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ReportsLate Miocene Teeth from Middle Awash, Ethiopia, and Early Hominid Dental EvolutionLate Miocene fossil hominid teeth recovered from Ethiopia's Middle Awash are assigned to Ardipithecus kadabba. Their primitive morphology and wear pattern demonstrate that A. kadabba is distinct from Ardipithecus ramidus. These fossils suggest that the last common ancestor of apes and humans had a functionally honing caninethird premolar complex. Comparison with teeth of Sahelanthropus and Orrorin, the two other named late Miocene hominid genera, implies that these putative taxa are very similar to A. kadabba. It is therefore premature to posit extensive late Miocene hominid diversity on the basis of currently available samples.
1 Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. * To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: yhailese{at}cmnh.org
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)