3. Why were ''P. boisei'' considered specialists?

P. boisei were considered specialists because of how well adapted to their environment they were. This species had very strong teeth which were perfect for breaking down tough grasses in the savannah during the dry season. They also ate termites from the large termite mounds found in this region. P. boisei had a very special skull which was perfect for the conditions they lived in. This skull allowed them to easily chomp through any vegetation in their environment, thus making them perfectly adapted to it. In fact, they had the thickest dental enamel of any known early human. P. boisei were so perfectly adapted that as soon as there was any minor change in the environment, they began to struggle. Species that are not perfectly adapted to their environment are more likely to survive through climate change, however, P. boisei could not. When the climate in the savannah began to shift, and it rained more often, P. boisei could not quickly adapt to their surroundings. The grass that they ate now had a different consistency, from the now more saturated environment, making their teeth less useful that before. After this climate change occurred, P. boisei shortly went extinct because they could not adapt at the rate in which the world round them was changing.

Sources-

Image and external source: http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/paranthropus-boisei

Walking with cavemen video class notes

Aleksa Banki