Question

The skulls of the genus Paranthropus are massively built with huge premolars and molars, large, flaring zygomatic arches, and a sagittal crest along the top of the skull. These features are all adaption to

A) fighting
B) hunting
C) chewing
D) reproduction

Answer 1

The skulls of the genus Paranthropus, featuring specialized traits like huge molars and a sagittal crest, are adapted primarily for the powerful chewing of tough plant materials, not for fighting, hunting, or reproduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The skulls of the genus Paranthropus are massively built with features such as huge premolars and molars, large, flaring zygomatic arches, and a sagittal crest along the top of the skull. These characteristics are specialized adaptations that facilitated the species' ability to consume a coarse and fibrous vegetarian diet that included hard nuts and seeds. The presence of the sagittal crest indicates the accommodation of large temporalis jaw muscles necessary for powerful chewing of tough plant materials. Therefore, the adaptations of the skulls in Paranthropus species are primarily related to chewing (C).