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A juvenile early hominin skeleton from Dikika, Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Zeresenay Alemseged

    (Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)

  • Fred Spoor

    (University College London)

  • William H. Kimbel

    (Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University)

  • René Bobe

    (University of Georgia)

  • Denis Geraads

    (CNRS UPR 2147)

  • Denné Reed

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Jonathan G. Wynn

    (University of St Andrews
    University of South Florida)

Abstract

Understanding changes in ontogenetic development is central to the study of human evolution. With the exception of Neanderthals, the growth patterns of fossil hominins have not been studied comprehensively because the fossil record currently lacks specimens that document both cranial and postcranial development at young ontogenetic stages. Here we describe a well-preserved 3.3-million-year-old juvenile partial skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis discovered in the Dikika research area of Ethiopia. The skull of the approximately three-year-old presumed female shows that most features diagnostic of the species are evident even at this early stage of development. The find includes many previously unknown skeletal elements from the Pliocene hominin record, including a hyoid bone that has a typical African ape morphology. The foot and other evidence from the lower limb provide clear evidence for bipedal locomotion, but the gorilla-like scapula and long and curved manual phalanges raise new questions about the importance of arboreal behaviour in the A. afarensis locomotor repertoire.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeresenay Alemseged & Fred Spoor & William H. Kimbel & René Bobe & Denis Geraads & Denné Reed & Jonathan G. Wynn, 2006. "A juvenile early hominin skeleton from Dikika, Ethiopia," Nature, Nature, vol. 443(7109), pages 296-301, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:443:y:2006:i:7109:d:10.1038_nature05047
    DOI: 10.1038/nature05047
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    Cited by:

    1. Ruggero D’Anastasio & Stephen Wroe & Claudio Tuniz & Lucia Mancini & Deneb T Cesana & Diego Dreossi & Mayoorendra Ravichandiran & Marie Attard & William C H Parr & Anne Agur & Luigi Capasso, 2013. "Micro-Biomechanics of the Kebara 2 Hyoid and Its Implications for Speech in Neanderthals," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(12), pages 1-7, December.

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