Information from Hominid Teeth
Chapter 12: Human History

Comparisons of the modern jaw and fossil jaws can provide information regarding the types of foods eaten by ancient hominids. The molar area reflects the part of the jaw that has undergone evolutionary change. Look at the table and analyze the data regarding the evolutionary connections among the primates listed.

Primate	Average Molar Area (mm2)
Gorilla gorilla (modern gorilla)	1011
Australopithecus africanus	901
Australopithecus boisei	1010
Homo erectus	656
Homo sapiens (modern human)	500

Analyze the Table

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1. What general pattern among the hominids can you see from the data table?
2. What information can you infer from the changes in molar area?
3. Although Australopithecus boisei is more recent than Australopithecus africanus, what can you conclude from the data?
4. Why do you think a modern gorilla is included in the data?

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