--- In paleoanthropology@yahoogroups.com, "Marcel" <newpapyrus@...> wrote:
>
> Ann Hum Biol. 2009 Jul 4:1-17. [Epub ahead of print] Dental and
> skeletal growth in early fossil hominins. Dean MC
> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22D\
> ean%20MC%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_Result\
> sPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus> , Lucas VS
> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=Search&Term=%22L\
> ucas%20VS%22%5BAuthor%5D&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_Resul\
> tsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus> .
> Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London,
> London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
>
> Early fossil hominins have often been assigned a chronological age on
> the basis of modern human data for tooth eruption. Better data and more
> sophisticated methods are now available to estimate their chronological
> age from modern human standards for stages of mineralization of
> individual teeth developing within the jaws. However, while comparisons
> with modern human dentitions are interesting, they can also be
> misleading as early hominin teeth and dentitions did not grow like
> modern human teeth. Chronological age can also be estimated using the
> microanatomy of tooth enamel and root dentine. Counts of incremental
> markings in enamel predict much younger ages at death for early fossil
> hominins than those based on modern human radiographic standards of
> dental development.

Comparative evidence from the skeleton suggests that a greater proportion of
adult body mass and stature was achieved earlier in the growth period of fossil
hominins than it is in modern humans. The combined skeleto-dental evidence
provides the basis for a hypothesis that the earliest hominins grew more like
modern great apes, but that Homo erectus had a slightly more prolonged period of
growth, and which was still not totally modern human-like in its pattern or
timing.

So how do modern apes compare with ancient apes?
Without that, the data is useless, isn't it?

Great apes include orangutans, I don't think they are considered hominins.