Paranthropus

Question 1

What were the traits of Paranthropus aethiopicus?

Answer 1

• 2.7-2.3mya, Eastern Africa (1967)
• Strongly protruding face, large megadont teeth & a powerful jaw, well- developed sagittal crest = huge chewing muscles
• Features of the skull similar to Au. afarensis (descendent?)
• Likely ancestor of P. boisei

Question 2

What were the traits of Paranthropus robustus?

Answer 2

• 1.8-1.2mya, Southern Africa (1938)
• Sexually dimorphic
• Huge, broad megadont cheek teeth, large zygomatic arches (wide, dish-shaped face), large sagittal crest
• Grinding of tough, fibrous foods - may have been a dietary generalist

Question 3

What were the traits of Paranthropus boisei?

Answer 3

• 2.3-1.2mya, Eastern Africa (1959)
• thought to descend from P. aethiopicus, lived alongside several other species
• 1975 - discovery of boisei + H. erectus in the same stratigraphic layer - first example of species coexistence
• Countered the view of a single human lineage
• Characterised by a specialized skull with adaptations for heavy chewing
• Strong sagittal crest, large molars and premolars (4x larger than modern humans), flaring cheekbones with very wide and dish-shaped face
• P. boisei commonly ate fruit & other soft foods; also able to crush & grind tough plant foods
• lived in environments that were dominated by grasslands but also includes more closed, wet habitats associated with rivers and lakes
• May have been over-specialised
• Male & female individuals were closer in body size than individuals of other hominin species preceding them
• Sexually dimorphic