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Early hominid biogeography.

D S Strait1, B A Wood

  • 1Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, 2110 G Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20052, USA. dstrait@gwu.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|August 4, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Early human (hominid) evolution involved significant dispersal across Africa, mirroring mammal movements. Some hominid species, however, may have dispersed against continental patterns, suggesting unique adaptations.

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Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • African mammal biogeography
  • Hominid evolution

Background:

  • Understanding early hominid dispersal is crucial for reconstructing human origins.
  • Previous studies have not fully integrated hominid phylogenies with Plio-Pleistocene mammal dispersal patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare biogeographic patterns derived from early hominid phylogenies with known African mammal dispersal.
  • To identify potential unique dispersal behaviors in early hominids.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of published early hominid phylogenies.
  • Comparison with established Plio-Pleistocene African mammal dispersal data.
  • Evaluation of hominid dispersal events across southern Africa, eastern Africa, and the Malawi Rift.

Main Results:

  • Recent phylogenies indicate 4–7 hominid dispersal events, more than previously assumed.
  • Most hominid dispersals coincided in timing and direction with other African mammals.
  • Several hominid phylogenies suggest at least one species dispersed contrary to contemporaneous mammal movements.

Conclusions:

  • Early hominid dispersal was complex, involving multiple events between key African regions.
  • While largely conforming to mammalian dispersal, some hominids may have exhibited unique adaptive behaviors enabling divergent movements.

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