0000000000297146
AUTHOR
Thorolf Hardt
The Genus Homo: Origin, Speciation and Dispersal
The taxonomical interpretation of the fossil record of our own genus Homo is still highly controversial. In spite of obvious major advances concerning the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of the fossil specimens there currently remain unbridgeable disagreements concerning the origin, speciation and dispersal of our genus. The polarized positions result foremost from different methodological approaches for species recognition (e.g., Tattersall 1986; Wolpoff and Caspari 1997; Schwartz 2000a; Wiesemuller et al. 2003; Jobling et al. 2004; Rothe and Henke 2006). Beside the Multiregional Evolutionary Model (MRE) there are different Recent African Origin Models (RAOMs) with varying numbers…
Paleoecology: An Adequate Window on the Past?
Starting from Ernst Haeckel’s famous definition of ecology, our review considers the premises and the meaning of paleoecological research. Unlike current ecology, paleoecology has to pay more attention when dealing with ‘‘facts’’: the concept of uniformitarianism is presented and demonstrates the importance of philosophical constructs for scientific work. The middle‐range theory attempts to filter out false conclusions. Abiotic factors have had a strong influence on adaptive evolution; volcanism, tectonism, and climate are exemplified. Subsequently we discuss the biotic viewpoint with regard to aspects of fossil findings and in this context taphonomy, stratigraphic research, and interaction…
Facial patterns in Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea: a geometric approach.
The maxillofacial and orbital compartments of the primate skull contribute to the ontogenetic and phylogenetic variability of the viscerocranium and are of crucial evolutionary relevance. As the form of organisms changes depending on endo- and exogenous factors, metrical evaluation of specific adaptations and incorporation of the results into a biological framework could be helpful in identifying valid characters for separation of taxa (e.g. family, genus, and species) and in understanding divergence and convergence. During the last two decades a morphometric "revolution" heralded by Rohlf & Marcus (1993), Adams et al. (2004) and Oxnard (2004) brought about a synthesis of traditional quanti…