Hester Hanegraef

Evolution and Adaptation

NHM

UCL

Morphological variation of known species is an essential aspect that needs to be considered when attributing fossils to specific taxa. When studying human evolution, the assumed variation of extinct species is mostly inferred from samples of modern humans and apes. However, these extant species are not necessarily representative, most obviously as they sample a much shorter time period. Thus, exploring the morphological variation of a well defined early hominin species could provide an alternative and improved standard. Australopithecus afarensis is the best candidate, because it has a large and well-preserved fossil record from eastern Africa, which represents a substantial time period (3.0-3.7 Ma). Facial morphology most commonly differentiates early hominin species, probably reflecting masticatory specialisation and dietary ecological niche. This project therefore focuses on analysing maxillary variation, directly and aided by mandibular evidence. A. afarensis fossils will be virtually reconstructed based on uCT images, removing taphonomic distortion where necessary. Then, 3D geometric morphometric analyses will be used to examine the amount and nature of variation, including sexual dimorphism and temporal trends potentially related to random drift or changes in palaeoclimate and environment. Results will improve our understanding of A. afarensis, and provide a framework for the classification of hominin species.

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How the skull of humanity’s oldest known ancestor is changing our understanding of evolution, The Conversation
PeerJ Award Winner Hester Hanegraef – Best Talk at the Natural History Museum student conference, PeerJ Blog