%0 Journal Article
%A Le Cabec, Adeline
%A Colard, Thomas
%A Charabidze, Damien
%A Chaussain, Catherine
%A Di Carlo, Gabriele
%A Gaudzinski-Windheuser, Sabine
%A Hublin, Jean-Jacques
%A Melis, Rita T.
%A Pioli, Laura
%A Ramirez-Rozzi, Fernando
%A Mussi, Margherita
%+ Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Max Planck Society
%T Insights into the palaeobiology of an early Homo infant: multidisciplinary investigation of the GAR IVE hemi-mandible, Melka Kunture, Ethiopia : 
%G eng
%U https://hdl.handle.net/21.11116/0000-0009-8B08-2
%R 10.1038/s41598-021-02462-1
%7 2021-11-29
%D 2021
%8 29.11.2021
%* Review method: peer-reviewed
%X Childhood is an ontogenetic stage unique to the modern human life history pattern. It enables the <br>still dependent infants to achieve an extended rapid brain growth, slow somatic maturation, while <br>benefitting from provisioning, transitional feeding, and protection from other group members. This <br>tipping point in the evolution of human ontogeny likely emerged from early Homo. The GAR IVE <br>hemi‑mandible (1.8 Ma, Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) represents one of the rarely preserved early Homo <br>infants (~ 3 years at death), recovered in a richly documented Oldowan archaeological context. Yet, <br>based on the sole external inspection of its teeth, GAR IVE was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease–<br>amelogenesis imperfecta (AI)–altering enamel. Since it may have impacted the child’s survival, this <br>diagnosis deserves deeper examination. Here, we reassess and refute this diagnosis and all associated <br>interpretations, using an unprecedented multidisciplinary approach combining an in‑depth analysis <br>of GAR IVE (synchrotron imaging) and associated fauna. Some of the traits previously considered <br>as diagnostic of AI can be better explained by normal growth or taphonomy, which calls for caution <br>when diagnosing pathologies on fossils. We compare GAR IVE’s dental development to other fossil <br>hominins, and discuss the implications for the emergence of childhood in early Homo
%J Scientific Reports
%V 11
%] 23087
%@ 2045-2322