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Patterns of ontogeny in human evolution: Evidence from dental development
Author(s) -
Mann Alan,
Lampl Michelle,
Monge Janet
Publication year - 1990
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.1330330507
Subject(s) - subfamily , evolutionary biology , human evolution , biology , hominidae , ontogeny , calcification , biological evolution , genetics , medicine , pathology , gene
An understanding of the patterns of maturation that characterize earlier hominines would markedly increase our understanding of human evolution. Earlier reports suggesting that the australopithecines had a pattern of growth and development similar to that of modern humans have been challenged in recent years by a variety of studies. These studies have focused on dental enamel microstructure in attempts to characterize the time frame of enamel calcification. When the latter are combined with data on root development and the sequence of dental calcification and eruption, a picture emerges that attempts to characterize modern human, early hominine, In this paper, we follow Weiss (1987) and Weiss and Mann (1990) in employing the subfamily Homininae, rather than the family Hominidae, to describe humans and our close immediate ancestors and relatives. and ape dental maturation.