of females, as male-female size disparity is comparable to gorillas (based on facial dimensions), and younger males were less robust than older males (delayed maturity is also exhibited in gorillas).
However, if P. robustus preferred a savanna habitat, a multi-male society would have been more productive to better defend the troop from predators in the more exposed environment, much like savanna baboons. Further, among primates, delayed maturity is also exhibited in the rhesus monkey which has a multi-male society, and may not be an accurate indicator of social structure.
A 2011 strontium isotope study of P. robustus teeth from the dolomite Sterkfontein Valley found that, like other hominins, but unlike other great apes, P. robustus females were more likely to leave their place of birth (patrilocal). This also discounts the plausibility of a harem society, which would have resulted in a matrilocal society due to heightened male–male competition. Males did not seem to have ventured very far from the valley, which could either indicate small home ranges, or that they preferred dolomitic landscapes due to perhaps cave abundance or factors related to vegetation growth.
Life history
Dental development seems to have followed about the same timeframe as it does in modern humans and most other hominins, but, since Paranthropus molars are markedly larger, rate of tooth eruption would have been accelerated. Their life history may have mirrored that of gorillas as they have the same brain volume, which (depending on the subspecies) reach physical maturity from 12–18 years and have birthing intervals of 40–70 months.
Palaeoecology
Habitat
It is generally thought that Paranthropus preferred to inhabit wooded, riverine landscapes. The teeth of Paranthropus, H. habilis and H. erectus are all known from various overlapping beds in East Africa, such as at Olduvai Gorge and the Turkana Basin. P. robustus and H. erectus also appear to have coexisted.
P. boisei, known from the Great Rift Valley, may have typically inhabited wetlands along lakes and rivers, wooded or arid shrublands, and semiarid woodlands, though their presence in the savanna-dominated Malawian Chiwondo Beds implies they could tolerate a range of habitats. During the Pleistocene, there seem to have been coastal and montane forests in Eastern Africa. More expansive river valleys—namely the Omo River Valley—may have served as important refuges for forest-dwelling creatures. Being cut off from the forests of Central Africa by a savanna corridor, these East African forests would have promoted high rates of endemism, especially during times of climatic volatility.
The Cradle of Humankind, the only area P. robustus is known from, was mainly dominated by the springbok Antidorcas recki, but other antelope, giraffes and elephants were also seemingly abundant megafauna. Other known primates are early Homo, the hamadryas baboon, and the extinct colobine monkey Cercopithecoides williamsi.
Predators
The left foot of a P. boisei specimen (though perhaps actually belonging to H. habilis) from Olduvai Gorge seems to have been bitten off by a crocodile, possibly Crocodylus anthropophagus, and another's leg shows evidence of leopard predation. Other likely Olduvan predators of great apes include the hunting hyena Chasmaporthetes nitidula, and the sabertoothed cats Dinofelis and Megantereon. The carnivore assemblage at the Cradle of Humankind comprises the two sabertooths, and the hyena Lycyaenops silberbergi.
Male P. robustus appear to have had a higher mortality rate than females. It is possible that males were more likely to be kicked out of a group, and these lone males had a higher risk of predation.
Extinction
It was once thought that Paranthropus had become a specialist feeder, and were inferior to the more adaptable tool-producing Homo, leading to their extinction, but this has been called into question. However, smaller brain size may have been a factor in their extinction along with gracile australopithecines. P. boisei may have died out due to an arid trend starting 1.45 mya, causing the retreat of woodlands, and more competition with savanna baboons and Homo for alternative food resources.
South African Paranthropus appear to have outlasted their East African counterparts. The youngest record of P. boisei comes from Konso, Ethiopia about 1.4 mya; however, there are no East African sites dated between 1.4 and 1 mya, so it may have persisted until 1 mya. P. robustus, on the other hand, was recorded in Swartkrans until Member 3 dated to 1–0.6 mya (the Middle Pleistocene), though more likely the younger side of the estimate.
See also
References
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Further reading
- Grine, F. E. (2007). Evolutionary History of the Robust Australopithecines. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 978-0-202-36596-1.
- Wood, Bernard; Williams, Alexis (2020). "Meet Your Exotic, Extinct Close Relative: For a million years our likely ancestors in eastern Africa lived alongside creatures so peculiar that scientists today still struggle to make sense of them". American Scientist. 108 (6): 348. doi:10.1511/2020.108.6.348. S2CID 241348079.
External links
- Reconstructions of P. boisei by John Gurche
- "Early Human Phylogeny". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on 2005-11-02. Retrieved 2006-09-14.
- Human Timeline (Interactive) – Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History (August 2016).
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