We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us
LGC Clinical Diagnostics

Download Mobile App




CT Scan Casts Doubt on Hominid Child’s Brain Development Is Similar to That of Modern Humans

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 01 Sep 2014
Print article
Image: The Taung Child fossil at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University (Photo courtesy of Wits University).
Image: The Taung Child fossil at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University (Photo courtesy of Wits University).
Image: The Taung Child fossil at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University (Photo courtesy of Wits University).
Image: The Taung Child fossil at the Evolutionary Studies Institute at Wits University (Photo courtesy of Wits University).
By undergoing advanced computed tomography (CT) scanning, the skull of the famous fossil child is providing evidence for researchers against the human evolutionary hypotheses that the hominid Australopithecus africanus shows the same cranial adaptations found in modern human infants and toddlers.

The Taung Child, South Africa’s most important hominid fossil remains discovered 90 years ago by Wits University Prof. Raymond Dart, is providing major insights into human origins. By subjecting the skull of the first australopith discovered to the latest technologies in the University of the Witwatersrand Microfocus X-ray Computed Tomography (Johannesburg, South Africa) facility, researchers are refuting current backing for the hypothesis that this early hominid exhibits infant brain development in the prefrontal region similar to that of modern humans.

The findings have been published online on August 25, 2014, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). The Taung Child has historic and scientific significance in the fossil record as the first and best instance of early hominid brain evolution, and theories have been presented that it offers key cranial adaptations seen in modern human infants and toddlers.

To assess the precise age of this evolutionary adaptation, Dr. Kristian J. Carlson, senior researcher from the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, and colleagues, Prof. Ralph L. Holloway from Columbia University (New York, NY, USA) and Douglas C. Broadfield from Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, USA), performed an in silico dissection of the Taung fossil using high-resolution CT imaging.

“A recent study has described the roughly three million-year-old fossil, thought to have belonged to a three- to four-year-old, as having a persistent metopic suture and open anterior fontanelle, two features that facilitate post-natal brain growth in human infants when their disappearance is delayed,” said Dr. Carlson.

Comparisons with the existing hominid fossil record and chimpanzee variation do not support this evolutionary scenario. Mentioning flaws in how the Taung fossil material has been recently assessed, the researchers suggest physical evidence does not incontrovertibly link characteristics of the Taung skull, or its endocast, to early prefrontal lobe expansion, a brain region associated with many human behaviors.

The scientists also argued against the earlier proposed theoretical foundation for this adaptation in A. africanus. By refuting the presence of these features in the Taung Child, the researchers dispute whether these structures were selectively beneficial in hominid evolution, especially in australopith hominids.

Therefore, study’s findings revealed that there is still no evidence for this sort of skull adaptation that evolved before modern man, neither is there evidence for a link between such skull characteristics and the suggested accompanying early prefrontal lobe expansion, according to Dr. Carlson.

Related Links:

University of the Witwatersrand Microfocus X-ray Computed Tomography Facility
Columbia University
Florida Atlantic University


New
Gold Member
C-Reactive Protein Reagent
CRP Ultra Wide Range Reagent Kit
Antipsychotic TDM Assays
Saladax Antipsychotic Assays
New
Gold Member
Pneumocystis Jirovecii Detection Kit
Pneumocystis Jirovecii Real Time RT-PCR Kit
New
Automated Cell Counter
QuadCount

Print article

Channels

Clinical Chemistry

view channel
Image: The new saliva-based test for heart failure measures two biomarkers in about 15 minutes (Photo courtesy of Trey Pittman)

POC Saliva Testing Device Predicts Heart Failure in 15 Minutes

Heart failure is a serious condition where the heart muscle is unable to pump sufficient oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. It ranks as a major cause of death globally and is particularly fatal for... Read more

Molecular Diagnostics

view channel
Image: Schematic overview of maternal biomarker discovery using cell-free RNA during pregnancy (Photo courtesy of Circulation Research (2024). DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.124.325024)

Maternal Blood Test Identifies Congenital Heart Diseases in Fetus

Each year, around 1,000 children are born with a single ventricle heart defect (SVHD), a condition where one of the heart's lower chambers is underdeveloped, too small, or missing a valve.... Read more

Hematology

view channel
Image: QScout CBC will give a complete blood count in 2 minutes from fingerstick or venous blood (Photo courtesy of Ad Astra Diagnostics)

Next Gen CBC and Sepsis Diagnostic System Targets Faster, Earlier, Easier Results

Every hour is critical in protecting patients from infections, yet there are currently limited tools to assist in early diagnosis before patients reach a hospital. The complete blood count (CBC) is a common... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: The InfectoSynovia test has the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

High-Accuracy Bedside Test to Diagnose Periprosthetic Joint Infection in Five Minutes

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) represents a significant global issue that is worsening as the number of joint replacements increases due to aging populations. In the United States alone, the anticipated... Read more

Pathology

view channel
Image

AI-Based Method Shows Promise for Pathological Diagnosis of Hereditary Kidney Diseases

Alport syndrome is a hereditary kidney disorder characterized by kidney dysfunction, sensorineural hearing loss, and ocular abnormalities. Early in the disease, patients experience hematuria, which is... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.