Endocranial volume of Australopithecus africanus: New CT-based estimates and the effects of missing data and small sample size

Journal of Human Evolution

Volumn 62, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 498-510

  Neubauer, Simon ^a   Gunz, Philipp ^a   Weber, Gerhard W ^b   Hublin, Jean Jacques ^a  

^a MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE FOR EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY   (Germany)

^b UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA   (Austria)

Author keywords

Computed tomography; Segmentation; Semilandmarks; Thin plate spline

Indexed keywords

BRAIN; COMPUTER SIMULATION; FOSSIL; HOMINID; HUMAN EVOLUTION; MORPHOMETRY; PRIMATE; SEGMENTATION; TOMOGRAPHY; UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS;

AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFRICANUS; PAN;

EID: 84859159890     PISSN: 00472484     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.01.005     Document Type: Article

References (65)

1. Berger L.R., de Ruiter D.J., Churchill S.E., Schmid P., Carlson K.J., Dirks P.H., Kibii J.M. Australopithecus sediba: a new species of Homo-like australopith from South Africa. Science 2010, 328:195-204.
2. Bookstein F.L. Morphometric Tools for Landmark Data: Geometry and Biology 1991, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
3. Bookstein F.L. Landmark methods for forms without landmarks: morphometrics of group differences in outline shape. Med. Image Anal. 1997, 1:225-243.
4. Broom R. Discovery of a new skull of the South African ape-man, Plesianthropus. Nature 1947, 159:672.
5. Broom R., Robinson J.T., Schepers G.W.H. Sterkfontein ape-man, Plesianthropus. Transv. Mus. Mem. 1950, 4:1-117.
6. Broom R., Schepers G.W.H. The South African ape-men: the Australopithecinae. Transv. Mus. Mem. 1946, 2:1-272.
7. Bruner E. Geometric morphometrics and paleoneurology: brain shape evolution in the genus Homo. J. Hum. Evol. 2004, 47:279-303.
8. Carlson K.J., Stout D., Jashashvili T., de Ruiter D.J., Tafforeau P., Carlson K., Berger L.R. The endocast of MH1, Australopithecus sediba. Science 2011, 333:1402-1407.
9. Conroy G.C., Falk D., Guyer J., Weber G.W., Seidler H., Recheis W. Endocranial capacity in Sts 71 (Australopithecus africanus) by three-dimensional computed tomography. Anat. Rec. 2000, 258:391-396.
10. Conroy G.C., Vannier M.W., Tobias P.V. Endocranial features of Australopithecus africanus revealed by 2- and 3-D computed tomography. Science 1990, 247:838-841.
11. Conroy G.C., Weber G.W., Seidler H., Tobias P.V., Kane A., Brunsden B. Endocranial capacity in an early hominid cranium from Sterkfontein, South Africa. Science 1998, 280:1730-1731.
12. Coqueugniot H., Hublin J.J., Veillon F., Houët F., Jacob T. Early brain growth in Homo erectus and implications for cognitive ability. Nature 2004, 431:299-302.
13. Dart R.A. Australopithecus africanus: the man-ape of South Africa. Nature 1925, 115:195-199.
14. Dart R.A. Taungs and its significance. Nat. Hist. 1926, 26:315-327.
15. Dart R.A. The first australopithecine cranium from the pink breccia at Makapansgat. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1959, 17:77-82.
16. Dart R.A. The Makapansgat pink breccia australopithecine skull. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1962, 20:119-126.
17. Falk D. Hominid brain evolution: the approach from paleoneurology. Yearb. Phys. Anthropol. 1980, 23:93-107.
18. Falk D. A reanalysis of the South African australopithecine natural endocasts. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1980, 53:525-539.
19. Falk D. The Taung endocast: a reply to Holloway. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1983, 60:479-489.
20. Falk D. Apples, oranges, and the lunate sulcus. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1985, 67:313-315.
21. Falk D. Endocranial casts and their significance for primate brain evolution. Systematics, Evolution, and Anatomy 1986, vol. 1:477-490. Alan R. Liss, New York. D.R. Swindler, J. Erwin (Eds.).
22. Falk D. Hominid paleoneurology. A. Rev. Anthropol. 1987, 16:13-28.
23. Falk D. Ape-like endocast of 'ape-man' Taung. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1989, 80:335-339.
24. Falk D. The natural endocast of Taung (Australopithecus africanus): insights from the unpublished papers of Raymond Arthur Dart. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 2009, 140:49-65.
25. Falk D., Clarke R. Brief communication: new reconstruction of the Taung endocast. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 2007, 134:529-534.
26. Falk, D., Clarke, R. Letter to the Editor. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., submitted for publication.
27. Falk D., Redmond J.C., Guyer J., Conroy C., Recheis W., Weber G.W., Seidler H. Early hominid brain evolution: a new look at old endocasts. J. Hum. Evol. 2000, 38:695-717.
28. Grine F.E., Gunz P., Betti-Nash L., Neubauer S., Morris A.G. Reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene human skull from Hofmeyr, South Africa. J. Hum. Evol. 2010, 59:1-15.
29. Gunz, P., 2005. Statistical and geometric reconstruction of hominid crania: reconstructing australopithecine ontogeny. Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Vienna.
30. Gunz P., Mitteroecker P., Bookstein F.L. Semilandmarks in three dimensions. Modern Morphometrics in Physical Anthropology 2005, 73-98. Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. D.E. Slice (Ed.).
31. Gunz P., Mitteroecker P., Neubauer S., Weber G.W., Bookstein F.L. Principles for the virtual reconstruction of hominin crania. J. Hum. Evol. 2009, 57:48-62.
32. Gunz P., Neubauer S., Golovanova L., Doronichev V., Maureille B., Hublin J.J. A uniquely modern human pattern of endocranial development. Insights from a new cranial reconstruction of the Neandertal newborn from Mezmaiskaya. J. Hum. Evol. 2012, 62:300-313.
33. Gunz P., Neubauer S., Maureille B., Hublin J.J. Brain development after birth differs between Neanderthals and modern humans. Curr. Biol. 2010, 20:R921-R922.
34. Gunz P., Neubauer S., Maureille B., Hublin J.J. Virtual reconstruction of the Le Moustier 2 newborn skull. Implications for Neandertal ontogeny. Paleo 2011, 22:155-172.
35. Hawks J., Wolpoff M.F. Endocranial capacity of early hominids. Science 1999, 283:9.
36. Holloway R.L. Australopithecine endocast (Taung specimen, 1924): a new volume determination. Science 1970, 168:966-968.
37. Holloway R.L. New endocranial values for the australopithecines. Nature 1970, 227:199-200.
38. Holloway R.L. Endocranial volumes of early African hominids, and the role of the brain in human mosaic evolution. J. Hum. Evol. 1973, 2:449-459.
39. Holloway R.L. Early hominid endocasts: volumes, morphology and significance for hominid evolution. Primate Functional Morphology and Evolution 1975, 393-416. Mouton Publishers, The Hague. R. Tuttle (Ed.).
40. Holloway R.L. The relevance of endocasts for studying primate brain evolution. Sensory Systems of Primates 1978, 181-200. Plenum Press, New York. C.R. Noback (Ed.).
41. Holloway R.L. The Taung endocast and the lunate sulcus: a rejection of the hypothesis of its anterior position. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1984, 64:285-287.
42. Holloway R.L. The past, present, and future significance of the lunate sulcus in early hominid evolution. Hominid Evolution: Past, Present, and Future 1985, 47-62. Alan R. Liss, New York. P.V. Tobias (Ed.).
43. Holloway R.L. Some additional morphological and metrical observations on Pan brain casts and their relevance to the Taung endocast. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1988, 77:27-33.
44. Holloway R.L. On Falk's 1989 accusations regarding Holloway's study of the Taung endocast: a reply. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1991, 84:87-91.
45. Holloway R.L. Hominid brain volume. Science 1999, 283:34-35.
46. Holloway R.L., Broadfield D.C. Technical note: the midline and endocranial volume of the Taung endocast. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 2011, 146:319-322.
47. Holloway R.L., Broadfield D.C., Yuan M.S. The Human Fossil Record: Brain Endocasts, The Paleoneurological Evidence 2004, Wiley-Liss, Hoboken.
48. Hublin J.J., Coqueugniot H. Absolute or proportional brain size: that is the question. A reply to Leigh's (2006) comments. J. Hum. Evol. 2006, 50:109-113.
49. Leigh S.R. Brain growth, life history, and cognition in primate and human evolution. Am. J. Primatol. 2004, 62:139-164.
50. Leigh S.R. Brain ontogeny and life history in Homo erectus. J. Hum. Evol. 2006, 50:104-108.
51. Lockwood C.A., Kimbel W.H. Endocranial capacity of early hominids. Science 1999, 283:9.
52. Lockwood C.A., Tobias P.V. A large male hominin cranium from Sterkfontein, South Africa, and the status of Australopithecus africanus. J. Hum. Evol. 1999, 36:637-685.
53. McNulty K.P., Frost S.R., Strait D.S. Examining affinities of the Taung child by developmental simulation. J. Hum. Evol. 2006, 51:274-296.
54. Mitteroecker P., Gunz P. Advances in geometric morphometrics. Evol. Biol. 2009, 36:235-247.
55. Neubauer S., Gunz P., Hublin J.J. The pattern of endocranial ontogenetic shape changes in humans. J. Anat. 2009, 215:240-255.
56. Neubauer S., Gunz P., Hublin J.J. Endocranial shape changes during growth in chimpanzees and humans: a morphometric analysis of unique and shared aspects. J. Hum. Evol. 2010, 59:555-566.
57. Neubauer S., Gunz P., Mitteroecker P., Weber G.W. Three-dimensional digital imaging of the partial Australopithecus africanus endocranium MLD 37/38. Can. Assoc. Radiol. J. 2004, 55:271-278.
58. Neubauer S., Gunz P., Schwarz U., Hublin J.J., Boesch C. Brief Communication: Endocranial volumes in an ontogenetic sample of chimpanzees from the Taï Forest National Park, Ivory Coast. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 2012, 147:319-325.
59. Neubauer S., Hublin J.J. The evolution of human brain development. Evol. Biol. 2012, 10.1007/s11692-011-9156-1.
60. Robinson J.T. The genera and species of the Australopithecinae. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 1954, 12:181-200.
61. Schepers G.W.H. The endocranial casts of the South African ape-men. The South African Ape-Men: The Autralopithecinae 1946, 1-272. Transv. Mus. Mem, Pretoria. R. Broom, G.W.H. Schepers (Eds.).
62. Schepers G.W.H. The brain casts of the recently discovered Plesianthropus skulls. Sterkfontein Ape-man, Plesianthropus 1950, 89-117. Transv. Mus. Mem., Pretoria. R. Broom, J.T. Robinson, G.W.H. Schepers (Eds.).
63. Tobias P.V. Re-creating ancient hominid virtual endocasts by CT-scanning. Clin. Anat. 2001, 14:134-141.
64. Weber G.W., Bookstein F.L. Virtual Anthropology - A Guide to a New Interdisciplinary Field 2011, Springer, Wien.
65. Weber G.W., Recheis W., Scholze T., Seidler H. Virtual anthropology (VA): methodological aspects of linear and volume measurements - First results. Coll. Antropol. 1998, 22:575-583.