Ottmar Kullmer
Biographic Data
| ID | 85669 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Ottmar Kullmer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Ottmar |
| FAMILY NAME | Kullmer |
| SIGNATURE | KULLMER O |
| AFFILIATIONS | Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt/M |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5929-8070 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 47 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 628 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 47 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1999 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 15 |
The Early Homo Conundrum
International audience
Taxonomic revision of the SK 15 mandible based on bone and tooth structural organization
short molar roots) typically found in specimens of Paranthropus aethiopicus, Paranthropus boisei, and Paranthropus robustus. In particular, SK 15 differs markedly in size and morphology from mandibular remains of P. robustus from Swartkrans Member 2. We thus tentatively attribute SK 15 to Paranthropus capensis, a more gracile species of Paranthropus than the other three currently recognized species of this genus and discuss the implications for t…
Diet of Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens from macrowear analysis of mandibular molars
Neanderthal diet has been on the spotlight of paleoanthropological research for many years. The majority of studies that tried to reconstruct the diet of Neanderthals were based on the analysis of zooarchaeological remains, stable isotopes, dental calculus and dental microwear patterns. In the past few years, there have been a few studies that linked dental macrowear patterns of Neanderthals and modern humans to diet and cultural habits. However,…
Finite element analysis of Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens maxillary central incisor
Neanderthal anterior teeth are very large and have a distinctive morphology characterized by robust 'shovel-shaped' crowns. These features are frequently seen as adaptive responses in dissipating heavy mechanical loads resulting from masticatory and non-masticatory activities. Although the long-standing debate surrounding this hypothesis has played a central role in paleoanthropology, is still unclear if Neanderthal anterior teeth can resist high…
Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of Xujiayao 6
International audience
Cochlear morphology of Indonesian Homo erectus from Sangiran
Further analyses of the structural organization of Homo luzonensis teeth
The species Homo luzonensis has recently been described based on a set of dental and postcranial elements found at Callao Cave (Northern Luzon, Philippines) and dated to at least 50-67 ka. Seven postcanine maxillary teeth are attributed to this taxon, five of them belonging to the same individual (CCH6) and representing the holotype of H. luzonensis, whereas the isolated upper premolar CCH8 and the upper third molar CCH9 are paratypes of the spec…
Exploring late Paleolithic and Mesolithic diet in the Eastern Alpine region of Italy through multiple proxies
Objectives The analysis of prehistoric human dietary habits is key for understanding the effects of paleoenvironmental changes on the evolution of cultural and social human behaviors. In this study, we compare results from zooarchaeological, stable isotope and dental calculus analyses as well as lower second molar macrowear patterns to gain a broader understanding of the diet of three individuals who lived between the end of the Late Pleistocene …
Exploring directional and fluctuating asymmetry in the human palate during growth
OBJECTIVES: Palate morphology is constantly changing throughout an individual's lifespan, yet its asymmetry during growth is still little understood. In this research, we focus on the study of palate morphology by using 3D geometric morphometric approaches to observe changes at different stages of life, and to quantify the impact of directional and fluctuating asymmetry on different areas at different growth stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sam…
Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudabánya, Hungary
The functional role of the Carabelli trait in early and late hominins
The Carabelli trait is a dental feature that forms along the lingual margin of the protocone of deciduous and permanent maxillary molars. It is variably expressed, ranging from a small pit or furrow to a large cusp, and its development seems to be associated with crown size and molar cusp spatial configuration. The degree of expression of the Carabelli trait differs systematically between hominin taxa, and for this reason, it has been used extens…
Dental macrowear and cortical bone distribution of the Neanderthal mandible from Regourdou (Dordogne, Southwestern France)
The physiological linkage between molar inclination and dental macrowear pattern
OBJECTIVES: Exact symmetry and perfect balance between opposite jaw halves, as well as between antagonistic teeth, is not frequently observed in natural masticatory systems. Research results show that asymmetry in our body, skull, and jaws is often related to genetic, epigenetic, environmental and individual ontogenetic factors. Our study aims to provide evidence for a significant link between masticatory asymmetry and occlusal contact between an…
Functional relationship between dental macrowear and diet in Late Pleistocene and recent modern human populations
Many aspects of diet and behaviour can be gleaned from dental wear, including environmental conditions, food‐fracture properties, food processing techniques, and cultural habits. Specifically, the angulation (flat vs. steep) of molar wear has been used as an indicator of food toughness and has also been implicated in the use of grinding stones and pottery in food processing. In this work, we focus on the sequential phases of the power stroke of m…
Inner tooth morphology of Homo erectus from Zhoukoudian. New evidence from an old collection housed at Uppsala University, Sweden
Flexibility of diet and habitat in Pleistocene South Asian mammals
Occlusion in an Adult Male Gorilla with a Supernumerary Maxillary Premolar
Persistent C3 vegetation accompanied Plio-Pleistocene hominin evolution in the Malawi Rift (Chiwondo Beds, Malawi)
Dental wear patterns in early modern humans from Skhul and Qafzeh
The Earliest Putative Homo Fossils
Geological Background of Early Hominid Sites in Africa
The early Pleistocene deciduous hominid molar FS ‐72 from the Sangiran dome of java, Indonesia
Given the morphological and metric similarities between fossil orangutan and H. erectus molars, we tested the hypothesis that its internal morphology more closely resembles the patterns evinced by PCG.2 and modern humans than Pongo. Accordingly, we consider that FS-72 more likely represents a dm2 of Pongo rather than Homo
To meat or not to meat? New perspectives on N eanderthal ecology
Neanderthals have been commonly depicted as top predators who met their nutritional needs by focusing entirely on meat. This information mostly derives from faunal assemblage analyses and stable isotope studies: methods that tend to underestimate plant consumption and overestimate the intake of animal proteins. Several studies in fact demonstrate that there is a physiological limit to the amount of animal proteins that can be consumed: exceeding …
The Earliest Putative Homo Fossils
Geological Background of Early Hominid Sites in Africa
Variation in enamel thickness within the genus Homo
To meat or not to meat? New perspectives on N eanderthal ecology
Neanderthals have been commonly depicted as top predators who met their nutritional needs by focusing entirely on meat. This information mostly derives from faunal assemblage analyses and stable isotope studies: methods that tend to underestimate plant consumption and overestimate the intake of animal proteins. Several studies in fact demonstrate that there is a physiological limit to the amount of animal proteins that can be consumed: exceeding …
New Neanderthal remains from Mani peninsula, Southern Greece
Inner tooth morphology of Homo erectus from Zhoukoudian. New evidence from an old collection housed at Uppsala University, Sweden
Technical note
Information about food ingestion and mastication behavior during the lifespan of an individual is encoded in the dental occlusal wear pattern. To decode this information, we describe a new method called occlusal fingerprint analysis (OFA). Structural parameters of wear facets on the occlusal surface of teeth are quantified from digitized casts for the interpretation of occlusal aspects. The OFA provides an individual three‐dimensional dental occl…
Molar enamel thickness and dentine horn height in Gigantopithecus blacki
Absolutely thick molar enamel is consistent with large body size estimates and dietary inferences about Gigantopithecus blacki , which focus on tough or fibrous vegetation. In this study, 10 G. blacki molars demonstrating various stages of attrition were imaged using high‐resolution microtomography. Three‐dimensional average enamel thickness and relative enamel thickness measurements were recorded on the least worn molars within the sample ( n = …
Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of first molars
Morphometrics of the molar crown is based traditionally on diameter measurements but is nowadays more often based on 2D image analysis of crown outlines. An alternative approach involves measurements at the level of the cervical line. We compare the information content of the two options in a three‐dimensional (3D) digital sample of lower and upper first molars (M 1 and M 1 ) of modern human and Neanderthal teeth. The cervical outline for each to…
A reassessment of the Neanderthal teeth from Taddeo cave (southern Italy)
Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars
Functional relationship between dental macrowear and diet in Late Pleistocene and recent modern human populations
Many aspects of diet and behaviour can be gleaned from dental wear, including environmental conditions, food‐fracture properties, food processing techniques, and cultural habits. Specifically, the angulation (flat vs. steep) of molar wear has been used as an indicator of food toughness and has also been implicated in the use of grinding stones and pottery in food processing. In this work, we focus on the sequential phases of the power stroke of m…
Dental tissue proportions in fossil orangutans from mainland Asia and Indonesia
Orangutans (Pongo) are the only great ape genus with a substantial Pleistocene and Holocene fossil record, demonstrating a much larger geographic range than extant populations. In addition to having an extensive fossil record, Pongo shows several convergent morphological similarities with Homo, including a trend of dental reduction during the past million years. While studies have documented variation in dental tissue proportions among species of…
The early Pleistocene deciduous hominid molar FS ‐72 from the Sangiran dome of java, Indonesia
Given the morphological and metric similarities between fossil orangutan and H. erectus molars, we tested the hypothesis that its internal morphology more closely resembles the patterns evinced by PCG.2 and modern humans than Pongo. Accordingly, we consider that FS-72 more likely represents a dm2 of Pongo rather than Homo
Dental wear and cultural behavior in Middle Paleolithic humans from the Near East
Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs) may have lived in close proximity in the Near East region during Middle Paleolithic times. Although functional morphological analyses suggest a marked behavioral contrast between these two human groups, new dental micro‐ and macro‐wear studies, together with new archaeological data, have revealed some similarities in ecology and dietary habits. In this study, we analyze the tooth wear patterns of…
Para-masticatory wear facets and their functional significance in hunter–gatherer maxillary molars
The first Paranthropus from the Malawi Rift
Further analyses of the structural organization of Homo luzonensis teeth
The species Homo luzonensis has recently been described based on a set of dental and postcranial elements found at Callao Cave (Northern Luzon, Philippines) and dated to at least 50-67 ka. Seven postcanine maxillary teeth are attributed to this taxon, five of them belonging to the same individual (CCH6) and representing the holotype of H. luzonensis, whereas the isolated upper premolar CCH8 and the upper third molar CCH9 are paratypes of the spec…
Persistent C3 vegetation accompanied Plio-Pleistocene hominin evolution in the Malawi Rift (Chiwondo Beds, Malawi)
Individual tooth macrowear pattern guides the reconstruction of Sts 52 ( Australopithecus africanus ) dental arches
The functional restoration of the occlusal relationship between maxillary and mandibular tooth rows is a major challenge in modern dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Similar technical challenges are present in paleoanthropology when considering fragmented and deformed mandibular and maxillary fossils. Sts 52, an Australopithecus africanus specimen from Sterkfontein Member 4, represents a typical case where the original shape of the dental arche…
Brief communication
High variability in the dentition of Homo can create uncertainties in the correct identification of isolated teeth. For instance, standard tooth identification criteria cannot determine with absolute certainty if an isolated tooth is a second or third maxillary molar. In this contribution, using occlusal fingerprint analysis, we reassess the identification of Krapina D58 ( Homo neanderthalensis ), which is catalogued as a third maxillary molar. W…
Dental macrowear and cortical bone distribution of the Neanderthal mandible from Regourdou (Dordogne, Southwestern France)
Dental arch restoration using tooth macrowear patterns with application to Rudapithecus hungaricus, from the late Miocene of Rudabánya, Hungary
Brief communication
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a widespread technique to evaluate the stress/strain distributions in teeth or dental supporting tissues. However, in most studies occlusal forces are usually simplified using a single vector (i.e., point load) either parallel to the long tooth axis or oblique to this axis. In this pilot study we show how lower first molar occlusal information can be used to investigate the stress distribution with 3D FEA in the s…
Quantitative assessment of interproximal wear facet outlines for the association of isolated molars
The determination of the minimum number of individuals can be very challenging, especially in an assemblage of fragmentary bones and isolated teeth. Similarities in tooth morphology, degree of wear, and interproximal wear facets (IPWF) are generally used to associate isolated teeth qualitatively. However, no quantitative method has yet been established for an objective identification and matching of isolated tooth crowns. In this study, we analyz…
The physiological linkage between molar inclination and dental macrowear pattern
OBJECTIVES: Exact symmetry and perfect balance between opposite jaw halves, as well as between antagonistic teeth, is not frequently observed in natural masticatory systems. Research results show that asymmetry in our body, skull, and jaws is often related to genetic, epigenetic, environmental and individual ontogenetic factors. Our study aims to provide evidence for a significant link between masticatory asymmetry and occlusal contact between an…
Cochlear morphology of Indonesian Homo erectus from Sangiran
The first Paranthropus from the Malawi Rift
Early Hominid diversity, age and biogeography of the Malawi-Rift
The Earliest Putative Homo Fossils
Geological Background of Early Hominid Sites in Africa
Molar enamel thickness and dentine horn height in Gigantopithecus blacki
Absolutely thick molar enamel is consistent with large body size estimates and dietary inferences about Gigantopithecus blacki , which focus on tough or fibrous vegetation. In this study, 10 G. blacki molars demonstrating various stages of attrition were imaged using high‐resolution microtomography. Three‐dimensional average enamel thickness and relative enamel thickness measurements were recorded on the least worn molars within the sample ( n = …
Suggested guidelines for invasive sampling of hominid remains
Technical note
Information about food ingestion and mastication behavior during the lifespan of an individual is encoded in the dental occlusal wear pattern. To decode this information, we describe a new method called occlusal fingerprint analysis (OFA). Structural parameters of wear facets on the occlusal surface of teeth are quantified from digitized casts for the interpretation of occlusal aspects. The OFA provides an individual three‐dimensional dental occl…
Report of three fused primary human teeth in an archaeological material
Fusion of deciduous teeth can appear in several ways, usually involving two teeth but occasionally three. The frequency of this anomaly is reported to be low and few cases have been described in the scientific literature. Fused teeth in the archaeological record are rare because of the destructive taphonomic processes to which bones and teeth are subjected. \nPrevious research in this field has only dealt with cases of two fused deciduous teeth. …
Brief communication
High variability in the dentition of Homo can create uncertainties in the correct identification of isolated teeth. For instance, standard tooth identification criteria cannot determine with absolute certainty if an isolated tooth is a second or third maxillary molar. In this contribution, using occlusal fingerprint analysis, we reassess the identification of Krapina D58 ( Homo neanderthalensis ), which is catalogued as a third maxillary molar. W…
Para-masticatory wear facets and their functional significance in hunter–gatherer maxillary molars
Dental tissue proportions in fossil orangutans from mainland Asia and Indonesia
Orangutans (Pongo) are the only great ape genus with a substantial Pleistocene and Holocene fossil record, demonstrating a much larger geographic range than extant populations. In addition to having an extensive fossil record, Pongo shows several convergent morphological similarities with Homo, including a trend of dental reduction during the past million years. While studies have documented variation in dental tissue proportions among species of…
Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of first molars
Morphometrics of the molar crown is based traditionally on diameter measurements but is nowadays more often based on 2D image analysis of crown outlines. An alternative approach involves measurements at the level of the cervical line. We compare the information content of the two options in a three‐dimensional (3D) digital sample of lower and upper first molars (M 1 and M 1 ) of modern human and Neanderthal teeth. The cervical outline for each to…
Quantitative assessment of interproximal wear facet outlines for the association of isolated molars
The determination of the minimum number of individuals can be very challenging, especially in an assemblage of fragmentary bones and isolated teeth. Similarities in tooth morphology, degree of wear, and interproximal wear facets (IPWF) are generally used to associate isolated teeth qualitatively. However, no quantitative method has yet been established for an objective identification and matching of isolated tooth crowns. In this study, we analyz…
Comparison of dental measurement systems for taxonomic assignment of Neanderthal and modern human lower second deciduous molars
A reassessment of the Neanderthal teeth from Taddeo cave (southern Italy)
New primate remains from Mwenirondo, Chiwondo Beds in northern Malawi
Brief communication
Finite element analysis (FEA) is a widespread technique to evaluate the stress/strain distributions in teeth or dental supporting tissues. However, in most studies occlusal forces are usually simplified using a single vector (i.e., point load) either parallel to the long tooth axis or oblique to this axis. In this pilot study we show how lower first molar occlusal information can be used to investigate the stress distribution with 3D FEA in the s…
Variation in enamel thickness within the genus Homo
The Earliest Putative Homo Fossils
Geological Background of Early Hominid Sites in Africa
Dental wear and cultural behavior in Middle Paleolithic humans from the Near East
Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans (AMHs) may have lived in close proximity in the Near East region during Middle Paleolithic times. Although functional morphological analyses suggest a marked behavioral contrast between these two human groups, new dental micro‐ and macro‐wear studies, together with new archaeological data, have revealed some similarities in ecology and dietary habits. In this study, we analyze the tooth wear patterns of…
Individual tooth macrowear pattern guides the reconstruction of Sts 52 ( Australopithecus africanus ) dental arches
The functional restoration of the occlusal relationship between maxillary and mandibular tooth rows is a major challenge in modern dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. Similar technical challenges are present in paleoanthropology when considering fragmented and deformed mandibular and maxillary fossils. Sts 52, an Australopithecus africanus specimen from Sterkfontein Member 4, represents a typical case where the original shape of the dental arche…
Dental arch restoration using tooth macrowear patterns with application to Rudapithecus hungaricus, from the late Miocene of Rudabánya, Hungary
New Neanderthal remains from Mani peninsula, Southern Greece
Dental wear patterns in early modern humans from Skhul and Qafzeh
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (38 works) · Biology (27 works) · Medicine (24 works) · Geography (23 works) · Dentistry (21 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (21 works) · Archaeology (19 works) · Paleontology (18 works) · Orthodontics (16 works) · Molar (15 works)