Gold Coast Southern Cross University researcher Dr Renaud Joannes-Boyau and team’s research to understand early human anscestors

Gold Coast researchers have made a fascinating discovery about our past and how it affects our kids - all by analysing some ancient teeth.

NEW analysis into teeth chemistry led by a Gold Coast researcher has helped to understand why early human ancestors had fewer children and an extended parenting role.

Southern Cross University geochemist Dr Renaud Joannes-Boyau, as well as Dr Luca Fiorenza and Dr Justin W. Adams from Monash University, analysed two-million-year-old teeth from fossils of Australopithecus africanus in South Africa.

The species are related to humans but retained ape-like features and lived two to three millions years ago.

Dr Renaud Joannes-Boyau with a homo naledi tooth. Picture: supplied

Using specialised laser sampling on their teeth, the research found that mothers breastfed infants for 12 months. The research was published in Nature today.

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“We can tell from the repetitive bands that appear as the tooth developed that the fall back food was high in lithium, which is believed to be a mechanism to reduce protein deficiency in infants more prone to adverse effect during growth periods,” Dr Joannes-Boyau said.

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“This likely reduced the potential number of offspring, because of the length of time infants relied on a supply of breastmilk.

“The strong bond between mothers and offspring for a number of years has implications for group dynamics, the social structure of the species, relationships between mother and infant and the priority that had to be placed on maintaining access to reliable food supplies.”

The team previously researched nursing behaviour on Neanderthals and will now work on developing the first comprehensive record of how infants are raised throughout history.

Dr Joannes-Boyau conducts research at Southern Cross University on the Gold Coast, as well as the testing lab at Lismore campus in Northern NSW.