Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Protostylid variation in Australopithecus.

Leslea J Hlusko1

  • 1Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, 109 Davenport Hall, MC-148, 607 S. Mathews Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. hlusko@uiuc.edu

Journal of Human Evolution
|May 4, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Halibee member archaeology: Middle Stone Age environment, technology, and postmortem modifications.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Long-fuse evolution of carnivoran skeletal phenomes through the Cenozoic.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026
Same author

Dataset of tooth size measurements from the deciduous dentitions of 52 Spanish children. A reference collection for science.

Data in brief·2026
Same author

Easier said than done: unexpected hurdles to preparing ∼1,000 cranial CT scans for data collection from an online digital repository.

PeerJ·2025
Same author

Taking evo-devo to the next level.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2025
Same author

Tracking Molar Wear in Captive Baboons: Sex and Age Effects Using a Modified Scott Scoring System.

American journal of biological anthropology·2025
Same journal

The Omo-Turkana Basin fossil record as a milestone toward a comprehensive database of the hominin fossil record online.

Journal of human evolution·2026
Same journal

An early Late Pleistocene ochre from the Luonan Basin, central China.

Journal of human evolution·2026
Same journal

A new large-bodied sivaladapid primate from the Eocene of Myanmar resolves phylogenetic conflict obscuring the anthropoid status of Amphipithecidae.

Journal of human evolution·2026
Same journal

Bone retouchers and end-scrapers side by side at Bushman Rock Shelter: Exploring a ca. 100,000-year-old technological imbrication in southern Africa.

Journal of human evolution·2026
Same journal

A versatile gluteus medius drove a seamless transition to bipedalism.

Journal of human evolution·2026
Same journal

Dental morphology and ancient human dispersals within and out of Africa.

Journal of human evolution·2026
See all related articles

This study introduces a new method to quantify protostylid variation in early hominids, revealing significant differences in this dental trait across Australopithecus species. These findings are crucial for understanding hominid dental evolution.

Area of Science:

  • Paleoanthropology
  • Dental Morphology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Advances in computed tomography (CT) and genetics offer new perspectives on dental traits.
  • Understanding the genetic and developmental basis of dental traits requires reassessing evolutionary variation.
  • Cingular remnants in primate dentition, like Carabelli's cusp, are studied, but their mandibular homologues, such as the protostylid, are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a quantitative understanding of protostylid variation and evolution in early hominids.
  • To develop a new quantification scheme for protostylid variation that adequately describes its expression in Australopithecus.
  • To assess protostylid variation across six species of Australopithecus.

Main Methods:

  • Review of the qualitative history of cingular features in hominid lower molars.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Development of a six-state quantification scheme for protostylid variation.
  • Assessment of protostylid variation in six Australopithecus species using the new protocol.

    • Main Results:

    • Protostylid variation is highly varied across the assessed Australopithecus species.
    • The distribution of protostylid expression states differs considerably within the same species when considering first, second, and third molars separately.
    • A new quantification scheme was established to better describe protostylid variation in Australopithecus.

    Conclusions:

    • The study provides a foundational quantitative analysis of protostylid variation in early hominids.
    • Results suggest significant evolutionary and developmental heterogeneity in this dental trait.
    • This work paves the way for future genetic and developmental research into hominid dental evolution.