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Assessing mandibular shape variation within Gigantopithecus using a geometric morphometric approach
Author(s) -
Miller Steven F.,
White Jessica L.,
Ciochon Russell L.
Publication year - 2008
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.20856
Subject(s) - hylobates , taxon , extant taxon , gorilla , similarity (geometry) , biology , variation (astronomy) , evolutionary biology , mandible (arthropod mouthpart) , ecological niche , zoology , geography , genus , ecology , paleontology , image (mathematics) , habitat , artificial intelligence , physics , computer science , astrophysics
Abstract This study provides a survey of mandibular shape in a sample of extant hominoids ( Pan , Gorilla , Pongo , and Hylobates ), as well as extinct Asian and Eurasian taxa ( Ouranopithecus , Sivapithecus , and Gigantopithecus ) in order to compare overall shape similarity. Results presented call into question differences in mandible shape recently used to distinguish Gigantopithecus giganteus from Gigantopithecus blacki and to justify resurrecting a different generic designation, “ Indopithecus ,” for the former. It is concluded that while the two large‐bodied Asian taxa may have been adapted to slightly different dietary niches with different geographic and temporal ranges, the unique mandibular/dental characters that the two taxa share should not be viewed as independent evolutionary developments. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.