Drimolen breastfeeding and dietary history dental sampling

This prior work was carried out as part of SAHRA temporary export permits 9890 and 2539 and shows proof of concept for the work and a significant publishable outcome. All these hominin teeth have been returned to their respective repositories. The aim of this export permit application is to sample two other genera, Paranthropus robustus and early Homo, to compare the breastfeeding and dietary histories of the main early hominin genera in South Africa. The aim is to temporarily export 16 hominin teeth (10 Paranthropus robustus and 6 early Homo) from the Drimolen Main Quarry for stable isotope and trace element analyses. These teeth have all been studied and described as part of a comprehensive analysis of the Drimolen dentition by Dr Angeline Leece who completed her PHD on the teeth in 2020 (Leece, 2020). Some have been published in Moggi Cecchi et al 2010 and others in Martin et al (2021). The remainder are currently being published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology (Leece et al., in press) and a follow up paper in PEERJ by Leece et al.