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Brief communication: Two human fossil deciduous molars from the sangiran dome (Java, Indonesia): Outer and inner morphology
Author(s) -
Zanolli Clément,
Bondioli Luca,
Mancini Lucia,
Mazurier Arnaud,
Widianto Harry,
Macchiarelli Roberto
Publication year - 2012
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.21657
Subject(s) - homo erectus , deciduous , pleistocene , context (archaeology) , morphology (biology) , neanderthal , molar , deciduous teeth , geography , paleontology , archaeology , biology , geology , evolutionary biology , botany , dentistry , medicine
Currently, the human deciduous dental record from the Pleistocene deposits of the Sangiran Dome, Java, consists of only eight specimens. Here we report two deciduous crowns collected near the village of Pucung. While their precise geo‐chronological context remains unknown, a provenance from the Early–Middle Pleistocene Kabuh Formation, or from the Early Pleistocene “Grenzbank Zone,” is very likely. These isolated specimens consist of an upper first molar (PCG.1) and a lower second molar (PCG.2). Taxonomic discrimination of the Indonesian tooth record is difficult because of the convergence in crown size and appearance between Pongo and Homo . Accordingly, as PCG.2 still bears a concretion masking most of its features, we coupled the outer analysis of the two specimens with an investigation of their inner morphology. In addition to external characteristics, virtual imaging and quantitative assessment of inner morphology and tissue proportions support an attribution to the taxon Homo , and we preliminary allocate both specimens to H. erectus . Am J Phys Anthropol 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.