Developmental simulation of the adult cranial morphology of australopithecus sediba.

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dc.citation.doi10.17159/sajs.2016/20160012en_ZA
dc.citation.issue7/8en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorCarlson, K.B.
dc.contributor.authorDe Ruiter, D.J.
dc.contributor.authorDewitt, T.J.
dc.contributor.authorMcnuity, K.P.
dc.contributor.authorTafforeau, P.
dc.contributor.authorBerger, L.R.
dc.contributor.authorCarlson, K.J.
dc.date.accessioned2016-11-16T14:56:47Z
dc.date.available2016-11-16T14:56:47Z
dc.date.issued2016-07
dc.description.abstractThe type specimen of Australopithecus sediba (MH1) is a late juvenile, prompting some commentators to suggest that had it lived to adulthood its morphology would have changed sufficiently so as to render hypotheses regarding its phylogenetic relations suspect. Considering the potentially critical position of this species with regard to the origins of the genus Homo, a deeper understanding of this change is especially vital. As an empirical response to this critique, a developmental simulation of the MH1 cranium was carried out using geometric morphometric techniques to extrapolate adult morphology using extant male and female chimpanzees, gorillas and humans by modelling remaining development. Multivariate comparisons of the simulated adult A. sediba crania with other early hominin taxa indicate that subsequent cranial development primarily reflects development of secondary sexual characteristics and would not likely be substantial enough to alter suggested morphological affinities of A. sediba. This study also illustrates the importance of separating developmental vectors by sex when estimating ontogenetic change. Results of the ontogenetic projections concur with those from mandible morphology, and jointly affirm the taxonomic validity of A. sediba.en_ZA
dc.description.librarianNCS2016en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipAndrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Geographic Society.en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationCarlso, K.B.et al. 2016. Developmental simulation of the adult cranial morphology of australopithecus sediba. South African Journal of Science 112(7/8): Article number #2016-0012en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0038-2353 (Print)
dc.identifier.issn1996-7489 (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/21452
dc.journal.titleSouth African Journal of Scienceen_ZA
dc.journal.volume112en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherAcademy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf)en_ZA
dc.rights© 2016. The Author(s).Published under a Creative Commons Attribution Licence.en_ZA
dc.subjectGeometric morphometricsen_ZA
dc.subjectHominin evolutionen_ZA
dc.subjectMalapaen_ZA
dc.subjectOntogenetic projectionen_ZA
dc.subjectCraniofacial morphologyen_ZA
dc.titleDevelopmental simulation of the adult cranial morphology of australopithecus sediba.en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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