Since the 1970s, anthropological wisdom in interpreting early hominid remains centered on the ground breaking work in dentition done by Alan Mann. By looking at the teeth and jaws, anthropologist could gage where on the evolutionary timeline a find was situated. However, by challenging this methodology, although difficult, the prevailing paleoanthropological wisdom was expanded. Other hominid traits, such as the beginnings of hunting-and-gathering subsistence, linked tooth anatomy, facial architecture, enlarged brains and tool making together. By considering all of these characteristics of humanity, the author examines some of the most important hominids, and the traits that set them apart as our human ancestors.
