Australopithecus and Paranthropus Flashcards

Question

Paranthropus aethiopicus - temporal range, holotype and sites

Answer 1

~2.5mya Omo mandible, Ethiopia Sites: Omo, Ethiopia West Turkana, Kenya

Answer 2

"The Black Skull" Transitional between Au. afarensis and P. boisei = P. aethiopicus? Prognathic face Moderately sized anterior tooth roots In many craniodental features, not as robust as later P. boisei

Answer 3

Well developed sagittal and nuchal crests Prognathism Relatively small brain Forward-projecting zygomatics

Answer 4

2.3-1.4mya OH 5 cranium, Olduvai, Tanzania ``` Sites: Olduvai, Tanzania Peninj, Tanzania Omo, Ethiopia Konso, Ethiopia Koobi Fora, Kenya West Turkana, Kenya ```

Answer 5

Forwardly-placed sagittal crest Forward-projecting zygomatics Prognathism

Answer 6

"The Nutcracker Man" - although more recent analyses indicate otherwise Paranthropus boisei, Olduvai, Tanzania, 1.8mya ``` Derived cranial features: Sagittal and nuchal crests Slight increase in brain size (~500cc) Large cheek bones Large posterior teeth Small anterior teeth Molarised premolars Large postcanine teeth ```

Answer 7

``` Ethiopia, 2.5mya Prognathic lower face Sagittal crest Cranial capacity 440cc Larger canines and incisors than paranthropus Large posterior teeth, but thin enamel ``` Possible P. aethiopicus variant

Answer 8

2.0-1.5mya using biochronology TM 1517 cranium, Kromdraai, South Africa ``` Sites: Swartkrans Kromdraai Drimolen Gondolin ```

Answer 9

Sagittal crest 530cc Dish shaped flat face Small canine Large postcanine teeth (larger in P. boisei) Large and anteriorly placed zygomatic arches

Answer 10

The Gondolin molar Paranthropus robustus (some researchers attribute it to P. boisei based on the large size and morphology)

Answer 11

Insectivory - sharp crests for puncturing the outer skeleton of insects Frugivory - low cusps for crushing soft fruits Folivory - well developed shearing crests for cutting tough leafy material into small pieces Tough leaf eaters = lots of striations Hard seed eaters = lots of pits

Answer 12

Plants use different photosynthetic pathways C4 - grasses and sedges C3 - most other plants C4 and C3 have different C13/C12 ratios which get incorporated into animal tissues Measure the ratio in bones and teeth to determine what a hominin ate

Answer 13

For carbon, does not necessarily distinguish between eating C3/C4 plants themselves or eating the animals that feed on the plants R Records diet when the tissues were formed e.g. human first molar = diet between 1-3 years

Answer 14

Phytoliths in dental calculus and plaque suggest consumption of fruit, leaves, bark, C3 grasses and sedges. Au. sediba - Diet different to contemporary hominins

Answer 15

All australopithecines have megadontia -> larger teeth for their body sizes than do either humans or other apes. P. boisei has the largest teeth for its body size.

Answer 16

1. Small brain size with massive and prognathic faces 2. The premaxillary region is convex in both transverse and sagittal profile 3. No deep groove behind the brow ridge 4. Primitive cranial features e.g. low, sloping forehead, massive projecting face, prominent brow ridges 5. Reduced canines, but diastema still identifiable in some Au. afarensis specimens 6. Shape of the maxillary arcade is primitive, and tooth rows converge posteriorly (U-shaped)

Answer 17

No stone tools have been found in direct association with Australopithecus Hand morphology of Au. sediba suggests they may have had specialisation for precise handling needed for stone tool use - however they may not have used it. Stone tools discovered in Lomekwi, Kenya, dated to 3.3mya, predate Homo. The identity of the first stone tool makers is unknown.