News Anthropology

Fossil teeth hint at a surprisingly early start to humans’ long childhoods

X-ray imaging reveals signs of slow dental development in a youth from an early Homo species

In three views of an ancient hominid skull, the teeth are color coded to show which ones (the green ones) were used in a study to determine the rate of dental development. Other teeth are colored red and orange (for not used in the study) and shades of blue (for missing teeth).

X-ray imaging views of an ancient Homo skull from Dmanisi, Georgia, show teeth used in a new analysis of dental development in green. Teeth shown in orange and red were not included in the study. Re-creations of teeth missing from the skull appear in light blue and dark blue.