Nature 329, 625 - 627 (21 October 1987); doi:10.1038/329625a0

Dental development of the Taung skull from computerized tomography

Glenn C. Conroy^* & Michael W. Vannier^†

^*Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology/Anthropology
^†Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63110, USA

Just over 60 years ago, Dart's description and analysis of the Taung child's skull¹ triggered an intellectual revolution about human origins. Recently, several authors have suggested that one of the most significant hominid-like traits of australopithecines, delayed maturation, may not after all be valid^2–4. This is a radical departure from Mann's⁵ classic study of australopithecine maturation and palaeodemography based on dental eruption patterns. The resolution of this debate has important implications for the history of the biological and social evolution of the human species. In view of the controversies generated by recent studies⁶, and particularly because the Taung skull is the type specimen of Australopithecus africanus, we have investigated the relevant anatomy of the Taung 'child' using computerized tomography. We conclude that the Taung 'child' shows some important dental maturational affinities with great apes, although as Dart¹ noted, other hominid-like features are clearly present.

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