Early Hominin Extractive Foraging Metrics

Superseded early working hypothesis; retained as a record of project development. The author no longer endorses the evidentiary claims, numerical thresholds, or quantitative inferences in this version. The text below is preserved for archival purposes and should not be treated as representing the author’s current research position. This dataset supports the manuscript "Functional morphology and mechanical constraints in early hominin extractive foraging at 7–6 Ma" by providing the quantitative metrics, functional roles, comparative baselines, and testable predictions used to evaluate anatomical adaptations in 7–6 Ma hominins (Sahelanthropus tchadensis and Orrorin tugenensis). The model proposes that large suids (Nyanzachoerus) pre-loosened compacted clay through rooting, creating ruts that facilitated manual extraction from kneeling or squatting postures. The data focus on dental, axial-appendicular, and manual traits.