New hominin dental remains from the ∼2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry, South Africa

New hominin dental remains from the Drimolen Main Quarry (DMQ) in South Africa, dating back approximately 2.04–1.95 million years, challenge the long-held hypothesis of sexual dimorphism in Paranthropus robustus. The study, which expands the DMQ fossil sample by 38%—bringing it to a total of 84 specimens—finds that dental morphology is inconsistent with significant size-based variation between males and females. Instead, some evidence supports micro-evolutionary changes within the species over time. Researchers analyzed 19 newly recovered fossils (47 dental elements) using morphological descriptions and comparative analysis, contributing to our understanding of early Homo and Paranthropus evolution in one of the world's most significant fossil hominid sites.

Leece, A. B., Martin, J. M., Baker, S., Wilson, C., Strait, D. S., Schwartz, G. T., & Herries, A. I. R. (2023). New hominin dental remains from the ∼2.04–1.95 Ma Drimolen Main Quarry, South Africa. Annals of Human Biology, 50(1), 407–427. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014460.2023.2261849