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Re: Immature type specimens
NICHOLLS PHILIP A (pn8886@thor.albany.edu)
Fri, 29 Apr 94 03:56:22 GMT
In article <2potkm$pb3@larry.rice.edu> lthomas@owlnet.rice.edu (Lisa Christy Thomas) writes:
>Which immature type specimens are you referring to for A. africanus
>and H. habilis? I was under the impression that we had enough fossil
>evidence to say with some degree of certainty that A. africanus
>represents the gracile line of australopithecine. H. habilis is a bit
>more difficult to establish as one species, since the fossils
>associated with this taxon show a large range of anatomical
>variability.
>
>It seems that in most of my evolution texts both of these species (if
>in fact there are only two) are discussed briefly and then set aside
>in favor of the better known A. afarensis and H. erectus.
>
>What info do you have?
>
>- Lisa
The type specimen is the one described in the paper in which the new
is named. For both Australopithecus africanus and Homo habilis,
the type specimen (holotype) is an immature individual. For example,
the type specimen for Australopithecus africanus is the Taung skull.
However, immature specimens always look gracile to some degree. What
if Taung turns out to be a robust austhralopithecine.
--
Philip Nicholls "To ask a question,
Department of Anthropology you must first know
SUNY Albany most of the answer."
pn8886@thor.albany.edu
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