New mandible of Paranthropus robustus from Member 1, Swartkrans Formation, South Africa

Abstract A new mandible of Paranthropus robustus from the Member 1 "Hanging Remnant" breccia of Swartkrans is described. The specimen (SKW 5) possesses a nearly complete postcanine dentition; both corpora and much of the left ramus are well-preserved. It is one of the most complete, undistorted P. robustus mandibles known. Its dentition is morphologically comparable to other P. robustus specimens, although the SKW 5 teeth tend to be smaller than average. It is similar to other P. robustus mandibles in overall length, but its corpus is comparatively broad and shallow in relation to other P. robustus homologues. Biomechanically, however, the SKW 5 corpus is similar to other P. robustus specimens in its ability to resist torsional and bending stresses.