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Science 2 October 2009:
Vol. 326. no. 5949, pp. 69, 94-99
DOI: 10.1126/science.1175824
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Research Articles

Paleobiological Implications of the Ardipithecus ramidus Dentition

Gen Suwa,1,* Reiko T. Kono,2 Scott W. Simpson,3 Berhane Asfaw,4 C. Owen Lovejoy,5 Tim D. White6

The Middle Awash Ardipithecus ramidus sample comprises over 145 teeth, including associated maxillary and mandibular sets. These help reveal the earliest stages of human evolution. Ar. ramidus lacks the postcanine megadontia of Australopithecus. Its molars have thinner enamel and are functionally less durable than those of Australopithecus but lack the derived Pan pattern of thin occlusal enamel associated with ripe-fruit frugivory. The Ar. ramidus dental morphology and wear pattern are consistent with a partially terrestrial, omnivorous/frugivorous niche. Analyses show that the ARA-VP-6/500 skeleton is female and that Ar. ramidus was nearly monomorphic in canine size and shape. The canine/lower third premolar complex indicates a reduction of canine size and honing capacity early in hominid evolution, possibly driven by selection targeted on the male upper canine.

1 The University Museum, the University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 Japan.
2 Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-0073 Japan.
3 Department of Anatomy, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106–4930, USA.
4 Rift Valley Research Service, Post Office Box 5717, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
5 Department of Anthropology, Division of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240–0001, USA.
6 Human Evolution Research Center and Department of Integrative Biology, 3101 VLSB, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: suwa{at}um.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Ardipithecus ramidus and the Paleobiology of Early Hominids.
T. D. White, B. Asfaw, Y. Beyene, Y. Haile-Selassie, C. O. Lovejoy, G. Suwa, and G. WoldeGabriel (2009)
Science 326, 64-64, 75-86
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The Ardipithecus ramidus Skull and Its Implications for Hominid Origins.
G. Suwa, B. Asfaw, R. T. Kono, D. Kubo, C. O. Lovejoy, and T. D. White (2009)
Science 326, 68-68, 68e1-68e7
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The Great Divides: Ardipithecus ramidus Reveals the Postcrania of Our Last Common Ancestors with African Apes.
C. O. Lovejoy, G. Suwa, S. W. Simpson, J. H. Matternes, and T. D. White (2009)
Science 326, 73-73, 100-106
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Reexamining Human Origins in Light of Ardipithecus ramidus.
C. O. Lovejoy (2009)
Science 326, 74-74, 74e1-74e8
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