Suwa G, Asfaw B, Beyene Y, White T D, Katoh S, Nagaoka S, Nakaya H, Uzawa K, Renne P, WoldeGabriel G
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
Nature. 1997 Oct 2;389(6650):489-92. doi: 10.1038/39037.
Australopithecus boisei was first described from a cranium recovered in 1959 from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. This and subsequent finds, mostly from Kenya's Turkana basin, resulted in its characterization as a specialized Australopithecus species with a hyper-robust masticatory apparatus. A distinct A. boisei facial morphology has been emphasized to differentiate robust Australopithecus lineages from East and South Africa. A preference for closed and/or wet habitats has been hypothesized. Here we report some new A. boisei specimens, including the taxon's first cranium and associated mandible, from Konso, Ethiopia. These fossils extend the known geographical range of A. boisei. They provide clear evidence for the coexistence of A. boisei and Homo erectus within a predominantly dry grassland environment. The A. boisei specimens from Konso demonstrate considerable morphological variation within the species. The unexpected combination of cranial and facial features of this skull cautions against the excessive taxonomic splitting of early hominids based on morphological detail documented in small and/or geographically restricted samples.
鲍氏傍人最初是根据1959年在坦桑尼亚奥杜威峡谷发现的一个颅骨进行描述的。这一发现以及随后的发现（大多来自肯尼亚的图尔卡纳盆地），使其被认定为一种具有超强壮咀嚼器官的特殊傍人物种。人们强调了鲍氏傍人独特的面部形态，以区分来自东非和南非的强壮傍人谱系。有人推测它偏好封闭和/或潮湿的栖息地。在此，我们报告了一些来自埃塞俄比亚孔索的新的鲍氏傍人标本，包括该分类单元的首个颅骨及相关下颌骨。这些化石扩展了鲍氏傍人的已知地理分布范围。它们为鲍氏傍人和直立人在以干旱草原为主的环境中共存提供了明确证据。来自孔索的鲍氏傍人标本显示出该物种内部存在相当大的形态变异。这一颅骨的颅骨和面部特征的意外组合警示人们，不要基于在小样本和/或地理范围有限的样本中记录的形态细节，对早期人类进行过度的分类划分。
