One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo
A report on the skeletons of two individuals from the Malapa cave site in South Africa attributes them both to a new hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. However, our analysis of the specimens’ mandibles indicates that Australopithecus sediba is not a ‘Homo-like australopith’, a transitional sp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Academy of Science of South Africa
2021-05-01
|
| Series: | South African Journal of Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/8747 |
| _version_ | 1818564002022686720 |
|---|---|
| author | Yoel Rak Eli Geffen William Hylander Avishag Ginzburg Ella Been |
| author_facet | Yoel Rak Eli Geffen William Hylander Avishag Ginzburg Ella Been |
| author_sort | Yoel Rak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A report on the skeletons of two individuals from the Malapa cave site in South Africa attributes them both to a new hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. However, our analysis of the specimens’ mandibles indicates that Australopithecus sediba is not a ‘Homo-like australopith’, a transitional species between Australopithecus africanus and Homo. According to our results, the specimens represent two separate genera: Australopithecus and Homo. These genera are known to have jointly occupied sites, as seen in several early South African caves, so one cannot rule out the possibility that Malapa also contains remains of the two taxa. Our results lead us to additionally conclude that all the Australopithecus species on which the relevant mandibular anatomy is preserved (not only the ‘robust’ australopiths but also the ‘gracile’ – more generalised – ones) are too specialised to constitute an evolutionary ancestor of Homo sapiens. Furthermore, given that the Malapa site contains representatives of two hominin branches, one of which appears to be Homo, we must seek evidence of our origins much earlier than the date assigned to Malapa, approximately 2 million years before present. Support for this claim can be found in Ethiopian fossils attributed to the genus Homo and dated at 2.4 and 2.8 million years before present.
Significance:
• The proposed hominin species Australopithecus sediba, from the Malapa Cave in South Africa, seems to actually consist of two species, each of which represents a different hominin genus: Homo and Australopithecus. If, indeed, this is the case, Homo must have originated prior to the Malapa remains, contrary to the scenario suggested in the original report on Au. sediba. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:23:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ceb051911dc847f9b454d2dddd4645f9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-7489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T01:23:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Academy of Science of South Africa |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ceb051911dc847f9b454d2dddd4645f92022-12-21T23:22:18ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892021-05-011175/610.17159/sajs.2021/8747One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of HomoYoel Rak0Eli Geffen1William Hylander2Avishag Ginzburg3Ella Been41.Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; 2.Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USADepartment of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelDepartment of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USADepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel1.Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; 2.Sports Therapy Department, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, IsraelA report on the skeletons of two individuals from the Malapa cave site in South Africa attributes them both to a new hominin species, Australopithecus sediba. However, our analysis of the specimens’ mandibles indicates that Australopithecus sediba is not a ‘Homo-like australopith’, a transitional species between Australopithecus africanus and Homo. According to our results, the specimens represent two separate genera: Australopithecus and Homo. These genera are known to have jointly occupied sites, as seen in several early South African caves, so one cannot rule out the possibility that Malapa also contains remains of the two taxa. Our results lead us to additionally conclude that all the Australopithecus species on which the relevant mandibular anatomy is preserved (not only the ‘robust’ australopiths but also the ‘gracile’ – more generalised – ones) are too specialised to constitute an evolutionary ancestor of Homo sapiens. Furthermore, given that the Malapa site contains representatives of two hominin branches, one of which appears to be Homo, we must seek evidence of our origins much earlier than the date assigned to Malapa, approximately 2 million years before present. Support for this claim can be found in Ethiopian fossils attributed to the genus Homo and dated at 2.4 and 2.8 million years before present. Significance: • The proposed hominin species Australopithecus sediba, from the Malapa Cave in South Africa, seems to actually consist of two species, each of which represents a different hominin genus: Homo and Australopithecus. If, indeed, this is the case, Homo must have originated prior to the Malapa remains, contrary to the scenario suggested in the original report on Au. sediba.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/8747Australopithecus sedibaHomo spp.Malapa homininshominin phylogenySouth Africa |
| spellingShingle | Yoel Rak Eli Geffen William Hylander Avishag Ginzburg Ella Been One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo South African Journal of Science Australopithecus sediba Homo spp. Malapa hominins hominin phylogeny South Africa |
| title | One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo |
| title_full | One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo |
| title_fullStr | One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo |
| title_full_unstemmed | One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo |
| title_short | One hominin taxon or two at Malapa Cave? Implications for the origins of Homo |
| title_sort | one hominin taxon or two at malapa cave implications for the origins of homo |
| topic | Australopithecus sediba Homo spp. Malapa hominins hominin phylogeny South Africa |
| url | https://sajs.co.za/article/view/8747 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yoelrak onehominintaxonortwoatmalapacaveimplicationsfortheoriginsofhomo AT eligeffen onehominintaxonortwoatmalapacaveimplicationsfortheoriginsofhomo AT williamhylander onehominintaxonortwoatmalapacaveimplicationsfortheoriginsofhomo AT avishagginzburg onehominintaxonortwoatmalapacaveimplicationsfortheoriginsofhomo AT ellabeen onehominintaxonortwoatmalapacaveimplicationsfortheoriginsofhomo |