Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 27, 2026
10:27
The Evolution of Silica Nanoparticle-polyester Coatings on Surfaces Exposed to Sunlight
Published on: October 11, 2016
Australopithecine enamel prism patterns
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 24, 1978
Abstract:
Following a recent suggestion that tooth enamel prism shape differs within Hominoidea, the teeth of a number of extinct and extant hominoid species were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The enamel prism patterns of some gracile and robust australopithecine specimens from Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Kromdraai are recorded. The characteristic arrangements of enamel prisms in all modern and extinct hominoid species were found to be essentially similar. The implications of enamel prisms for phylogenetic deduction in Hominoidea are discussed.
Related Concept Videos
01:06Fixed Action Patterns
A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
02:31Synteny and Evolution
John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...
Around 80 million years ago, the human and mice lineages diverged from the common ancestor. During the course of evolution, the ancestral chromosome underwent...