Simian shelf

The simian shelf is a bony thickening on the front of the ape mandible.[1] Its function is to reinforce the jaw,[2] though it also has the effect of considerably reducing the movement of the tongue by restricting the area available for muscles.[3]

Humans are the only primates to have protruding chins, though some fossils of early humans show evidence of a simian shelf.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Simian shelf". Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  2. ↑ Wright, M. (1996). "Online Anthropology Glossary". Archived from the original on 2006-08-05. Retrieved 2008-12-22.
  3. ↑ Howells, W. (1945). Mankind So Far. New York: Doubleday. p. 68.
  4. ↑ Custance, A. C. (1997). "The Implication of Convergence on Human Origins". Convergence and the Origin of Man. Retrieved 2008-12-22.