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Late australopiths and the emergence of homo

Publication ,  Journal Article
De Ruiter, DJ; Churchill, SE; Hawks, J; Berger, LR
Published in: Annual Review of Anthropology
October 23, 2017

New fossil discoveries and new analyses increasingly blur the lines between Australopithecus and Homo, changing scientific ideas about the transition between the two genera. The concept of the genus itself remains an unsettled issue, though recent fossil discoveries and theoretical advances, alongside developments in phylogenetic reconstruction and hypothesis testing, are helping us approach a resolution. A review of the latest discoveries and research reveals that (a) despite the recent recovery of key fossil specimens, the antiquity of the genus Homo remains uncertain; (b) although there exist several australopith candidate ancestors for the genus Homo, there is little consensus about which of these, if any, represents the actual ancestor; and (c) potential convergent evolution (homoplasy) in adaptively significant features in late australopiths and basal members of the Homo clade, combined with probable reticulate evolution, makes it currently impossible to identify the direct ancestor of Homo erectus.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Annual Review of Anthropology

DOI

ISSN

0084-6570

Publication Date

October 23, 2017

Volume

46

Start / End Page

99 / 115

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1601 Anthropology
 

Citation

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De Ruiter, D. J., Churchill, S. E., Hawks, J., & Berger, L. R. (2017). Late australopiths and the emergence of homo. Annual Review of Anthropology, 46, 99–115. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041734
De Ruiter, D. J., S. E. Churchill, J. Hawks, and L. R. Berger. “Late australopiths and the emergence of homo.” Annual Review of Anthropology 46 (October 23, 2017): 99–115. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041734.
De Ruiter DJ, Churchill SE, Hawks J, Berger LR. Late australopiths and the emergence of homo. Annual Review of Anthropology. 2017 Oct 23;46:99–115.
De Ruiter, D. J., et al. “Late australopiths and the emergence of homo.” Annual Review of Anthropology, vol. 46, Oct. 2017, pp. 99–115. Scopus, doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041734.
De Ruiter DJ, Churchill SE, Hawks J, Berger LR. Late australopiths and the emergence of homo. Annual Review of Anthropology. 2017 Oct 23;46:99–115.

Published In

Annual Review of Anthropology

DOI

ISSN

0084-6570

Publication Date

October 23, 2017

Volume

46

Start / End Page

99 / 115

Related Subject Headings

  • Anthropology
  • 4401 Anthropology
  • 4301 Archaeology
  • 2101 Archaeology
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 1601 Anthropology