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Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus

Author

Listed:
  • Tim D. White

    (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    University of California at Berkeley)

  • Giday WoldeGabriel

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

  • Berhane Asfaw

    (Rift Valley Research Service)

  • Stan Ambrose

    (University of Illinois)

  • Yonas Beyene

    (Authority for Research and Conservation of the Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture)

  • Raymond L. Bernor

    (Howard University)

  • Jean-Renaud Boisserie

    (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    University of California at Berkeley
    Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle
    Université de Poitiers)

  • Brian Currie

    (Miami University)

  • Henry Gilbert

    (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology)

  • Yohannes Haile-Selassie

    (Cleveland Museum of Natural History)

  • William K. Hart

    (Miami University)

  • Leslea J. Hlusko

    (University of California at Berkeley)

  • F. Clark Howell

    (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology)

  • Reiko T. Kono

    (National Science Museum)

  • Thomas Lehmann

    (Transvaal Museum)

  • Antoine Louchart

    (Université Claude Bernard)

  • C. Owen Lovejoy

    (Kent State University)

  • Paul R. Renne

    (Berkeley Geochronology Center
    University of California at Berkeley)

  • Haruo Saegusa

    (University of Hyogo)

  • Elisabeth S. Vrba

    (Yale University)

  • Hank Wesselman

    (Sierra College)

  • Gen Suwa

    (University of Tokyo)

Abstract

The origin of Australopithecus, the genus widely interpreted as ancestral to Homo, is a central problem in human evolutionary studies. Australopithecus species differ markedly from extant African apes and candidate ancestral hominids such as Ardipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus. The earliest described Australopithecus species is Au. anamensis, the probable chronospecies ancestor of Au. afarensis. Here we describe newly discovered fossils from the Middle Awash study area that extend the known Au. anamensis range into northeastern Ethiopia. The new fossils are from chronometrically controlled stratigraphic sequences and date to about 4.1–4.2 million years ago. They include diagnostic craniodental remains, the largest hominid canine yet recovered, and the earliest Australopithecus femur. These new fossils are sampled from a woodland context. Temporal and anatomical intermediacy between Ar. ramidus and Au. afarensis suggest a relatively rapid shift from Ardipithecus to Australopithecus in this region of Africa, involving either replacement or accelerated phyletic evolution.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim D. White & Giday WoldeGabriel & Berhane Asfaw & Stan Ambrose & Yonas Beyene & Raymond L. Bernor & Jean-Renaud Boisserie & Brian Currie & Henry Gilbert & Yohannes Haile-Selassie & William K. Hart &, 2006. "Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus," Nature, Nature, vol. 440(7086), pages 883-889, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:440:y:2006:i:7086:d:10.1038_nature04629
    DOI: 10.1038/nature04629
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    Cited by:

    1. David Normando & Jorge Faber & João Farias Guerreiro & Cátia Cardoso Abdo Quintão, 2011. "Dental Occlusion in a Split Amazon Indigenous Population: Genetics Prevails over Environment," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(12), pages 1-6, December.

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