Criteria to apply taxonomic categories to human fossils

Emiliano Aguirre

Resumen


Classification of organisms must ultimately be grounded on similarities and differences of form and function. Gentic affinities are relevant and can be decisive in animal classification, but neither the magnitude nor the number of genetic mutations can constitute the essential criterion to resolve on taxonomic categories of animal organisms, since many diverse levels of organic construction mediate between genome composition and the adaptation and reproductive success of a population. Magnitude of time spans cannot be a criterion to define grades of hierarchy among taxonomic categories in organisms, since the tempo of diversification varies between two groups of organisms and within one stem or clade. The magnitude of morphofunctional innovations with vertical bipedality sufficies to decide at the taxonomic family level. Brain size and disproportions in the masticatory apparatus are decisive trends and combinations to distinguish Homo and Paranthropus as genera. Different conceptions in applying to fossil humans the species category are proposed to discussion.

 

Key words: Classification, family, genus, Hominidae, Homo, Homo sapiens, hierarchy, organism, species, taxonomy.


Texto completo:

PDF

Referencias


Aguirre, E. (1970), “Identificación de ’Paranthropus’ en Makapansgat ”, in E. Beltrán (ed.), Crónica del XI Congreso de Arqueología, Mérida 1969: 98-124.

Aguirre, E. (1993), “Neandertales y evolución humana en Eurasia. Enfoques actuales de estudio y controversia. (Neanderthals and human evolution in Eurasia. Present focuses of research and debate)”, in M. I. Martínez Navarrete (ed.), Teoría y práctica de la Prehistoria: Perspectivas desde los extremos de Europa/Theory and practice of Prehistory: views from edges of Europe (bilingual). Santander: Universidad de Cantabria-CSIC, pp. 129-158.

Aguirre, E. (2000), Evolución humana. Debates actuales y vías abiertas. Madrid: Real Academia de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales.

Aguirre, E. and Carbonell, E. (2001), “Early human expansions into Eurasia: The Atapuerca evidence, ” Quaternary International 75: 11-18.

Aiello, L. and Dean, Ch. (1990), An Introduction to Human Evolutionary Anatomy. London: Academic Press.

Asfaw, B., White, T., Lovejoy, O., Latimer, B., Simpson, S. and Suwa, G. (1999), “Australopithecus garhi: A new species from Ethiopia,” Science 284: 629-635.

Condemi, S. (1989), “Décalage dans l’apparition des traits néandertaliens sur le crâne,” in G. Giacobini (ed.) Hominidae. Milan: Jaca, pp. 357-362.

Coon, C.S. (1962), The origin of races. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

D’Ancona, H. (1956), Trattato di Zoologia. Torino: Unione Tipográfica.

Harris, J.W.K. (1983), “Cultural beginnings: Plio-Pleistocene archaeological occurrences from the Afar, Ethiopia,” in N. David (ed.) African Archaeological Review 1, Cambridge University Press, pp. 3-31.

Heinzelin, J. de, Clark, J.D., White, T., Hart, W., Renne, P., WoldeGabriel, G., Beyene, Y. and Vrba, E. (1999), “Environment and behavior of 2.5-millionyear-old Bouri hominids, ” Science 284: 625-629.

Hill, A., Ward, S., Deino, A., Curtis, G. and Drake, R. (1992), “Earliest Homo,” Nature 355: 719-722.

Howell, F.C. (1999), “Paleo-demes, species clades, and extinctions in the Pleistocene hominin record,” Journal of Anthropological Research 55 (2): 191-243.

Kimbel, W. H., Johanson, D.C. and Rak, Y. (1997), “Systematic assessment of a maxillar of Homo from Hadar, Ethiopia,” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 103: 235-262.

Martínez, I. and Arsuaga, J.L. (1997), “The temporal bones from Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene Site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain). A phylogenetic approach,” Journal of Human Evolution 33: 283-318.

Rosas, A. and Bermúdez de Castro, J.M. (1999), “The ATD6-5 mandibular specimen from Gran Dolina (Atapuerca, Spain). Morphological study and phylogenetic implications,” Journal of Human Evolution 37: 567-590.

Rightmire, G.P. (1996), “The human cranium from Bodo, Ethiopia: evidence for speciation in the Middle Pleistocene?” Journal of Human Evolution 31: 21-39.

Simpson, G.G. (1945), “The principles of classification and a classification of mammals,” Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 85: i-xvi, 1-350.

Strohman, R.C. (1997), “The coming Kuhnian revolution in biology,” Nature biotechnology 15: 194-200.

Suwa, G., Asfaw, B., Beyene, Y., White, T.D., Katoh, S., Nagaoka, S., Nakaya, H., Uzawa, K., Renne, P. and WoldeGabriel, G. (1997), “The first skull of Australopithecus boisei,” Nature 390: 389-492.


Enlaces refback

  • No hay ningún enlace refback.


Revista semestral editada por el Centro de Estudios Filosóficos, Políticos
y Sociales Vicente Lombardo Toledano de la Secretaría de Educación Pública,
la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa y Edicions UIB de la Universitat de les Illes Balears.

Lombardo Toledano 51, Col. Ex-Hda. Guadalupe Chimalistac,
Del. Alvaro Obregón, C.P. 01050, México, D.F.
Tels. (5255) 5661-4679 y 5661-4987
Fax: (5255) 5661-1787