Palate ShapesComparing the shapes of the palates (upper jaws) below, one notices the strong similarity between the dental features of Australopithecus afarensis and modern apes. Below are three photographs. To the left is Gorilla gorilla, the modern mountain gorilla. In the center is Australopithecus afarensis represented by AL 200-1. To the right is Homo sapiens (a modern human) represented by C/PA-101 (Choukoutien, China).
With the gorilla palate, one sees cheek teeth that are nearly parallel, and the overall shape of the teeth is like an upside-down "U." The large canine teeth are separated from the incisor teeth by a gap, or diastema. The function of the diastema is to allow space for the lower canine teeth when the gorilla closes its mouth. Comparing this to a modern human, one notes that there is no diastema, and that the shape of the human palate is more evenly curved. Compare the shape of AL 200-1 to these two forms. The cheek teeth of AL 200-1 are sub-parallel, and between the incisors and the canine teeth one notices a diastema. This comparison of the dentition of Australopithecus afarensis to modern humans and to apes shows a pattern that is more ape-like than human. |
