%0 Journal Article
%A Gómez Robles, Aida
%A Martinón Torres, María
%A Bermúdez de Castro, José María
%A Prado Simón, Leyre
%A Sarmiento Pérez, Susana
%A Arsuaga, Juan Luis
%T Geometric morphometric analysis of the crown morphology of the lower firstpremolar of hominins, with special attention to Pleistocene Homo
%D 2008
%@ 0047-2484
%U https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/49561
%X This article is the third of a series that explores hominin dental crown morphology by means of geometricmorphometrics. After the analysis of the lower second premolar and the upper first molar crownshapes, we apply the same technique to lower first premolar morphology. Our results show a cleardistinction between the morphology seen in earlier hominin taxa such as Australopithecus and Africanearly Homo, as well as Asian H. erectus, and more recent groups such as European H. heidelbergensis, H.neanderthalensis, and H. sapiens. The morphology of the earlier hominins includes an asymmetricaloutline, a conspicuous talonid, and an occlusal polygon that tends to be large. The morphology ofthe recent hominins includes a symmetrical outline and a reduced or absent talonid. Within this latergroup, premolars belonging to H. heidelbergensis and H. neanderthalensis tend to possess a small andmesiolingually-displaced occlusal polygon, whereas H. sapiens specimens usually present expanded andcentered occlusal polygons in an almost circular outline. The morphological differences among Paranthropus,Australopithecus, and African early Homo as studied here are small and evolutionarily lesssignificant compared to the differences between the earlier and later homin taxa. In contrast to the lowersecond premolar and the upper first molar crown, the inclusion of a larger hominin sample of lower firstpremolars reveals a large allometric component.
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