Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-3-2014
Publication Title
PLOS One
Volume
9
Issue
12
Abstract
Numerous studies suggest that the transition from Australopithecus to Homo was characterized by evolutionary innovation, resulting in the emergence and coexistence of a diversity of forms. However, the evolutionary processes necessary to drive such a transition have not been examined. Here, we apply statistical tests developed from quantitative evolutionary theory to assess whether morphological differences among late australopith and early Homo species in Africa have been shaped by natural selection. Where selection is demonstrated, we identify aspects of morphology that were most likely under selective pressure, and determine the nature (type, rate) of that selection. Results demonstrate that selection must be invoked to explain an Au. africanus—Au. sediba—Homo transition, while transitions from late australopiths to various early Homo species that exclude Au. sediba can be achieved through drift alone. Rate tests indicate that selection is largely directional, acting to rapidly differentiate these taxa. Reconstructions of patterns of directional selection needed to drive the Au. africanus—Au. sediba—Homo transition suggest that selection would have affected all regions of the skull. These results may indicate that an evolutionary path to Homowithout Au. sediba is the simpler path and/or provide evidence that this pathway involved more reliance on cultural adaptations to cope with environmental change.
Recommended Citation
Schroeder L, Roseman CC, Cheverud JM, Ackermann RR (2014) Characterizing the Evolutionary Path(s) to Early Homo. PLoS ONE 9(12): e114307. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0114307
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Copyright Statement
© 2014 Schroeder et al.
Comments
© 2014 Schroeder et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.