A dental perspective on the taxonomic affinity of the Balanica mandible (BH-1)

Intra‐individual metameric variation expressed at the enamel‐dentine junction of lower post‐canine dentition of South African fossil hominins and modern humans

“…africanus (Hlusko, ), in each comparative pair of EDJ (P 3 ‐P 4 , M 1 ‐M 2 and M 2 ‐M 3 ) that we investigated, we do not observe a specific metameric pattern that belongs only to extant humans, but rather a few common trends shared by groups despite a degree of inter‐ and intra‐group variaiton. As a whole, the EDJ proves to be a reliable proxy to identify the taxonomic identity (Pan et al, ; Skinner et al, , , b, ; Zanolli, ; Zanolli, Bondioli, & Mancini, ), but further research is needed to determine whether the metameric trends in 3D‐EDJ observed here could act as one piece of evidence to identify tooth position from isolated specimens. Moreover, the underlying mechanisms remain to be answered.…”

Mandibular molar root and pulp cavity morphology in Homo naledi and other Plio-Pleistocene hominins

“…neanderthalensis (Kupczik and Hublin, 2010;Skinner et al, 2016). This trait is suggested to be an adaptation to counter marked occlusal wear because a large pulp chamber may allow for the deposition of secondary dentine on the walls of the pulp (Blumberg et al, 1971;Constant and Grine, 2001), although the physiological mechanism may be different across species.…”

“…In addition, with the exception of Amud 1 and Tabun C2, we used previously published data for H. heidelbergensis (see Skinner et al, 2016), H. neanderthalensis, and recent H. sapiens for comparison (see Kupczik and Hublin, 2010).…”

Technological adaptation and the emergence of Levallois in Central Europe: new insight from the Markkleeberg and Zwochau open‐air sites in Germany

“…Within the SH population, which was characterized by derived Neanderthal features in the skull and teeth (Arsuaga et al ., ), were documented archaic humans bearing primitive and derived features with later Neanderthals ( Homo heidelbergensis s.s .) (Tattersall, ) or lacking any Neanderthal traits similar to Ceprano (Manzi et al ., ) and Mala Balanica (Skinner et al ., ). Although the hypothesis of the dispersal of a new hominin clade from Africa could not be disregarded, the spread of Levallois innovation in Europe took place only 100 ka after the chronology of the SH population.…”