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Discovery Channel
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Scientists use jawbones to make inferences about how an animal looked and lived. The human jawbone has a distinct parabolic shape, unlike the V-shaped jawbone of an ape. Apes also have long, dagger-like canines that are constantly sharpened by the lower teeth. Humanlike animals don't have these canines. Instead, they have larger back teeth and narrower front teeth, suggesting their diet consisted of much more than soft leaves and fruit. If a skeleton has humanlike teeth, then it stands to reason that it might also have humanlike hip structure and posture.
The bones of the hands and feet also provide clues. In apelike creatures, which use their hands and feet for grasping, the bones in each appendage look the same. But a hominid's toes, which help the animal propel itself forward with each step, look quite different than its fingers. In addition, knuckle-walking animals, such as chimpanzees, have stiff bones to accept the weight of the body. Hominid wrists are assembled more loosely.
(Photos.com/Thinkstock)
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