Beyond the bones: Reconstructing soft tissue anatomy of our ancestors

Anatomical reconstruction of human ancestors has largely focused upon piecing together osteological or dental fossil fragments. Indeed, the majority of studies charting evolutionary change in human anatomy have focused upon such hard‐tissue cranial or postcranial interpretations with assessments of soft‐tissue anatomy offered only infrequently. Here we present methods of reconstruction of soft‐tissue anatomy of fossil hominins ranging from early Plio‐Pleistocene australopiths to the more recent Neanderthals. Examples will be provided from our ongoing research on the head and neck – particularly the upper respiratory and digestive tracts – integrating advances from studies on the comparative and developmental biology of a range of living mammals. Such approaches have enabled us to begin to extract an appreciation of core functions such as breathing, swallowing, aeration, pressure‐control and vocalization potentials. While soft‐tissue reconstructions and functional interpretations are inherently more difficult than bony assessments, they are an essential component to gaining insight into the anatomy and behaviors of human ancestors and, indeed, our evolutionary history.