1. Open Access Kent State
  2. Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus
Author(s)
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 asArdipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus. The earliest describedAustralopithecus 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. afarensissuggest a relatively rapid shift from Ardipithecus toAustralopithecus in this region of Africa, involving either replacement or accelerated phyletic evolution.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1038/nature04629
Publication Date
2006-04-13
Publication Title
Nature
Volume
440
Issue
7086
First Page
883
Last Page
889
Keywords
Subject
Community
Department of Anthropology
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/anthpubs/37
White, T., WoldeGabriel, G., Asfaw, B., Ambrose, S., Beyene, Y., Bernor, R., Biosserie, J.-R., Currie, B., Gilbert, H., Haile-Selassie, Y., Hart, W., Hlusko, L., Howell, F., Kono, R., Lehmann, T., Louchart, A., Lovejoy, C., Renne, P., Seagusa, H., Vrba, E., Wesselman, H., & Suwa, G. (2006). Asa Issie, Aramis and the origin of Australopithecus. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04629
White, Tim, Giday WoldeGabriel, Berhane Asfaw, Stan Ambrose, Yonas Beyene, Raymond Bernor, Jean-Renaud Biosserie, Brian Currie, Henry Gilbert, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, William Hart, Leslea Hlusko, F. Howell, Reiko Kono, Thomas Lehmann, Antonie Louchart, C. Lovejoy, Paul Renne, Haruo Seagusa, Elisabeth Vrba, Hank Wesselman, and Gen Suwa. 2006. “Asa Issie, Aramis and the Origin of Australopithecus”. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04629.
White, T., G. WoldeGabriel, B. Asfaw, S. Ambrose, Y. Beyene, R. Bernor, J.-R. Biosserie, B. Currie, H. Gilbert, Y. Haile-Selassie, W. Hart, L. Hlusko, F. Howell, R. Kono, T. Lehmann, A. Louchart, C. Lovejoy, P. Renne, H. Seagusa, E. Vrba, H. Wesselman, and G. Suwa. Asa Issie, Aramis and the Origin of Australopithecus. Nature, 13 Apr. 2006, doi:10.1038/nature04629.