Abstract
Beginning withRamapithecus,there has been a continued search for an ape-like hominid ancestor in the Miocene Epoch.Sahelanthropus tchadensisis an enigmatic new Miocene species, whose characteristics are a mix of those of apes andHomo erectusand which has been proclaimed by Brunetet al.to be the earliest hominid1.However, we believe that features of the dentition, face and cranial base that are said to define unique links between this Toumaï specimen and the hominid clade are either not diagnostic or are consequences of biomechanical adaptations. To represent a valid clade, hominids must share unique defining features2,andSahelanthropusdoes not appear to have been an obligate biped.
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Wolpoff, M., Senut, B., Pickford, M.et al.Sahelanthropusor 'Sahelpithecus'?. Nature419,581–582 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/419581a
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DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/419581a
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