In brief, Science has published three news pieces that you maybe interested. They are all reports of what was presented at the American Association of Physical Anthropologists meeting a couple weeks ago. The first, "Snapshots From the Meeting," is a summary of the conference, where Ann Gibbons and Elizabeth Colutta discuss, 'the evolution of gliding,... Continue Reading →
Microwear analysis on Paranthropus boisei teeth implies form may not equal function
A brand new study in the open access journal PLoS One reports on the results of an analysis of the microwear on the teeth of Paranthropus boisei (also known as Australopithecus boisei). The results contest what we've all along assumed was going on with the form and the function of these robust australopithecine teeth. I... Continue Reading →
Shanidar III – A Neandertal who ate his veggies… Or at least chewed them
Last month's annual meeting of the Paleoanthropology Society hosted a talk by Amanda Henry, a graduate student at George Washington University. She analyzed the microfossils of plant material found in the dental plaque on Neandertal teeth from Shanidar, Iraq. What is dental plaque? Much to the chargin of dentists out there, the composition and origin... Continue Reading →
