Penghu 1
Penghu 1 | |
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Fossil mandible of Penghu 1 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Primates |
Suborder: | Haplorhini |
Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
Family: | Hominidae |
Subfamily: | Homininae |
Tribe: | Hominini |
Genus: | Homo |
Species: | †H. tsaichangensis
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Binomial name | |
†Homo tsaichangensis McMenamin, 2015
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Penghu 1 is a fossil jaw (
History and discovery
The fossil was recovered sometime before 2008 by fishermen working in the
Penghu 1 is currently housed at the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung.[1][3]
The fossil is stratigraphically dated to younger than 450 kya, based on prehistoric sea-level lowering to either between 190 and 130 kya, or to between 70 and 10 kya.[1]
Fossil morphology
The fossil consists of a nearly complete right lower jaw with four teeth, including worn
Classification
Although the genus of the Penghu 1 has been widely accepted, there is much discussion on the potential species of the specimen. The Penghu 1 mandible has been described as most similar to
Gigantopithecus cf. G. blacki and Homo tsaichangensis have similar tooth morphology, suggesting related dietary choices and similar geographical range extensions. The discoveries of Gigantopithecus cf. G. blacki and Homo tsaichangensis also revealed that they both inhabited the Tegal-Penghu Biogeographic Province around 250 kya. McMenamin then forms the conclusion that because they lived in the same province and had access to the same food sources, they both had to adapt to a diet rich in bamboo and other surrounding vegetation to survive. McMenamin agrees with a potential explanation provided by Chang,
In 2019 Chen Fahu along with a group of co-authors presented a piece suspecting the Penghu 1 mandible to be a member of the hominid group Denisovans.[8] This conclusion has been supported through its comparison with the Denisovan Xiahe mandible. The Xiahe mandible was discovered on the Tibetan Plateau and is dated to be about 160,000 years old. The Xiahe specimen has similar dental morphology compared to Penghu 1. They share 4 distinct characteristics: their M2's are close in mesiodistal width, they both show the agenesis of the M3 molar, they have a similar unique M2 root structure which relates to modern Asian populations, and the P3 displays Tomes' root, which is rarely found in other fossil hominins.[8]
See also
- Dispersal of Homo erectus
- Prehistory of Taiwan
References
- ^ PMID 25625212.
Older low-sea-level events, 225, 240–280, ?300, 335–360 and 425–450 ka cannot be completely excluded as the age for Penghu 1, but such a situation requires explanation for preservation through repeated sedimentary events and the unusual distribution of Crocuta crocuta ultima. Therefore, Penghu 1 is younger than 450 ka, and most likely 10–70 ka or 130–190 ka.
- ^ a b Choi, Charles Q. (27 January 2015). "Ancient Human Fossil Could Be New Primitive Species". Live Science.
- Discovery News.
- ^ doi:10.16359/j.cnki.cn11-1963/q.2015.0000. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-10-10.
- PMID 28109118.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-893882-19-5.
- ^ Suvad, Lelo (2015). "Prijegled osnovnih taksonomskih podataka o evoluciji čovjeka: Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 (Chordata: Mammalia: Primates: Hominidae)" [An overview of basic taxonomic information about human evolution: Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 (Chordata: Mammalia: Primates: Hominidae)]. Prilozi Fauni Bosne I Hercegovine (in Bosnian). 11: 107–126.
- ^ S2CID 141503768.
External links
- Human Timeline (Interactive) – Smithsonian, National Museum of Natural History (August 2016).