An enlarged postcranial sample confirms Australopithecus afarensis dimorphism was similar to modern humans.
In a previous study, we introduced the template method as a means of enlarging the Australopithecus afarensis postcranial sample to more accurately estimate its skeletal dimorphism. Results indicated dimorphism to be largely comparable to that of Homo sapiens. Some have since argued that our results were biased by artificial homogeneity in our Au. afarensis sample. Here we report the results from inclusion of 12 additional, newly reported, specimens. The results are consistent with those of our original study and with the hypothesis that early hominid demographic success derived from a reproductive strategy involving male provisioning of pair-bonded females.
Reno
Philip L
PL
Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, 279 Campus Drive, Beckman 300, Stanford, CA 94305-5329, USA. preno@stanford.edu
McCollum
Melanie A
MA
Meindl
Richard S
RS
Lovejoy
C Owen
CO
D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005580:Fossils; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics