title: Anthropology: the earliest toothless hominin skull.
abstract: The site of Dmanisi in the Eurasian republic of Georgia has yielded striking hominin, faunal and archaeological material as evidence for the presence of early Homo outside Africa 1.77 million years ago, documenting an important episode in human evolution. Here we describe a beautifully preserved skull and jawbone from a Dmanisi hominin of this period who had lost all but one tooth several years before death. This specimen not only represents the earliest case of severe masticatory impairment in the hominin fossil record to be discovered so far, but also raises questions about alternative subsistence strategies in early Homo.
authors.affiliation: Georgian State Museum, Tbilisi 0105, Georgia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lordkipanidze
authors.forename: Abesalom
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vekua
authors.forename: Reid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ferring
authors.forename: G Philip
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Rightmire
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Agusti
authors.forename: Gocha
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kiladze
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mouskhelishvili
authors.forename: Medea
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nioradze
authors.forename: Marcia S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ponce de León
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tappen
authors.forename: Christoph P E
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Zollikofer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005580:Fossils; D005846:Georgia (Republic); D049690:History, Ancient; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D014070:Tooth / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology