Nature Communications (Feb 2016)
Mechanical evidence that Australopithecus sediba was limited in its ability to eat hard foods
- Justin A. Ledogar,
- Amanda L. Smith,
- Stefano Benazzi,
- Gerhard W. Weber,
- Mark A. Spencer,
- Keely B. Carlson,
- Kieran P. McNulty,
- Paul C. Dechow,
- Ian R. Grosse,
- Callum F. Ross,
- Brian G. Richmond,
- Barth W. Wright,
- Qian Wang,
- Craig Byron,
- Kristian J. Carlson,
- Darryl J. de Ruiter,
- Lee R. Berger,
- Kelli Tamvada,
- Leslie C. Pryor,
- Michael A. Berthaume,
- David S. Strait
Affiliations
- Justin A. Ledogar
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA
- Amanda L. Smith
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA
- Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna
- Gerhard W. Weber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna
- Mark A. Spencer
- Department of Biology, South Mountain Community College
- Keely B. Carlson
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University
- Kieran P. McNulty
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota
- Paul C. Dechow
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry
- Ian R. Grosse
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts
- Callum F. Ross
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago
- Brian G. Richmond
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
- Barth W. Wright
- Department of Anatomy, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences
- Qian Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry
- Craig Byron
- Department of Biology, Mercer University
- Kristian J. Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
- Darryl J. de Ruiter
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University
- Lee R. Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand
- Kelli Tamvada
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA
- Leslie C. Pryor
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University Baylor College of Dentistry
- Michael A. Berthaume
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
- David S. Strait
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, 1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12222, USA
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10596
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 7,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 9
Abstract
Dietary adaptations of extinct early humans are often inferred from dental microwear data. Here, the authors employ mechanical analyses to show that Australopithecus sedibahad limited ability to consume hard foods.
