Dymorfizm płciowy południowoafrykańskich australopiteków

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the degree and pattern of sexual dimorphism in the South African Plio-Pleistocene hominids – the australopithecines – and to relate these to extant African apes (of known sex, behavior and ecology) in order to make suggestions about aspects of social behavior of these early hominids. The results are based on metrical analyses of craniofacial and dental remains. The magnitude of sexual dimorphism was evaluated by various statistical methods, based on assessing parameters of distribution of variables. This work reveals that the South African “robust” australopithecines possessed a combination of small canine size dimorphism and increased (almost gorilla-like) level of facial dimorphism.