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Objectives: One of the most contentious issues in paleoanthropology is the nature of the last common ancestor of humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos (panins). The numerical composition of the vertebral column has featured prominently, with multiple models predicting distinct patterns of evolution and contexts from which bipedalism evolved. Here, we study total numbers of vertebrae from a large sample of hominoids to quantify variation in and patterns of regional and total numbers of vertebrae in hominoids. Materials and Methods: We compile and study a large sample (N = 893) of hominoid vertebral formulae (numbers of cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, caudal segments in each specimen) and analyze full vertebral formulae, total numbers of vertebrae, and super‐regional numbers of vertebrae: presacral (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) vertebrae and sacrococcygeal vertebrae. We quantify within‐ and between‐taxon variation using heterogeneity and similarity measures derived from population genetics. Results: We find that humans are most similar to African apes in total and super‐regional numbers of vertebrae. Additionally, our analyses demonstrate that selection for bipedalism reduced variation in numbers of vertebrae relative to other hominoids. Discussion: The only proposed ancestral vertebral configuration for the last common ancestor of hominins and panins that is consistent with our results is the modal formula demonstrated by chimpanzees and bonobos (7 cervical‐13 thoracic‐4 lumbar‐6 sacral‐3 coccygeal). Hox gene expression boundaries suggest that a rostral shift in Hox10/Hox11‐mediated complexes could produce the human modal formula from the proposal ancestral and panin modal formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The paleontological description and comparative analysis using discrete morphology, morphometrics (linear and geometric) and cross‐sectional geometry of three femoral diaphyseal sections from the Middle Pleistocene site of Hualongdong, China. Materials and Methods: The material consists of the original Hualongdong femoral fossils and available data on femoral diaphyses from Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic humans and Middle and earlier Upper Paleolithic modern humans. The methods include visual observation, diaphyseal diameters, cross‐sectional parameters (transverse areas and second moments of area derived from micro‐CT scans), and geometric morphometrics using semilandmark data. Results: The Hualong 11 midshaft section is similar to other Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic humans in being transversely broad and lacking a pilaster despite a prominent linea aspera. It clusters principally with archaic human femora in all measured parameters. The Hualong 15 and 16 subtrochanteric pieces are similar to many Middle Pleistocene and early modern human femora in being transversely broad. In particular, Hualong 15 exhibits a prominent lateral (gluteal) buttress, similar to many Upper Paleolithic femora but also the Lazaret and Krapina archaic ones. In addition, Hualong 15 has a small third trochanter, a common Upper Paleolithic but rare earlier feature. Discussion: The Hualong 11 femoral piece reinforces the general Middle Pleistocene pattern, especially for eastern Eurasia from which archaic human femora are rare. The subtrochanteric proportions of Hualong 15 and 16 reinforce the Early Pleistocene and (generally) Middle Pleistocene pattern of bone distributions, but their subperiosteal contours align them (along with those of the Lazaret and Krapina femora) with Upper Paleolithic ones. It is difficult to account for these proportions from the generally broad pelves of Pleistocene archaic humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Common wisdom in paleoanthropology is that Neandertals had bigger brains than recent humans. Here we tested the hypothesis that there is no difference in brain size between Neandertals and recent humans while accounting for methodological variation and the makeup of both the Neandertal and recent human samples. Materials and Methods: We examined endocranial volume (ECV) derived from virtually reconstructed endocasts of 11 Neandertals, six of which had associated femoral head diameters (FHD). Our recent human comparative dataset consisted of virtually measured ECV and associated FHD from 94 recent humans from the Robert J. Terry Anatomical Collection (63 male, 31 female). ECV of Neandertals and recent humans was compared using bootstrap resampling, repeating the analysis for two groupings of Neandertals (all and classic) and for three groupings of recent humans (all, males, and females). To examine brain size scaling, we completed an ordinary least squares regression of log (ECV) against log (FHD) for Neandertals and recent humans. Results: The results of the bootstrap resampling analyses indicated that Neandertals only had significantly larger ECV when compared with recent human females. The regression between ECV and FHD suggested that Neandertals fall within the range of variation for larger humans. Discussion: Our results demonstrate that Neandertals do not have uniquely large brains when compared with recent humans. Their brain size falls in the large end of the recent human range of variation, but does not exceed it. These results have implications for future research on Neandertal encephalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Riparian or gallery forests are critical habitats for numerous plants and animals today. Paleoanthropologically, reliance on such habitats informs behavioral and ecological reconstructions; for example, gallery forest habitats likely played a critical role in the transition from ape to hominin in the early Pliocene and may represent a preferred habitat for the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans. Direct indicators for gallery forest habitats preference are lacking. The objective of this article is to assess whether strontium isotope ratios are a reliable indicator of habitat preference for fauna living in and around gallery forests. Materials and methods: We report bioavailable strontium isotope ratios from the Mugiri River, its tributaries, and its gallery forest (Toro‐Semliki Wildlife Reserve, southwestern Uganda), and compare them to surrounding savanna‐grassland values. We compare these environmental values to strontium isotopes ratios in faunal tooth enamel to determine if habitat preferences are accurately reflected. Results: Gallery forest and savanna‐grassland vegetations have significantly different strontium isotope ratio profiles. We trace these isotopic differences to the influence of the Mugiri tributaries, which originate on Paleoproterozoic gneiss deposits on top of the surrounding escarpments. These isotopic differences in vegetation are mirrored in the tissues of fauna with habitat preferences for either the gallery forest or the surrounding grasslands. Discussion: This research demonstrates the potential of strontium isotope ratios to identify habitat preferences in modern or fossil fauna under proper geologic variability. It provides a methodological model for future studies seeking to reconstruct habitat preferences in early hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the root and root canal morphology of Homo fossil occupying China during the Middle Pleistocene period. Human occupation and evolutionary dynamics in East Asia during the Middle Pleistocene period is one of the most intriguing issues in paleoanthropology, with the coexistence of multiple lineages and regional morphs suggesting a complex population interaction scenario. Although premolar root and canal morphology has certain phylogenetic, taxonomic, and functional implications, its morphological diversity, possible evolutionary trend and characteristics regarding Middle Pleistocene hominins inhabiting East Asia are still insufficiently understood; where these populations fits within the Homo lineage (with respect to root and pulp canal structure) needs to be explored. Materials and methods: Using microtomography, we directly observed and assessed the nonmetric variability of root and canal forms in maxillary and mandibular premolars of Chinese Middle Pleistocene Homo (N = 19), and compared our observed variations with Eurasian Early Pleistocene specimens from the Asia continent (N = 1) and Java (N = 2), as well as with Neanderthals (N = 28) and recent modern humans (N = 67). Results: A total number of nine types of root‐canal forms were recorded. As a whole, the Chinese Middle Pleistocene record shows an evolutionary trend toward a modern human‐like condition (a reduction of root/canal number and a simplification of root surface structure). We documented primitive signals like high percentage of Tomes' root in lower premolars. A considerable occurrence of incompletely separated root branches and bifid root and canal apices, representing evolutionary transformation from multi‐root to single‐root condition was also noticed. The results were compared with previous publications on Early and Middle Pleistocene Homo in East Africa, North Africa, and Eurasia. Conclusion: This work provides new original data, incorporates the latest human fossil discoveries and suggests that analyzing the variation of premolar root structural organization, notably integrating together root/canal form and number, could possibly contribute to taxonomic and phylogenetic assessments. The mid‐Middle Pleistocene populations, or "classic" Homo erectus, in our study show closer affinity to Early and Middle Pleistocene hominins in Eurasia, than to East African early Homo, which supports the suggestion that at least some of the Early Pleistocene hominin groups in Eurasia contribute to the later population; on the other hand, it is still difficult to clearly trace the evolutionary fate of those late Middle Pleistocene populations (roughly assigned as archaic Homo sapiens through a craniodental perspective). More comparable materials from the Early to Middle Pleistocene period as well as precise chronological framework is needed to further explore the evolutionary trends of archaic hominins in the Asian continent before the arrival of modern humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The history of the discovery of early fossils attributed to the genus Homo has been contentious, with scholars disagreeing over the generic assignment of fossils proposed as members of our genus. In this manuscript I review the history of discovery and debate over early Homo and evaluate the various taxonomic hypotheses for the genus. To get a sense of how hominin taxonomy compares to taxonomic practice outside paleoanthropology, I compare the diversity of Homo to genera in other vertebrate clades. Finally, I propose a taxonomic model that hews closely to current models for hominin phylogeny and is consistent with taxonomic practice across evolutionary biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Herein we introduce a newly recovered partial calvaria, OH 83, from the upper Ndutu Beds of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. We present the geological context of its discovery and a comparative analysis of its morphology, placing OH 83 within the context of our current understanding of the origins and evolution of Homo sapiens. Materials and methods We comparatively assessed the morphology of OH 83 using quantitative and qualitative data from penecontemporaneous fossils and the W.W. Howells modern human craniometric dataset. Results OH 83 is geologically dated to ca. 60-32 ka. Its morphology is indicative of an early modern human, falling at the low end of the range of variation for post-orbital cranial breadth, the high end of the range for bifrontal breadth, and near average in frontal length. Discussion There have been numerous attempts to use cranial anatomy to define the species Homo sapiens and identify it in the fossil record. These efforts have not met wide agreement by the scientific community due, in part, to the mosaic patterns of cranial variation represented by the fossils. The variable, mosaic pattern of trait expression in the crania of Middle and Late Pleistocene fossils implies that morphological modernity did not occur at once. However, OH 83 demonstrates that by ca. 60-32 ka modern humans in Africa included individuals that are at the fairly small and gracile range of modern human cranial variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives In modern humans, the significant correlation between neutral genetic loci and cranial anatomy suggests that the cranium preserves a population history signature. However, there is disagreement on whether certain parts of the cranium preserve this signature to a greater degree than other parts. It is also unclear how different quantitative measures of phenotype affect the association of genetic variation and anatomy. Here, we revisit these matters by testing the correlation of genetic distances and various phenotypic distances for ten modern human populations. Materials and Methods Geometric morphometric shape data from the crania of adult individuals ( n = 224) are used to calculate phenotypic PST, Procrustes, and Mahalanobis distances. We calculate their correlation to neutral genetic distances, FST, derived from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We subset the cranial data into landmark configurations that include the neurocranium, the face, and the temporal bone in order to evaluate whether these cranial regions are differentially correlated to neutral genetic variation. Results Our results show that PST, Mahalanobis, and Procrustes distances are correlated with FST distances to varying degrees. They indicate that overall cranial shape is significantly correlated with neutral genetic variation. Of the component parts examined, PST distances for both the temporal bone and the face have a stronger association with FST distances than the neurocranium. When controlling for population divergence time, only the whole cranium and the temporal bone have a statistically significant association with FST distances. Discussion Our results confirm that the cranium, as a whole, and the temporal bone can be used to reconstruct modern human population history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objectives The diploic channels appear to be more developed in humans than in nonhuman primates, suggesting they may be relevant in evolutionary biology. This study is aimed at providing a segmentation procedure for diploic channels and CT analysis, a quantitative description of their variation in modern humans, and paleoanthropological case-studies. Materials and Methods CT data were used for the 2D and 3D visualization, rendering, and measure, of diploic channels in modern and fossil hominids. We analyzed 20 modern human skulls and three Neanderthals. The effect of different resolution factors was evaluated. A specific protocol was designed to segment the vascular network and localize the main branches, reducing the noise of the cancellous bone. Results We provide a quantitative description of the frontal, parietal, and occipital diploic networks in modern humans and in three Neanderthals. There is a correlation in the degree of vascularization among the different vault areas. No side differences can be detected. The diploic network is commonly connected with the meningeal artery at the temporal fossa, with the emissary veins at the occipital bone, and with the venous sinuses at the parieto-occipital areas. The channels are more developed in the parietal areas. The three Neanderthals show a vascular development, which is in the lower range of the modern human variation. Conclusions Modern humans display a large variation in their morphological patterns, being the parietal area the most vascularized. The pattern of the diploic channels may be relevant in anthropology, medicine, and paleontology, taking into account their possible involvement in thermoregulation. Am J Phys Anthropol 159:313-324, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the morphological changes of the male femur during the adolescent growth spurt and to compare the pattern obtained with that reported previously for females. Material and Methods: Two hundred and forty males from a Spanish population aged between 9 and 16 years were analysed, based on telemetries. Size and shape variation of the femur was quantified by 22 2D-landmarks and analysed using geometric morphometric methods. Likewise, the variation of neck-shaft and bicondylar angles were also determined and evaluated by Student's t-test. Sexual differences were analysed by comparing results here obtained on boys with those corresponding to girls reported in a previous study. Results: In males, both size and shape varied significantly with age, with males having larger dimensions than females. In general terms, these changes are generally characterised by an increase in robustness of the femur and shape modifications in the epiphyses. During growth, the neck-shaft angle decreases and the size of the greater and lesser trochanters increase. A significant increase of distal epiphyseal dimensions was recorded, mainly in the medial condyle. The angular remodeling of both the neck and the bicondylar regions of the male femur continues until 16 and 15 years, respectively. Female and male femur each followed divergent growth trajectories. Males showed a greater variability in neck-shaft and bicondylar angles than females. Discussion: The timing, morphology and growth trajectories provided on the femur during development can be very helpful in anthropological, paleoanthropological and evolution studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study seeks to assess the relationship between dental mineralization and skeletal development in chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes) and to evaluate the effect that differing numbers of ordinal and continuous variables have on correlation statistics, particularly in comparison with prior human studies. Materials and Methods: This study evaluated epiphyseal fusion, dental mineralization, and growth in length of long bones using 145 juvenile chimpanzee skeletons housed in osteological collections at the Powell-Cotton Museum, the Museum of Central Africa, and the Adolph Schultz Collection. Results: Correlations between multiple epiphyseal fusion sites and dental maturity scores for crown and root mineralization were produced using Pearson's r, Spearman's ρ, and Kendall's τ. Correlation statistics were produced using different subgroups of epiphyseal fusion sites and long bone lengths, and both summary and individual tooth development scores. Discussion: Methodological considerations were discussed as differences in sample, measurement scale, and statistical technique had an effect on the outcome of correlations obtained. These results suggest that sampling and methodological differences between studies may affect the interpretation and comparison of correlation results, and that correlation strength differences between extant species must be considered before applying such results to questions in human biology and palaeoanthropology. Even after consideration of such factors, the correlation coefficient values for chimpanzees obtained in this study were generally stronger than those previously published in human studies, and may reflect differences in skeletal and dental developmental patterns between species. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:279-287, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Objective Our aim was to recover new evidence of the evolution of the hominid lineage. Methods We undertook paleontological fieldwork at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in one of the richest paleoanthropological sites in the world, documenting the evolution of our lineage and its environmental contexts over the last 2 million years. Results During field work in 2012, the Olduvai Vertebrate Paleontology Project discovered the distal end of a hominid ulna (OH 82) on the north side of Olduvai Gorge a few meters west of the Third Fault, eroding from Bed III sediments that are ∼1 million years in age. Discussion The size and morphology of this distal ulna falls within the normal range of variation seen in humans, although at the larger end of the distribution. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:36-42, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The crania from Kow Swamp and Cohuna have been important for a number of debates in Australian paleoanthropology. These crania typically have long, flat foreheads that many workers have cited as evidence of genetic continuity with archaic Indonesian populations, particularly the Ngandong sample. Other scientists have alleged that at least some of the crania from Kow Swamp and the Cohuna skull have been altered through artificial modification, and that the flat foreheads possessed by these individuals are not phylogenetically informative. In this study, several Kow Swamp crania and Cohuna are compared to known modified and unmodified comparative samples. Canonical variates analyses and Mahalanobis distances are generated, and random expectation statistics are used to calculate statistical significance for these tests. The results of this study agree with prior work indicating that a portion of this sample shows evidence for artificial modification of the cranial vault. Many Kow Swamp crania and Cohuna display shape similarities with a population of known modified individuals from New Britain. Kow Swamp 1, 5, and Cohuna show the strongest evidence for modification, but other individuals from this sample also show evidence of culturally manipulated changes in cranial shape. This project provides added support for the argument that at least some Pleistocene Australian groups were practicing artificial cranial modification, and suggests that caution should be used when including these individuals in phylogenetic studies. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:173-178, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Analysis of cut marks in bone is largely limited to two dimensional qualitative description. Development of morphological classification methods using measurements from cut mark cross sections could have multiple uses across palaeoanthropological and archaeological disciplines, where cutting edge types are used to investigate and reconstruct behavioral patterns. An experimental study was undertaken, using porcine bone, to determine the usefulness of discriminant function analysis in classifying cut marks by blade edge type, from a number of measurements taken from their cross-sectional profile. The discriminant analysis correctly classified 86.7% of the experimental cut marks into serrated, non-serrated and bamboo blade types. The technique was then used to investigate a series of cut marks of unknown origin from a collection of trophy skulls from the Torres Strait Islands, to investigate whether they were made by bamboo or metal blades. Nineteen out of twenty of the cut marks investigated were classified as bamboo which supports the non-contemporaneous ethnographic accounts of the knives used for trophy taking and defleshing remains. With further investigation across a variety of blade types, this technique could prove a valuable tool in the interpretation of cut mark evidence from a wide variety of contexts, particularly in forensic anthropology where the requirement for presentation of evidence in a statistical format is becoming increasingly important. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:575-584, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Body mass estimates are integral to a wide range of inferences in paleoanthropology. Most techniques employ postcranial elements, but predictive equations based on cranial variables have also been developed. Three studies currently provide regression equations for estimating mass from cranial variables, but none of the equations has been tested on samples of known mass. Nor have the equations been compared to each other in terms of performance. Consequently, this study assessed the performance of existing cranial equations using computed tomography scans from a large, documented sample of modern humans of known body mass. Virtual models of the skull were reconstructed and measured using computer software, and the resulting variables were entered into three sets of published regression equations. Estimated and known body masses were then compared. For most equations, prediction errors were high and few individuals were estimated within ±20% of their known mass. Only one equation satisfied the accuracy criteria. In addition, variables that had been previously argued to be good predictors of mass in hominins, including humans, did not estimate mass reliably. These results have important implications for paleoanthropology. In particular, they emphasize the need to develop new equations for estimating fossil hominin body mass from cranial variables. Am J Phys Anthropol 154:201-214, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses several symposiums related to paleoanthropology to be held from April 10-11, 2014. Topics discussed include advances in human bone studies from the prenatal period through adolescence, take over an alpha male in male dispersed species of primates and the paleoanthological significance of leprosy in human. It also presents a list of poster authors, who will give presentations on several topics such as testing of inhibitory cascade models on primate deciduous premolars.

ABSTRACT A very limiting factor for paleoanthropological studies is the poor state of preservation of the human fossil record, where fragmentation and deformation are considered normal. Although anatomical information can still be gathered from a distorted fossil, such specimens must typically be excluded from advanced morphological and morphometric analyses, thus reducing the fossil sample size and, ultimately, our knowledge of human evolution. In this contribution we provide the first digital reconstruction of the KNM-ER 1813 Homo habilis cranium. Based on state of-the-art three-dimensional digital modeling and geometric morphometric (GM) methods, the facial portion was aligned to the neurocranium, the overall distortion was removed, and the missing regions were restored. The reconstructed KNM-ER 1813 allows for an adjustment of the anthropometric measurements gathered on the original fossil. It is suitable for further quantitative studies, such as GM analyses focused on skull morphology or for finite element analysis to explore the mechanics of early Homo feeding behavior and diet. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:154-160, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT We report a Holocene human and animal footprint site from the Namib Sand Sea, south of Walvis Bay, Namibia. Using these data, we explore intratrail footprint variability associated with small variations in substrate properties using a 'whole foot' analytical technique developed for the studies in human ichnology. We demonstrate high levels of intratrail variability as a result of variations in grain size, depositional moisture content, and the degree of sediment disturbance, all of which determine the bearing capacity of the substrate. The two principal trails were examined, which had consistent stride and step lengths, and as such variations in print typology were primarily controlled by substrate rather than locomotor mechanics. Footprint typology varies with bearing capacity such that firm substrates show limited impressions associated with areas of peak plantar pressure, whereas softer substrates are associated with deep prints with narrow heels and reduced medial longitudinal arches. Substrates of medium bearing capacity give displacement rims and proximal movement of sediment, which obscures the true form of the medial longitudinal arch. A simple conceptual model is offered which summarizes these conclusions and is presented as a basis for further investigation into the control of substrate on footprint typology. The method, model, and results presented here are essential in the interpretation of any sites of greater paleoanthropological significance, such as recently reported from Ileret (1.5 Ma, Kenya; Bennett et al.: Science 323 (2009) 1197-1201). Am J Phys Anthropol 151:265-279, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of studies of frontal bone morphology in paleoanthropology have analyzed the frontal squama and the browridge as a single unit, mixing information from different functional elements. Taking into account that the bulging of the frontal bone is often described as a species-specific trait of Homo sapiens, in this article we analyze variation in the midsagittal profile of the genus Homo, focusing on the frontal squama alone, using landmark-based superimpositions and principal components analysis. Our results demonstrate that anatomically modern humans are definitely separated from extinct human taxa on the basis of frontal bulging. However, there is minor overlap among these groups, indicating that it is necessary to exercise caution when using this trait alone to make taxonomic inferences on individual specimens. Early modern humans do not show differences with recent modern humans, and 'transitional' individuals such as Jebel Irhoud 1, Maba, and Florisbad, show modern-like frontal squama morphology. The bulging of the frontal squama in modern humans may represent a structural consequence of more general cranial changes, or it could be a response to changes in the morphology of the underlying prefrontal brain elements. A subtle difference between Neandertals and the Afro-European Middle Pleistocene Homo sample is associated with flattening at bregma in the former group, a result that merits further investigation. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pattern of human tooth wear-the way it varies between teeth in the mouth-is crucial to our understanding of important questions in archeology and paleoanthropology, such as the contrasts in diet and behavior between Neanderthals and early modern humans in Europe and Asia, or with the adoption of agriculture in the Americas. Little is known, however, about the way in which wear patterns develop with increasing age or the way in which they differ between males and females. One explanation is that few living people show the high rates of tooth wear seen worldwide throughout the preindustrial archaeological record. The study described here investigates the macroscopic pattern of tooth wear in a unique group of known age and sex dental casts from living Canadian Inuit from Igloolik. The results show that the Igloolik people possessed a pattern of extremely heavy anterior tooth wear, relative to the first molar and the other posterior teeth, which is attributed to the use of the anterior teeth in cultural practices as well as the extreme and marginal environments in which they lived. Heavy anterior tooth wear was established at an early age and maintained throughout life; statistically significant differences were found between the wear patterns of males and females and are explained in terms of sexual division of labor within the community. This study highlights the need to understand both intra- and interpopulation variation in tooth wear patterns when interpreting patterns in past human groups. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diet is fundamental to the interaction between an organism and its environment, and is therefore an important key to understanding ecology and evolution. It should come as no surprise then that paleoanthropologists have put a great deal of effort into reconstructing the diets of Plio-Pleistocene hominins. Most of this effort has focused on teeth; these durable parts of the digestive system are usually the most commonly preserved elements in vertebrate fossil assemblages. In this article, I review much of this work. Tooth size, occlusal morphology, enamel thickness, and microstructure provide evidence for the physical properties of the foods to which a species was adapted. Dental microwear can offer insights into the properties of foods that an individual ate on a day-to-day basis. Taken together, these lines of evidence can offer important insights into early hominin food choices and adaptations. New methods of analysis and theoretical perspectives are improving our understanding of the diets of Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and early Homo, and promise further progress long intothe future. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54:47-62, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of research tools and analytical approaches from the geospatial sciences is a welcome trend for the study of primate and human evolution. The use of remote sensing (RS) imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) allows vertebrate paleontologists, paleoanthropologists, and functional morphologists to study fossil localities, landscapes, and individual specimens in new and innovative ways that recognize and analyze the spatial nature of much paleoanthropological data. Whether one is interested in locating and mapping fossiliferous rock units in the field, creating a searchable and georeferenced database to catalog fossil localities and specimens, or studying the functional morphology of fossil teeth, bones, or artifacts, the new geospatial sciences provide an essential element in modern paleoanthropological inquiry. In this article we review recent successful applications of RS and GIS within paleoanthropology and related fields and argue for the importance of these methods for the study of human evolution in the twenty first century. We argue that the time has come for inclusion of geospatial specialists in all interdisciplinary field research in paleoanthropology, and suggest some promising areas of development and application of the methods of geospatial science to the science of human evolution. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 54:19-46, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The determination of the number of individuals represented within commingled remains is based on two types of estimators, those assessing the minimum number of individuals and those assessing the most likely number of individuals. Much as the latter produce improved results, they still exhibit significant drawbacks, which are related to the misidentification of the number of pairs between the existing bilateral elements. This article addresses these problems through the use of two computer algorithms. One algorithm produces a number of potential pairs between bilateral elements and the other estimates the number of individuals in a commingled sample by incorporating the percentages of lost and altered bones into the analysis. These algorithms were validated using hypothetical and actual skeletal samples, and are more effective in comparison to any conventional estimators, particularly in cases, where the elements are poorly preserved. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taung endocast is one of the best-preserved and most important known in paleoanthropology. Although the endocast is undistorted and preserves distinctive landmarks, Taung has proved a difficult endocast, because it is only about 60% complete. To reconstruct Taung it is necessary to first use the available anatomical landmarks to define the midline of the endocast. It is only with a proper description of the midline that it is possible to reconstruct the endocast and obtain an accurate measurement of Taung's endocranial volume. Holloway (Science 168 (1970) 966-968) determined a conservative estimate for Taung of 404 ml. More recently this estimate has been revised downward by Falk and Clarke (Am J Phys Anthropol 134 (2007) 529-534) to 382 ml, giving Taung the smallest endocast for A. africanus. Certain challenges exist with the reconstruction of any endocast, particularly a hemi-endocast such as Taung. A virtual reconstruction of Taung must assume perfect symmetry, a feature called into question here in Taung's most recent reconstruction by Falk and Clarke (2007). Holloway's (1970) reconstruction of Taung provides a guidepost for a conservative approach to endocast reconstructions, and the most reliable measurement of Taung's true endocranial volume. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developmental and evolutionary changes in craniofacial morphology are a central issue in paleoanthropology, but the underlying bone growth processes have been scarcely studied. Relevant knowledge on bone growth dynamics can be obtained from the spatial distribution of bone formation and resorption activities. Determining these patterns from the valuable samples typically used in anthropology and palaeoanthropology necessarily implies nondestructive procedures. In this work, we present a methodology based on the analysis of high-resolution replicas by reflected light microscopy, describing how microfeatures related to bone formation and resorption activities are recognized on both recent and fossil bone surfaces. The proposed method yields highly similar images to those obtained with scanning electron microscope and has proven its utility in an analysis of a large sample of extant and extinct hominoids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone histomorphometry has been applied to the lower limb cortical bone of Pleistocene humans to establish age at death and to determine bone remodeling rates (Abbott et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 226 (1996) 307-313). Both of these procedures require the determination of osteon density and mean osteon size. Previous analyses of Middle and Late Pleistocene human lower limb bones have produced bone remodeling rates that are slower than those determined in a more recent archeological sample. Recalculation of the data reported in Abbott et al.: Am J Phys Anthropol 226 (1996) 307-313) has revealed mathematical errors in the remodeling rates reported for the Pleistocene humans. The corrected remodeling rates for the Pleistocene group are similar to the values obtained in the more recent comparative sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of faliback foods in shaping primate ranging, socioecology, and morphology has recently become a topic of particular interest to biological anthropologists, Although the use of faliback resources has been noted in the ecological and primatological literature for a number of decades, few attempts have been made to define faliback foods or to explore the utility of this concept for primate evolutionary biologists and ecologists. As a preface to this special issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology devoted to the topic of failback foods in primate ecology and evolution, we discuss the development and use of the fallback concept and highlight its importance in primatology and paleoanthropology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin and evolutionary history of modern humans is of considerable interest to paleoanthropologists and geneticists alike. Paleontological evidence suggests that recent humans originated and expanded from an African lineage that may have undergone demo- graphic crises in the Late Pleistocene according to archaeological and genetic data. This would suggest that extant human populations derive from, and perhaps sample a restricted part of the genetic and morphological variation that was present in the Late Pleistocene. Crania that date to Marine Isotope Stage 3 should yield information pertaining to the level of Lath Pleistocene human phenotypic diversity and its evolution in modern humans. The Nazlet Rhater (NK) and Hofmeyr (HOF) crania from Egypt and South Africa, together with penecontemporaneous specimens from the Peşera cu Oase in Romania, permit preliminary assessment of variation among modern humans from geographically disparate regions at this time. Morphometric and morphological comparisons with other Late Pleistocene modern human specimens, and with 23 recent human population samples, reveal that elevated levels of variation are present throughout the Lath Pleistocene. Comparison of Holocene and Late Pleistocene craniometric variation through resampling analyses supports hypotheses derived from genetic data suggesting that present phenotypic variation may represent only a restricted part of Late Pleistocene human diversity. The Nazlet Khater, Hofmeyr, and Oase specimens provide a unique glimpse of that diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the aging standards based on the infracranial maturation of individual's remains in Coimbra, Portugal. In archaeological, paleonanthropological and forensic contexts, age of a single skeletal individual is very important information to the researchers. Teeth are the bones most commonly used to identify the age of a human being's remains..

A crucial component of research on brain evolution has been the comparison of fossil endocranial surfaces with modern human and primate endocrania. The latter have generally been obtained by creating endocasts out of rubber latex shells filled with plaster. The extent to which the method of production introduces errors in endocast replicas is unknown. We demonstrate a powerful method of comparing complex shapes in 3- dimensions (3D) that is broadly applicable to a wide range of paleoanthropological questions. Pairs of virtual endocasts (VEs) created from high-resolution CT scans of corresponding latex/plaster endocasts and their associated crania were rigidly registered (aligned) in 3D space for two Homo sapiens and two Pan troglodytes specimens. Distances between each cranial VE and its corresponding latex/plaster VE were then mapped on a voxel-by-voxel basis. The results show that between 79.7% and 91.0% of the voxels in the four latex/plaster VEs are within 2 mm of their corresponding cranial VEs surfaces. The average error is relatively small, and variation in the pattern of error across the surfaces appears to be generally random overall. However, inferior areas around the cranial base and the temporal poles were somewhat overestimated in both human and chimpanzee specimens, and the area over- laying Broca's area in humans was somewhat underestimated. This study gives an idea of the size of possible error inherent in latex/plaster endocasts, indicating the level of confidence we can have with studies relying on comparisons between them and, e.g., hominid fossil endocasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporosis has become a growing health concern in developed countries and an extensive area of research in skeletal biology. Despite numerous paleopathological studies of bone mass, few studies have measured bone quality in past populations. In order to examine age- and sex-related changes in one aspect of bone quality in the past, a study was made of trabecular bone architecture in a British medieval skeletal sample. X-ray images of 5-mm-thick coronal lumbar vertebral bone sections were taken from a total of 54 adult individuals divided into three age categories (1829, 30-49, and 50+ years), and examined using image analysis to evaluate parameters related to trabecular bone structure and connectivity. Significant age-related changes in trabecular bone structure (trabecular bone volume (BV/TV), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), and anisotropic ratio (Tb.An)) were observed to occur primarily by middle age with significant differences between the youngest and two older age groups. Neither sex showed continuing change in trabecular structure between the middle and old age groups. Age-related changes in bone connectivity (number of nodes (N.Nd) and node-to-node strut length (Nd.Nd)) similarly indicated a change in bone connectivity only between the youngest and two older age groups. However, females showed no statistical differences among the age groups in bone connectivity. These patterns of trabecular bone loss and fragility contrast with those generally found in modern populations that typically report continuing loss of bone structure and connectivity between middle and old age, and suggest greater loss in females. The patterns of bone loss in the archaeological samples must be interpreted cautiously. We speculate that while nutritional factors may have initiated some bone loss in both sexes, physical activity could have conserved bone architecture in old age in both sexes, and reproductive factors such as high parity and extended periods of lactation could have played a key role in female bone maintenance in this historic population. The study of qualitative elements (such as trabecular architecture) is vital if we are to understand bone maintenance and fragility in the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteological studies both old and new have utilized various Polynesian cranial samples, individually or in combination, to assess the racial composition of prehistoric Polynesians as a group, with regards to other Pacific populations, or to represent the Polynesian peoples as a whole in various multivariate analyses of worldwide populations. However, few of these studies have assessed the degree of intrasample variation produced when data derived from skeletal samples from different Polynesian islands (populations) are pooled to represent "Polynesians" as a whole. A similar argument can be made when data derived from various museum skeletal samples of the same Polynesian population are pooled to produce a larger sample representing that particular Polynesian population (Murrill [1968] Cranial and postcranial skeletal remains from Easter Island; Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press; Stefan [2002] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. [Suppl.] 34:147). This study examined Easter Island crania curated at various museums in North America, South America, and Europe to assess whether significant differences exist among the museum collections of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) skeletal material. A NORM statistical program (Schafer and Olsen [1997] NORM, version 1.01; University Park: Pennsylvania State University) for multiple imputation of incomplete multivariate datasets was utilized to estimate missing data. A variance comparison method, which utilizes variance/covariance matrices derived from "hypothesis" and "baseline/reference" samples (Key and Jantz [1990] Hum. Evol. 5:457-469; Key and Jantz [1990] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 82:53-59) was used to compare the Rapa Nui museum samples. This method is designed to test whether variability in a "hypothesis" museum sample exceeds "normal within-group variability" represented by the "baseline/reference" sample. The method was applied to six Rapa Nui museum samples (AANMW, MNHN-KB, MNHN-NAE, NHM, MH, and AMNH). The results indicate that the museum "hypothesis," male and female samples, exhibited little intrasample variability from the "baseline/reference" sample (MAPSE), though the samples were collected at different times and by different individuals. These results show the ability of multiple imputation and variance comparison methodologies to predict missing variables while maintaining the inherent variance/covariance structure and to discriminate sample variation in artificially assembled samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reexamination of Eyasi 1, a later Middle Pleistocene east African neurocranium, reveals the presence of a suite of midoccipital features, including a modest nuchal torus that is limited to the middle half of the bone, the absence of an external occipital protuberance, and a distinct transversely oval suprainiac fossa. These features, and especially the suprainiac fossa, were considered to be uniquely derived for the European and western Asian Neandertals. These observations therefore indicate that these features are not limited to Neandertal lineage specimens, and should be assessed in terms of frequency distributions among later archaic humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient mtDNA was succesfully recovered from 24 skeletal samples of a total of 60 ancient individuals from Patagonia-Tierra del Fuego, dated to 100–400 years BP, for which consistent amplifications and two-strand sequences were obtained. Y-chromosome STRs (DYS434, DYS437, DYS439, DYS393, DYS391, DYS390, DYS19, DYS389I, DYS389II, and DYS388) and the biallelic system DYS199 were also amplified, Y-STR alleles could be characterized in nine cases, with an average of 4.1 loci per sample correctly typed. In two samples of the same ethnic group (Aonikenk), an identical and complete eight-loci haplotype was recovered. The DYS199 biallelic system was used as a control of contamination by modern DNA and, along with DYS19, as a marker of American origin. The analysis of both mtDNA and Y-STRs revealed DNA from Amerindian ancestry. The observed polymorphisms are consistent with the hypothesis that the ancient Fuegians are close to populations from southcentral Chile and Argentina, but their high nucleotide diversity and the frequency of single lineages strongly support early genetic differentiation of the Fuegians through combined processes of population bottleneck, isolation, and/or migration, followed by strong genetic drift. This suggests an early genetic -diversification of the Fuegians right after their arrival at the southernmost extreme of South America [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We extracted DNA from two skeletons belonging to the Sytho-Siberian population, which were excavated from the Sebÿstei site (dating back 2,500 years) in the Altai Republic (Central Asia). Ancient DNA was analyzed by autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) and by the sequencing of the hypervariable region 1 (HV1) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region. The results showed that these two skeletons were not close relatives. Moreover, their haplogroups were characteristic of Asian populations. Comparison with the haplogroup of 3,523 Asian and American individuals linked one skeleton with a putative ancestral paleo-Asiatic population and the other with Chinese populations. It appears that the genetic study of ancient populations of Central Asia brings important elements to the understanding of human population movements in Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The absolute and relative breadths of the mandibular ramus (MRB) display substantial variation in modern humans, and are of analytical value in paleoanthropology. According to Enlow et al. ([1969] Am. J. Orthod. 56:6–23), the ramus is the growth counterpart of the middle cranial fossa (MCF) and the pharynx. Such counterpart principles state that variation in ramus breadth is a frequent function of the horizontal alignment of the MCF, and both structures tend to covary within and between populations. These authors also suggested that lateral parts of the basicranium have a particular importance in the positioning of facial components. In the present study, this hypothesis is tested, and relationships between midline and lateral basicranial elements and raus breadth variation are explored. Two-dimensional landmarks taken from lateral radiographs of adult crania representative of three modern human populations (Europeans, West Africans, and Japanese) were analyzed by geometric morphometry. Our results are consistent with previous counterpart analyses. Furthermore, our findings highlight the significance of the orientation of the petrous temporal to modern human mandibular ramus variation. Variation in the orientation of the petrosal bone appears to alter the spatial position of the mandible and influences MRB. Developmental integration of a petroso-mandibular unit may have important paleoanthropological implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some of the most long-standing questions in paleoanthropology concern how and why human bipedalism evolved. Over the last century, many hypotheses have been offered on the mode of locomotion from which bipedalism originated. Candidate ancestral adaptations include monkey-like arboreal or terrestrial quadrupedalism, gibbon- or orangutan-like (or other forms of) climbing and suspension, and knuckle-walking. This paper reviews the history of these hypotheses, outlines their predictions, and assesses them in light of current phylogenetic, comparative anatomical, and fossil evidence. The functional significance of characteristics of the shoulder and arm, elbow, wrist, and hand shared by African apes and humans, including their fossil relatives, most strongly supports the knuckle-walking hypothesis, which reconstructs the ancestor as being adapted to knuckle-walking and arboreal climbing. Future fossil discoveries, and a clear understanding of anthropoid locomotor anatomy, are required to ultimately test these hypotheses. If knuckle-walking was an important component of the behavioral repertoire of the prebipedal human ancestor, then we can reject scenarios on the origin of bipedalism that rely on a strictly arboreal ancestor. Moreover, paleoenvironmental data associated with the earliest hominins, and their close relatives, contradict hypotheses that place the agents of selection for bipedality in open savanna habitats. Existing hypotheses must explain why bipedalism would evolve from an ancestor that was already partly terrestrial. Many food acquisition and carrying hypotheses remain tenable in light of current evidence. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 44:70-105, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the schedule of American Journal of Physical Anthropology (AAPA) poster and podium presentation including the Dental Anthropology I session, the Primates I behavior and ecology session, and the Paleoanthropology I session.

Some paleonanthropologists invoke the competitive exclusion principle programmatically in support of a single‐species (or lineage) hypothesis of hominid evolution. Others apparently accept the association between competitive exclusion and a single species view, and develop multi‐species interpretations using only taxonomic concepts. This paper demonstrates that the competitive exclusion principle itself is too assumption‐bound to be appropriate for analyzing questions of hominid coexistence. Especially, the principle does not establish the ecological validity of the single‐species hypothesis. Contrary to its immediate appearances, the principle has developed historically and analytically to predict and explain the evolution and maintenance of diversity in communities. Used in this manner it constitutes an important basis for the study of hominid paleoecology. Niche concepts necessary to demonstrate this are introduced, and competition and other factors that may have influenced the realized niches of sympatric hominid species are discussed. Nearly all modifications of the competitive exclusion principle that make it more realistic also illuminate factors that generate stable coexistence among competing species. These factors and their organizing theory establish the relevance of a broad data base to the analysis of hominid paleoecology; they should help to guide research on the ecology of early homonid species and their interrelationships. Copyright © 1980 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company

Fossil evidence from the Plio‐Pleistocene of Africa apparently has confirmed a multi‐lineage interpretation of early hominid evolution. Empirical refutation of the single species hypothesis must now be matched to the evolutionary ecology theory, which can underwrite taxonomic assessment and help to explain sympatric hominid coexistence. This paper contributes to that goal by reassessing the ecological rationale provided for the single‐species hypothesis. Limiting similarity concepts indicate that the allowable ecological overlap between sympatric competitors is greater than the degrees of metric overlap often advanced as standards for identifying fossil species. Optimal foraging theory and the compression hypothesis show that the initial ecological reaction of a hominid to a sympatric competitor would likely be micro‐habitat divergence and possibly also temporal differentiation of resource use. The long‐term, evolutionary response is niche divergence, probably involving diet as well. General niche partitioning studies suggest that diet and habitat are the most common dimensions of niche separation, although temporal separation is unusually frequent in carnivores. The equation of niche with culture, basic to the single‐species hypothesis, has no analytic meaning. Finally, four minor points are discussed, suggesting that (a) extinction is not unlikely, even for a long‐lived and competitively competent hominid lineage, (b)parsimony is fickle, (c)interspecific mutualism may jeopardize survival, and (d)generalists are subordinate competitors, but for hominids, seemingly, successful ones. I argue that analog models of hominid paleoecology should be replaced by the use of zoological and anthropological observations to assess the generality and reliability of ecological theory and comcepts that may encompass early hominids. Copyright © 1981 Wiley‐Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company

An introduction is presented wherein the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics, including the fundamental concept of a species as it is used in paleoanthropology, evidence for a high human tropic level during the Pleistocene period, and a view of bioarchaeology of urbanism.

Many applied problems in physical anthropology involve estimation of an unobservable quantity (such as age at death or stature) from quantities that are observable. Two of the more disparate subdisciplines of our discipline, paleoanthropology and forensic anthropology, routinely make use of various estimation methods on a case-by-case basis. We discuss the rationales for making estimations on isolated cases, taking stature estimation from femoral and humerus lengths as an example. We show that the entirety of our discussion can be placed within the context of calibration problems, where a large calibration sample is used to estimate an unobservable quantity for a single skeleton. Taking a calibration approach to the problem highlights the essentially Bayesian versus maximum likelihood nature of the question of stature estimation. On the basis of both theoretical arguments and practical examples, we show that inverse calibration (regression of stature on bone length) is generally preferred when the stature distribution for a reference sample forms a reasonable prior, while classical calibration (regression of bone length on stature followed by solving for stature) is preferred when there is reason to suspect that the estimated stature will be an extrapolation beyond the useful limits of the reference sample statures. The choice between these two approaches amounts to the decision to use either a Bayesian or a maximum likelihood method. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 41:65-92, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of modern humans have been the central debate in palaeoanthropology during the last decade. We examine the problem in the context of the history of anthropology, the accumulating evidence for a recent African origin, and evolutionary mechanisms. Using a historical perspective, we show that the current controversy is a continuation of older conflicts and as such relates to questions of both origins and diversity. However, a better fossil sample, improved dates, and genetic data have introduced new perspectives, and we argue that evolutionary geography, which uses spatial distributions of populations as the basis for integrating contingent, adaptive, and demographic aspects of microevolutionary change, provides an appropriate theoretical framework. Evolutionary geography is used to explore two events: the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the relationship between an ancestral bottleneck with the evolution of anatomically modern humans and their diversity. We argue that the Neanderthal and modern lineages share a common ancestor in an African population between 350,000 and 250,000 years ago rather than in the earlier Middle Pleistocene; this ancestral population, which developed mode 3 technology (Levallois/Middle Stone Age), dispersed across Africa and western Eurasia in a warmer period prior to independent evolution towards Neanderthals and modern humans in stage 6. Both lineages would thus share a common large-brained ancestry, a technology, and a history of dispersal. They differ in the conditions under which they subsequently evolved and their ultimate evolutionary fate. Both lineages illustrate the repeated interactions of the glacial cycles, the role of cold-arid periods in producing fragmentation of populations, bottlenecks, and isolation, and the role of warmer periods in producing trans-African dispersals. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 41:137-176, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern human origins debate within paleoanthropology has become polarized between two dominant models, Recent African Origin (RAO) and Multiregional Evolution (MRE). The debate has persisted and shows no sign of resolution despite the incorporation of new data and dates during the past decade. We examine the reasons for this stalemate, focusing on the presentation of these models by their principal advocates, Christopher Stringer and Milford Wolpoff. In particular, we consider whether the RAO-MRE dispute is a paradigm crisis. The modern human origins debate can be placed in the broader context of unresolved controversies within evolutionary biology (e.g., punctuated equilibrium vs. gradualism, use of cladistics, and species definitions). While the two sides hold conflicting views, we argue that such differences do not constitute a paradigm clash. Since both share a commitment to Darwinian evolutionary theory, the debate cannot be characterized as a paradigm clash at the level of, e.g., Ptolemaic vs. Copernican astronomy. Furthermore, we submit that a debate having historical roots reaching back into the previous century should not be portrayed as a conflict between competing paradigms in the Kuhnian sense. Preferences toward discontinuity or continuity wax and wane, persisting in a variety of scientific disciplines. We do not predict the quick demise of either MRE or RAO but are optimistic that careful evaluation of the characters and data on which claims about modern human origins are based will lead us toward a resolution of the current impasse. Yrbk Phys Anthropol 40:113-138, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discoveries of fossil hominids, particularly at Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania, in the late 1950s and early 1960s served as an important catalyst for stimulating the multi-interdisciplinary approach which now characterizes African paleoanthropology. While discovery of fossil hominids will always play a central role, it is the strategic implementation of a diverse set of inquiries which promises to generate the most rewarding and comprehensive details of how we became human. Field work by the Omo Research Expedition and the Koobi Fora Research Project contributed significantly to development of the strategy of paleoanthropology, emphasizing integration of specialists from geology, biology and the social sciences. In Ethiopia the ongoing Hadar Research Project has applied the integrated, multidimensional strategy of paleoanthropology resulting in important additions to our understanding of early hominid origins. The pace of fossil hominid discoveries is picking up in Africa, and there is every reason to believe that major contributions to human evolutionary studies will be forthcoming. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the 64th annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists to be held in Oakland, California from March 28-April 1, 1995, which features several topics including dental anthropology, paleoanthropology, and behavior of primates.

Several recent studies have concluded that early hominines resembled apes in patterns of dental ontogeny and have inferred from this conclusion that they were ape-like in other aspects of growth and development as well. Prior to their employment on fossil junveniles, the comparative methods used in these studies were not first tested for their predicitive accuracy in distinguishing modern humans from apes on the basis of proposed patterns of dental ontogeny. We find that 92% of a smaple of 48 modern children are classified as ape-like or nonhuman by the criteria employed in one of these studies and overlap entirely with fossil juvenile dental patterns. The use of these methods to characterize early hominines as 'ape-like' or distinctly divergent from humans is thus shown to be unwarranted. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]