ENG   GEO (Georgian Version is Under Construction)

THE EARLIEST TOOTHLESS HOMININ SKULL

April 07, 2005

D. Lordkipanidze et. al. published a paper The earliest toothless hominin skull  in Nature, saying that 1.77 year old Dmanisi hominin was nearly completely toothless and represents the earliest case of chewing impairment, suggesting the idea of help and cooperation in between the population for survival strategies.

Abstract

The site of Dmanisi in the Eurasian republic of Georgia has yielded striking hominin, faunal and archaeological material as evidence for the presence of early Homo outside Africa 1.77 million years ago, documenting an important episode in human evolution. Here we describe a beautifully preserved skull and jawbone from a Dmanisi hominin of this period who had lost all but one tooth several years before death. This specimen not only represents the earliest case of severe masticatory impairment in the hominin fossil record to be discovered so far, but also raises questions about alternative subsistence strategies in early Homo