Premium
Pattern of dental development in Hominid XVIII from the Middle Pleistocene Atapuerca‐Sima de los Huesos site (Spain)
Author(s) -
Bermudez De Castro Jose Maria,
Rosas Antonio
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1044
Subject(s) - sima , pleistocene , early pleistocene , molar , paleontology , geography , biology
Abstract . We describe the pattern of dental development of Hominid XVIII from the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) site of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos, Spain). As expected, this pattern is similar to that of modern humans. A delay of development of the lower and upper canines was observed. In contrast, the relative advanced development of the lower second molars and, especially, the upper and lower third molars is noteworthy. This latter feature seems to be common in Pleistocene hominids, and suggests that the pattern of dental development evolved in the genus Homo during the Pleistocene. In European Middle Pleistocene hominids, this pattern probably was facilitated by the extra space available in the mandible and maxilla for developing teeth. Am J Phys Anthropol 114:325–330, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.