Descriptions of the dental remains of <i>Homo floresiensis</i>

• KAIFU YOUSUKE

  Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba-shi Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo

• KONO REIKO T.

  Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba-shi

• SUTIKNA THOMAS

  Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology, Jakarta

• SAPTOMO E. WAHYU

  Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology, Jakarta

• JATMIKO

  Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology, Jakarta

• AWE ROKUS DUE

  Centre for Archaeological Science, University of Wollongong, Wollongong The National Research and Development Centre for Archaeology, Jakarta

• BABA HISAO

  Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Nature and Science, Tsukuba-shi

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• Descriptions of the dental remains of Homo floresiensis

Abstract

Dental remains of Homo floresiensis excavated during 2002–2004 at Liang Bua, Flores, Indonesia, consist of one partial maxillary dentition, two nearly complete mandibular dentitions, and four isolated teeth. We present here morphological descriptions of all these specimens and report aspects of their dentition, occlusion, and oral health condition. This dental assemblage represents probably five but possibly four or six individuals. These different individuals share similar dental characteristics, supporting the view that the Liang Bua H. floresiensis assemblage represents a single population. We also reassess the previous claims for primitive and modern aspects of the H. floresiensis teeth. The previous studies reached conflicting conclusions: some researchers claim that these teeth are fully modern, whereas others highlight premolar and other morphologies that suggest their direct evolutionary link with the African earliest form of Homo or Australopithecus rather than with H. erectus. Neither of these views are supported. The H. floresiensis teeth exhibit a mosaic of primitive, derived, and unique characters, with the reported primitive aspects broadly comparable to the morphologies observed in H. erectus sensu lato. Although a more comprehensive comparative analysis is needed to fully illustrate dental morphological affinities of this dwarfed hominin species, we find no grounds for the hypothesis that H. floresiensis originated from the small-bodied, primitive hominins such as H. habilis sensu lato.

Journal

• Anthropological Science

  Anthropological Science 123 (2), 129-145, 2015

  The Anthropological Society of Nippon

Keywords

• <i>Homo floresiensis</i>
• Flores
• Indonesia
• dental morphology

Details

• CRID: 1390001204314130816
• NII Article ID: 130005094884
• NII Book ID: AA11307827
• DOI: 10.1537/ase.150501
• ISSN: 13488570
• ISSN: 09187960
• NDL BIB ID: 026699034
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I026699034
• Web Site: https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ase/123/2/123_150501/_pdf
• Web Site: https://search.jamas.or.jp/link/ui/2016259430
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • Crossref
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed