Australopithecus sediba and the emergence of Homo: Questionable evidence from the cranium of the juvenile holotype MH 1

Journal of Human Evolution
William H Kimbel, Yoel Rak

Abstract

Malapa Hominin (MH) 1, an immature individual whose second permanent molars had recently reached occlusion at the time of death, is the holotype of Australopithecus sediba, a 2-myr-old South African taxon that has been hypothesized to link phylogenetically australopith-grade hominins to the Homo clade. Given the existence of 2.8 myr-old fossils of Homo in eastern Africa, this hypothesis implies a ghost lineage spanning at least 800 kyr. An alternative hypothesis posits a unique relationship between A. sediba and Australopithecus africanus, which predates the Malapa hominins in southern Africa and whose phylogenetic relationships remain ambiguous. The craniofacial morphology of MH 1 looms large in the framing of the two hypotheses. We evaluated these alternatives in two ways. First, we investigated whether the craniofacial morphology of MH 1 was ontogenetically stable at death. Based on data from a late-growth series of chimpanzee, gorilla, and modern human crania, we found that key aspects of MH 1's resemblance to Homo can be accounted for by its immaturity. Second, we studied MH 1 with an eye to identifying craniofacial synapomorphies shared with A. africanus. In this case, MH 1 shows unambiguous affinities in its zygomaticoma...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 31, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Brian Villmoare
Aug 30, 2019·Nature·Yohannes Haile-SelassieTimothy M Ryan
Apr 17, 2019·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Rodrigo S LacruzJuan-Luis Arsuaga
May 16, 2019·Science Advances·Andrew Du, Zeresenay Alemseged
Jun 12, 2019·Journal of Human Evolution·Carrie S MongleFrederick E Grine
May 1, 2018·Journal of Human Evolution·Simon NeubauerFred Spoor
Aug 3, 2021·Evolutionary Anthropology·Paige Madison, Bernard Wood

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