2009/10/01 by Gen Suwa, Berhane Asfaw, Reiko T. Kono +3 · 13 citations
Social Sciences · Psychology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · #Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology #Primate Behavior and Ecology #Evolution and Paleontology Studies
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1175825
openalex publication_date 2009/10/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The highly fragmented and distorted skull of the adult skeleton ARA-VP-6/500 includes most of the dentition and preserves substantial parts of the face, vault, and base. Anatomical comparisons and micro-computed tomography-based analysis of this and other remains reveal pre-Australopithecus hominid craniofacial morphology and structure. The Ardipithecus ramidus skull exhibits a small endocranial capacity (300 to 350 cubic centimeters), small cranial size relative to body size, considerable midfacial projection, and a lack of modern African ape-like extreme lower facial prognathism. Its short posterior cranial base differs from that of both Pan troglodytes and P. paniscus. Ar. ramidus lacks the broad, anteriorly situated zygomaxillary facial skeleton developed in later Australopithecus. This combination of features is apparently shared by Sahelanthropus, showing that the Mio-Pliocene hominid cranium differed substantially from those of both extant apes and Australopithecus.