Latest news with #Paranthropus
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Two-million-year-old teeth transform theory of prehistoric human evolution
The enamel that forms the outer layer of our teeth might seem like an unlikely place to find clues about evolution. But it tells us more than you'd think about the relationships between our fossil ancestors and relatives. In our new study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, we highlight a different aspect of enamel. In fact, we highlight its absence. Specifically, we show that tiny, shallow pits in fossil teeth may not be signs of malnutrition or disease. Instead, they may carry surprising evolutionary significance. You might be wondering why this matters. Well, for people like me who try to figure out how humans evolved and how all our ancestors and relatives were related to each other, teeth are very important. And having a new marker to look out for on fossil teeth could give us a new tool to help fit together our family tree. Uniform, circular and shallow These pits were first identified in the South African species Paranthropus robustus, a close relative of our own genus Homo. They are highly consistent in shape and size: uniform, circular and shallow. Initially, we thought the pits might be unique to P. robustus. But our latest research shows this kind of pitting also occurs in other Paranthropus species in eastern Africa. We even found it in some Australopithecus individuals, a genus that may have given rise to both Homo and Paranthropus. The enamel pits have commonly been assumed to be defects resulting from stresses such as illness or malnutrition during childhood. However, their remarkable consistency across species, time and geography suggests these enamel pits may be something more interesting. The pitting is subtle, regularly spaced, and often clustered in specific regions of the tooth crown. It appears without any other signs of damage or abnormality. Two million years of evolution We looked at fossil teeth from hominins (humans and our closest extinct relatives) from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, where we can see traces of more than two million years of human evolution, as well as comparisons with sites in southern Africa (Drimolen, Swartkrans and Kromdraai). The Omo collection includes teeth attributed to Paranthropus, Australopithecus and Homo, the three most recent and well-known hominin genera. This allowed us to track the telltale pitting across different branches of our evolutionary tree. What we found was unexpected. The uniform pitting appears regularly in both eastern and southern Africa Paranthropus, and also in the earliest eastern African Australopithecus teeth dating back around 3 million years. But among southern Africa Australopithecus and our own genus, Homo, the uniform pitting was notably absent. A defect … or just a trait? If the uniform pitting were caused by stress or disease, we might expect it to correlate with tooth size and enamel thickness, and to affect both front and back teeth. But it doesn't. What's more, stress-related defects typically form horizontal bands. They usually affect all teeth developing at the time of the stress, but this is not what we see with this pitting. We think this pitting probably has a developmental and genetic origin. It may have emerged as a byproduct of changes in how enamel was formed in these species. It might even have some unknown functional purpose. In any case, we suggest these uniform, circular pits should be viewed as a trait rather than a defect. A modern comparison Further support for the idea of a genetic origin comes from comparisons with a rare condition in humans today called amelogenesis imperfecta, which affects enamel formation. About one in 1,000 people today have amelogenesis imperfecta. By contrast, the uniform pitting we have seen appears in up to half of Paranthropus individuals. Although it likely has a genetic basis, we argue the even pitting is too common to be considered a harmful disorder. What's more, it persisted at similar frequencies for millions of years. A new evolutionary marker If this uniform pitting really does have a genetic origin, we may be able to use it to trace evolutionary relationships. We already use subtle tooth features such as enamel thickness, cusp shape, and wear patterns to help identify species. The uniform pitting may be an additional diagnostic tool. For example, our findings support the idea that Paranthropus is a 'monophyletic group', meaning all its species descend from a (relatively) recent common ancestor, rather than evolving seperatly from different Australopithecus taxa. And we did not find this pitting in the southern Africa species Australopithecus africanus, despite a large sample of more than 500 teeth. However, it does appear in the earliest Omo Australopithecus specimens. So perhaps the pitting could also help pinpoint from where Paranthropus branched off on its own evolutionary path. An intriguing case One especially intriguing case is Homo floresiensis, the so-called 'hobbit' species from Indonesia. Based on published images, their teeth appear to show similar pitting. If confirmed, this could suggest an evolutionary history more closely tied to earlier Australopithecus species than to Homo. However, H. floresiensis also shows potential skeletal and dental pathologies, so more research is needed before drawing such conclusions. More research is also needed to fully understand the processes behind the uniform pitting before it can be used routinely in taxonomic work. But our research shows it is likely a heritable characteristic, one not found in any living primates studied to date, nor in our own genus Homo (rare cases of amelogenesis imperfecta aside). As such, it offers an exciting new tool for exploring evolutionary relationships among fossil hominins.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Discovery of two-million-year-old teeth reveals secrets of ancient humans
The enamel that forms the outer layer of our teeth might seem like an unlikely place to find clues about evolution. But it tells us more than you'd think about the relationships between our fossil ancestors and relatives. In our new study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, we highlight a different aspect of enamel. In fact, we highlight its absence. Specifically, we show that tiny, shallow pits in fossil teeth may not be signs of malnutrition or disease. Instead, they may carry surprising evolutionary significance. You might be wondering why this matters. Well, for people like me who try to figure out how humans evolved and how all our ancestors and relatives were related to each other, teeth are very important. And having a new marker to look out for on fossil teeth could give us a new tool to help fit together our family tree. Uniform, circular and shallow These pits were first identified in the South African species Paranthropus robustus, a close relative of our own genus Homo. They are highly consistent in shape and size: uniform, circular and shallow. Initially, we thought the pits might be unique to P. robustus. But our latest research shows this kind of pitting also occurs in other Paranthropus species in eastern Africa. We even found it in some Australopithecus individuals, a genus that may have given rise to both Homo and Paranthropus. The enamel pits have commonly been assumed to be defects resulting from stresses such as illness or malnutrition during childhood. However, their remarkable consistency across species, time and geography suggests these enamel pits may be something more interesting. The pitting is subtle, regularly spaced, and often clustered in specific regions of the tooth crown. It appears without any other signs of damage or abnormality. Two million years of evolution We looked at fossil teeth from hominins (humans and our closest extinct relatives) from the Omo Valley in Ethiopia, where we can see traces of more than two million years of human evolution, as well as comparisons with sites in southern Africa (Drimolen, Swartkrans and Kromdraai). The Omo collection includes teeth attributed to Paranthropus, Australopithecus and Homo, the three most recent and well-known hominin genera. This allowed us to track the telltale pitting across different branches of our evolutionary tree. What we found was unexpected. The uniform pitting appears regularly in both eastern and southern Africa Paranthropus, and also in the earliest eastern African Australopithecus teeth dating back around 3 million years. But among southern Africa Australopithecus and our own genus, Homo, the uniform pitting was notably absent. A defect … or just a trait? If the uniform pitting were caused by stress or disease, we might expect it to correlate with tooth size and enamel thickness, and to affect both front and back teeth. But it doesn't. What's more, stress-related defects typically form horizontal bands. They usually affect all teeth developing at the time of the stress, but this is not what we see with this pitting. We think this pitting probably has a developmental and genetic origin. It may have emerged as a byproduct of changes in how enamel was formed in these species. It might even have some unknown functional purpose. In any case, we suggest these uniform, circular pits should be viewed as a trait rather than a defect. A modern comparison Further support for the idea of a genetic origin comes from comparisons with a rare condition in humans today called amelogenesis imperfecta, which affects enamel formation. About one in 1,000 people today have amelogenesis imperfecta. By contrast, the uniform pitting we have seen appears in up to half of Paranthropus individuals. Although it likely has a genetic basis, we argue the even pitting is too common to be considered a harmful disorder. What's more, it persisted at similar frequencies for millions of years. A new evolutionary marker If this uniform pitting really does have a genetic origin, we may be able to use it to trace evolutionary relationships. We already use subtle tooth features such as enamel thickness, cusp shape, and wear patterns to help identify species. The uniform pitting may be an additional diagnostic tool. For example, our findings support the idea that Paranthropus is a 'monophyletic group', meaning all its species descend from a (relatively) recent common ancestor, rather than evolving seperatly from different Australopithecus taxa. And we did not find this pitting in the southern Africa species Australopithecus africanus, despite a large sample of more than 500 teeth. However, it does appear in the earliest Omo Australopithecus specimens. So perhaps the pitting could also help pinpoint from where Paranthropus branched off on its own evolutionary path. An intriguing case One especially intriguing case is Homo floresiensis, the so-called 'hobbit' species from Indonesia. Based on published images, their teeth appear to show similar pitting. If confirmed, this could suggest an evolutionary history more closely tied to earlier Australopithecus species than to Homo. However, H. floresiensis also shows potential skeletal and dental pathologies, so more research is needed before drawing such conclusions. More research is also needed to fully understand the processes behind the uniform pitting before it can be used routinely in taxonomic work. But our research shows it is likely a heritable characteristic, one not found in any living primates studied to date, nor in our own genus Homo (rare cases of amelogenesis imperfecta aside). As such, it offers an exciting new tool for exploring evolutionary relationships among fossil hominins.
IOL News
02-06-2025
- Science
- IOL News
Groundbreaking study reveals biological sex and genetic diversity in Paranthropus robustus
Dr Palesa Madupe, Dr Claire Koenig and Dr Ioannis Patramanis. Image: Victor Yan Kin Lee Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Copenhagen have achieved a scientific first by using 2-million-year-old protein traces to determine the biological sex and uncover previously hidden genetic variation in Paranthropus robustus, an extinct close relative of modern humans. Published in the journal Science, the research analysed ancient proteins extracted from fossilised teeth discovered in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind. The remarkable discovery represents some of the oldest human genetic data ever recovered from Africa and challenges established understandings of this early hominin. The study's co-lead, Dr Palesa Madupe, a research associate at UCT's Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute, is part of a powerful African cohort transforming palaeoanthropology from within. "Because we can sample multiple African Pleistocene hominin individuals classified within the same group, we're now able to observe not just biological sex, but for the first time genetic differences that might have existed among them," said Madupe. UCT's HERI played a central role in the research, with co-director Professor Rebecca Ackermann as a senior author, and contributions from co-director Robyn Pickering and multiple HERI research associates. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The team used cutting-edge palaeoproteomic techniques and mass spectrometry to identify sex-specific variants of amelogenin, a protein found in tooth enamel. Two of the ancient individuals were conclusively male; the others, inferred through novel quantitative methods, were female. Paper co-lead and postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Claire Koenig, explained: 'Enamel is extremely valuable because it provides information about both biological sex and evolutionary relationships. However, since identifying females relies on the absence of specific protein variants, it is crucial to rigorously control our methods to ensure confident results.' The university explained that unexpectedly, another enamel protein – enamelin, revealed genetic diversity among the four individuals. Two shared a particular variant, a third had a distinct one, and a fourth displayed both. Co-lead and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute Ioannis Patramanis said while studying proteins, specific mutations are thought to be characteristic of a species. 'We were thus quite surprised to discover that what we initially thought was a mutation uniquely describing Paranthropus robustus was actually variable within that group,' said Patramanis. The university added that this revelation forces a rethink of how ancient hominin species are identified, showing genetic variation, not just skeletal traits, must be considered in understanding their complexity. According to the researchers, Paranthropus lived in Africa between 2.8 and 1.2 million years ago, walking upright and likely coexisting with early members of Homo. Though on a different evolutionary path, its story remains central to understanding human origins. Madupe added that this study not only advances palaeoproteomics in Africa, but also highlights the vital role of African scholars in rewriting human history. 'As a young African researcher, I'm honoured to have significantly contributed to such a high-impact publication as its co-lead. But it's not lost on me that people of colour have a long journey to go before it becomes commonplace more of us need to be leading research like this,' said Madupe. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Ackermann detailed that HERI was actively leading that shift and the institute launched programmes introducing palaeoproteomic techniques to a new generation of African scientists and is expanding training across the continent. 'We are excited about the capacity building that has come out of this collaboration. The future of African-led palaeoanthropology research is bright,' Ackerman said. Cape Argus
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Strange 1.4 million-year-old fossil traced to previously unknown human relative 'nutcracker man'
A 1.4-million-year-old fossil jaw discovered in a South African cave in 1949 has now been identified as that of a previously unknown human relative species dubbed the 'nutcracker man'. Researchers have believed since the 1960s that the fossil jaw, unearthed at the Swartkrans archaeological site, belonged to an early human species called Homo ergaster. But new X-ray scans of the jaw and other fossils found at the site have helped create virtual 3D models that offer a better understanding of the internal and external structures of the extinct species. The new findings, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, have led researchers to conclude that the jaw doesn't in fact belong to H ergaster. It comes from a new species of the genus Paranthropus, nicknamed the 'nutcracker man' due to the fossil's massive size and huge molar teeth. The researchers specifically assessed the fossil's dentine – the hard, dense, bony tissue that forms the bulk of a tooth below the enamel – and then compared it with those of other human relatives. They found the fossil's teeth features differed from previously discovered specimens of the genus known as P aethiopicus, P boisei and P robustus. 'Altogether, the results show that SK 15 unambiguously falls outside the variation of H ergaster and that it's most compatible with the morphology of Paranthropus,' the researchers wrote in the study. They categorised the fossil as belonging to a newfound species, which they named P capensis. 'We tentatively attribute SK 15 to Paranthropus capensis, a more gracile species of Paranthropus than the other three currently recognized species of this genus,' they said. The newly discovered species 'very likely' split from P robustus over 2 million years ago. This means at least two Paranthropus species – P robustus and P capensis – may have coexisted in the South African region 1.4 million years ago, likely inhabiting different ecological niches with varying diets. The researchers called for further testing of preserved specimens of the genus Paranthropus to look for P capensis fossils mixed with them. 'The presence of other P. capensis specimens mixed among the current hypodigm of P robustus should be tested further, in particular by revising the fossil assemblages from Swartkrans,' they said.
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Science
- The Independent
Strange 1.4 million-year-old fossil traced to previously unknown human relative 'nutcracker man‘
A 1.4-million-year-old fossil jaw discovered in a South African cave in 1949 has now been identified as that of a previously unknown human relative species dubbed the 'nutcracker man'. Researchers have believed since the 1960s that the fossil jaw, unearthed at the Swartkrans archaeological site, belonged to an early human species called Homo ergaster. But new X-ray scans of the jaw and other fossils found at the site have helped create virtual 3D models that offer a better understanding of the internal and external structures of the extinct species. The new findings, detailed in a study published in the Journal of Human Evolution, have led researchers to conclude that the jaw doesn't in fact belong to H ergaster. It comes from a new species of the genus Paranthropus, nicknamed the 'nutcracker man' due to the fossil's massive size and huge molar teeth. The researchers specifically assessed the fossil's dentine – the hard, dense, bony tissue that forms the bulk of a tooth below the enamel – and then compared it with those of other human relatives. They found the fossil's teeth features differed from previously discovered specimens of the genus known as P aethiopicus, P boisei and P robustus. 'Altogether, the results show that SK 15 unambiguously falls outside the variation of H ergaster and that it's most compatible with the morphology of Paranthropus,' the researchers wrote in the study. They categorised the fossil as belonging to a newfound species, which they named P capensis. 'We tentatively attribute SK 15 to Paranthropus capensis, a more gracile species of Paranthropus than the other three currently recognized species of this genus,' they said. The newly discovered species 'very likely' split from P robustus over 2 million years ago. This means at least two Paranthropus species – P robustus and P capensis – may have coexisted in the South African region 1.4 million years ago, likely inhabiting different ecological niches with varying diets. The researchers called for further testing of preserved specimens of the genus Paranthropus to look for P capensis fossils mixed with them. 'The presence of other P. capensis specimens mixed among the current hypodigm of P robustus should be tested further, in particular by revising the fossil assemblages from Swartkrans,' they said.
