Reno Philip L, Meindl Richard S, McCollum Melanie A, Lovejoy C Owen
Matthew Ferrini Institute of Human Evolutionary Research, Department of Anthropology and Division of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Aug 5;100(16):9404-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1133180100. Epub 2003 Jul 23.
The substantial fossil record for Australopithecus afarensis includes both an adult partial skeleton [Afar Locality (A.L.) 288-1, "Lucy"] and a large simultaneous death assemblage (A.L. 333). Here we optimize data derived from both to more accurately estimate skeletal size dimorphism. Postcranial ratios derived from A.L. 288-1 enable a significant increase in sample size compared with previous studies. Extensive simulations using modern humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas confirm that this technique is accurate and that skeletal size dimorphism in A. afarensis was most similar to that of contemporary Homo sapiens. These data eliminate some apparent discrepancies between the canine and skeletal size dimorphism in hominoids, imply that the species was not characterized by substantial sexual bimaturation, and greatly increase the probability that the reproductive strategy of A. afarensis was principally monogamy.
南方古猿阿法种丰富的化石记录包括一具成年部分骨骼化石【阿法地区（A.L.）288 - 1，“露西”】以及一个大量同时死亡个体的组合化石（A.L. 333）。在此，我们对源自这两者的数据进行优化，以更准确地估计骨骼大小的两性差异。与之前的研究相比，源自A.L. 288 - 1的颅后比例使得样本量显著增加。使用现代人类、黑猩猩和大猩猩进行的广泛模拟证实，该技术是准确的，且南方古猿阿法种的骨骼大小两性差异与当代智人最为相似。这些数据消除了类人猿在犬齿和骨骼大小两性差异之间的一些明显差异，表明该物种不存在显著的两性成熟差异，并大大增加了南方古猿阿法种的繁殖策略主要为一夫一妻制的可能性。
