Variation in dental remains from Dmanisi, Georgia

Abstract

Observable differences among craniomandibular specimens from Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia have resulted in controversy regarding the number of represented taxa. In this study, the hominin dental remains from Dmanisi are analyzed to help determine whether the variation present in the Georgian assemblage likely reflects interspecific or intraspecific variation, including sexual dimorphism. Metric variation is assessed with resampling methodology by comparing the Dmanisi teeth with reference samples of extant hominoids. Comparisons were also made between the variation observed in the Georgian sample and that of Paranthropus boisei. The results provide evidence for the taxonomic homogeneity of the D211/D2282 and D2735/D2700 skulls. Whether D2600 should be included within this sample or considered distinct is less clear as the distal molar crown dimensions of this robust specimen are notably larger than the other Georgian fossils. Nonetheless, it is argued that the metric size variation expressed by the Dmanisi dental sample, including D2600, is insufficient to reject the null hypothesis of a single species.