Paranthropus Robustus Essay

Australopithecus africanus is one of the possible direct ancestor of Paranthropus robustus. separating new species in to cladograms is a very difficult task, the case of Paranthropus robustus is no different. The two most common arguments as to what is the direct ancestor of P. robustus is A. aferensis or Australopithecus africanus. Both of these two species have notable similarities and differences with P. robustus, and the answer to who is the ancestor is not cut and dry. The Pre Cranial morphology of Paranthropus Robustus is very unique, the larger than average skull of makes the hominin hard to classify. A trait that is found within all of the paranthropi is megndontia. The teeth found in P. robustus where potentially meant for chewing hard tubers, and other tough plants. These large megadont are also observed in A. africanus, though not to the same extreme. In other words the teeth of “P.

robustus and A. africanus, these anterior pillars are in fact only found in A. africanus and P. robustus. The sizes of A. africanus and P. robustus are also quite similar, both being rather short, however P. robustus faithful to its name, is a little more robust. Both species fossils where discovered in South Africa, this similarity is especially surpassing due to the fact that other members of Paranthropithicus and Australiopithicus are found in East Africa. I believe this is more evidence to of the direct link between A. africanus and P. robustus. The two species are so similar that in my opinion, one must be the direct ancestor of the the other. If A. africanus is the ancestor of R. robust then all other paranthropus and A. africanus are Monopyletic, although the similarities between A. Africanus and P. robusta are not shared between all Paranthropus. Perhaps these two species need a new genus all to their own, because although they share some morphology with others in their specific genus they share more with each