A Modern Human Pattern of Dental Development in Lower Pleistocene Hominids from Atapuerca-TD6 (Spain)

The study of life history evolution in hominids is crucial for the discernment of when and why humans have acquired our unique maturational pattern. Because the development of dentition is critically integrated into the life cycle in mammals, the determination of the time and pattern of dental devel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1999-03, Vol.96 (7), p.4210-4213
Main Authors: J. M. Bermúdez de Castro, Rosas, A., Carbonell, E., Nicolás, M. E., Rodríguez, J., Arsuaga, J. L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Australopithecines
Australopithecus
Bicuspid - anatomy & histology
Biological Evolution
Biological Sciences
Cuspid - anatomy & histology
Dentition
Ecological life histories
Evolution
Fossils
Hominidae - genetics
Hominids
Homo erectus
Humans
Incisor - anatomy & histology
Lower Pleistocene age
Mandible
Maxilla
Molar - anatomy & histology
Paleoanthropology
Paleodontology
Pan troglodytes
Phylogeny
Prehistoric era
Social Sciences
Spain
Teeth
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Summary:The study of life history evolution in hominids is crucial for the discernment of when and why humans have acquired our unique maturational pattern. Because the development of dentition is critically integrated into the life cycle in mammals, the determination of the time and pattern of dental development represents an appropriate method to infer changes in life history variables that occurred during hominid evolution. Here we present evidence derived from Lower Pleistocene human fossil remains recovered from the TD6 level (Aurora stratum) of the Gran Dolina site in the Sierra de Atapuerca, northern Spain. These hominids present a pattern of development similar to that of Homo sapiens, although some aspects (e.g., delayed M3 calcification) are not as derived as that of European populations and people of European origin. This evidence, taken together with the present knowledge of cranial capacity of these and other late Early Pleistocene hominids, supports the view that as early as 0.8 Ma at least one Homo species shared with modern humans a prolonged pattern of maturation.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.96.7.4210