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Exploring evolutionary history of great apes and humans by means of metameric variation in molars

Research Project

Project/Area Number 17K15202
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Research Field Physical anthropology
Research InstitutionNational Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo (2020)
Hokkaido University (2017-2019)

Principal Investigator

Morita Wataru  独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 人類研究部, 研究員 (20737358)

Project Period (FY) 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2020)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywordsヒトの進化 / 大臼歯形態 / 類人猿 / 進化 / エナメル象牙境 / 形態解析 / 大臼歯 / 中新世 / 人類学
Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since teeth are the most abundant material in the vertebrate fossil records, dental morphology has played a key role to infer phylogenetic relationships. Here, we analyzed metameric variation among upper molars in extant hominoids using a novel quantitative method, morphometric mapping. Results show that humans and extant apes share a common pattern of metameric variation characterized by a relatively simple degradation along the mesiodistal axis. Specifically, humans show a distinct pattern of hypocone reduction, suggesting considerable developmental modifications in the human lineage. We also analyzed the newly discovered fossil upper third molar from Nakali in Kenya to estimate its phylogenetic position.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

歯の形は複雑であるため、定量的な比較が難しく、ヒトや類人猿からなるヒト上科全体の特徴を捉えることが困難だった。本研究では独自に開発した新しい方法論を用いることで、形の違いを明瞭に視覚化・定量化し、ヒトと類人猿に共通する部分とヒトに特有な形態パターンを抽出した。このヒトに特有なパターンは、ヒトの進化史の中でも、200万年前前後にホモ属がユーラシア大陸に進出して以降に生じたことが示唆された。近年ゲノム科学の進展で、様々な人類種間の交雑により生じたホモ・サピエンスの複雑な進化史に注目が集まっており、身体形質はそれに伴ってどのように変化したのかについて考える上で、本研究はその足掛かりともなった。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2020 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2019 Research-status Report
  • 2018 Research-status Report
  • 2017 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (18 results)

All 2021 2020 2019 2017 Other

All Int'l Joint Research (12 results) Journal Article (1 results) (of which Peer Reviewed: 1 results) Presentation (5 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results)

  • [Int'l Joint Research] アンカラ大学/ガズィアンテプ大学/アヒ・エルバン大学(トルコ)

    • Related Report
      2020 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ケニア国立博物館(ケニア)

    • Related Report
      2020 Annual Research Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ボルドー大学(フランス)

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] アンカラ大学/ヴァン100周年大学(トルコ)

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ケニア国立博物館(ケニア)

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ヘルシンキ大学(フィンランド)

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ヘルシンキ大学バイオテクノロジー研究所(フィンランド)

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ケニア国立博物館(ケニア)

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] アンカラ大学(トルコ)

    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] チューリッヒ大学(スイス)

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ケニア国立博物館(ケニア)

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
  • [Int'l Joint Research] ジョージア国立博物館(ジョージア)

    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Metameric variation of upper molars in hominoids and its implications for the diversification of molar morphogenesis2020

    • Author(s)
      Morita Wataru、Morimoto Naoki、Kono Reiko T.、Suwa Gen
    • Journal Title

      Journal of Human Evolution

      Volume: 138 Pages: 102706-102706

    • DOI

      10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102706

    • NAID

      120006950867

    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed
  • [Presentation] An introduction to morphometric mapping: its application to hominoid molars2021

    • Author(s)
      Wataru Morita
    • Organizer
      Turkey-Japan exchange 2020: featuring the paleoanthropological excavations in Turkey and recent works from Japan
    • Related Report
      2020 Annual Research Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] 中新世後期ナカリ出土の未記載類人猿大臼歯化石の形態解析.2020

    • Author(s)
      森田 航, 森本 直記, 國松 豊, 河野 礼子, 諏訪 元, 中務 真人.
    • Organizer
      第74回日本人類学会大会
    • Related Report
      2020 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] 現生ヒトと類人猿における大臼歯間変異から見る発生パターンの進化2019

    • Author(s)
      森田 航, 森本 直記, 河野 礼子, 諏訪 元.
    • Organizer
      第73回日本人類学会大会
    • Related Report
      2019 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Metameric variation of upper molars in extant hominoids2019

    • Author(s)
      Morita, W., Morimoto, N.,Kono, R.T., Suwa, G.
    • Organizer
      The 2019 AAPA meetings
    • Related Report
      2018 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] ヒトと現生類人猿における大臼歯間変異の定量化2017

    • Author(s)
      森田航、森本直記、河野礼子、諏訪元
    • Organizer
      第122回日本解剖学会総会・全国学術集会
    • Related Report
      2017 Research-status Report

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Published: 2017-04-28   Modified: 2022-02-22  

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