A solution to the human paradox: fundamental ontogenies and heterochronies |
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Authors: | A Dambricourt Malassé M J Deshayes D Marchand F Magniez-Jannin J Chaline |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratoire de Préhistoire, Institut de Paléontologie humaine, UMR CNRS 6569, 1 rue R. Panhard, 75013 Paris, France;(2) 20 Place Saint Sauveur, 14000 Caen, Ffance;(3) Biogeosciences (UMR CNRS 5561), Centre des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Bourgogne, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France;(4) Paléobiodiversité et Préhistoire de l'EPHE, 6 bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France |
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Abstract: | Solving the human paradox means explaining how a genetic difference of a mere 1% can be consistent with 5 million years of
anatomical transformation from great apes to present-dayHomo sapiens. The solution proposed here is that of the internal history of ontogenetic change. A concept of “fundamental ontogeny” is
developed and deduced from comparison between living and fossil primates. The fossil human lineage can be summarized into
five fundamental ontogenies corresponding to successive skull plans (bauplans) resulting from five major phases of craniofacial
contraction: prosimians (adapiforms), monkey apes (propliopithecidae), great apes (dryopithecidae), australopithecines andHomo. The morphological areas defined by these skull plans include more-or-less numerous species. This concept leads to renewed
debate about (i) the relationship between speciation and bauplans, and (ii) the mechanisms involved in the successive steps
of cranio-facial contraction and the correlated morphological changes. It is suggested that, from great apes to modern man,
numerous heterochronies (hypermorphosis, hypomorphosis and post-displacements) have occurred during ontogeny, allowing the
acquisition of permanent bipedalism inAustralopithecus andHomo, the increased cranial capacity of primitive forms ofHomo, and the disappearance of simian characters associated with renewed increase in cranial capacity inH. sapiens. |
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Keywords: | Primates human paradox skull ontogenies heterochronies |
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