Craniodental Morphology and Monophyly in the Genus Paranthropus
Open Access DepositedIn this thesis I conduct a literature review of the evidence concerning a Paranthropus clade (monophyletic group) and examine rarely discussed anatomical features in the genus Paranthropus that provide insight into Paranthropus monophyly. Paranthropus is a genus of hyper-megadont archaic hominins from eastern and southern Africa, whose fossil evidence dates from around 2.7 to around 1.0 Ma. The three currently recognized species in the genus Paranthropus share a set of distinct craniodental characteristics including large-crowned post-canine teeth with thick rapidly-growing enamel, robust mandibles, well-developed masticatory muscles, and large, wide and flat faces. An unresolved debate in paleoanthropology is whether Paranthropus is a monophyletic group or clade. Although the majority of phylogenetic analyses group Paranthropus aethiopicus, Paranthropus boisei, and Paranthropus robustus as a distinct clade, some do not. The question of whether the similar craniodental features in Paranthropus are a result of homology or homoplasy is the most obvious reason to question monophyly. In addition, some ontogenetic evidence, such as the dental inhibitory cascade, suggests the eastern and southern African Paranthropus species may have different dental developmental pathways (Schroer and Wood 2014). In addition to a review of the evidence for and against monophyly, this thesis focuses on the rarely-researched cranial base, endocranial morphology, anterior dentition, and enamel microstructure of the genus Paranthropus. I undertook a detailed comparative review of the literature to understand how different aspects of morphology, iv ontogeny, and physiology might affect our interpretations of phylogenetic relationships among Paranthropus species.
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Gustafson_gwu_0075M_16901.pdf | 2024-10-02 | Open Access |
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