Editing Australopithecus afarensis (section)

===Society===
It is highly difficult to speculate with accuracy the group dynamics of early hominins.<ref>{{cite journal|first=J. J.|last=Werner|year=2012|title=Mating Behavior in ''Australopithecus'' and Early ''Homo'': A Review of the Diagnostic Potential of Dental Dimorphism|journal=University of Western Ontario Journal of Anthropology|volume=22|issue=1|pages=11–19|url=https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1307&context=totem}}</ref> ''A. afarensis'' is typically reconstructed with high levels of sexual dimorphism, with males much larger than females. Using general trends in modern primates, high sexual dimorphism usually equates to a [[Polygyny in animals|polygynous]] society due to intense male–male competition over females, like in the [[harem (zoology)|harem]] society of gorillas. However, it has also been argued that ''A. afarensis'' had much lower levels of dimorphism, and so had a multi-male kin-based society like chimpanzees. Low dimorphism could also be interpreted as having had a [[Monogamy in animals|monogamous]] society with strong male–male competition. Contrarily, the canine teeth are much smaller in ''A. afarensis'' than in non-human primates, which should indicate lower aggression because canine size is generally positively correlated with male–male aggression.<ref>{{cite journal|first=C. S.|last=Larsen|year=2003|title=Equality for the sexes in human evolution? Early hominid sexual dimorphism and implications for mating systems and social behavior|journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|volume=100|issue=16|pages=9103–9104|doi=10.1073/pnas.1633678100|pmc=170877|pmid=12886010|bibcode=2003PNAS..100.9103L|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| last1=Reno| first1=P. L.| last2=Lovejoy| first2=C. O.|author2-link=Owen Lovejoy|year=2015| title=From Lucy to Kadanuumuu: balanced analyses of ''Australopithecus afarensis'' assemblages confirm only moderate skeletal dimorphism| journal=PeerJ| volume=3| pages=e925|doi=10.7717/peerj.925|issn=2167-8359|pmc=4419524|pmid=25945314| doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal| last=Lovejoy|first=C. O.|author-link=Owen Lovejoy|year=2009| title=Reexamining human origins in light of ''Ardipithecus ramidus''| journal=Science |volume=326|issue=5949|pages=74e1–8|issn=1095-9203|pmid=19810200|bibcode=2009Sci...326...74L|doi=10.1126/science.1175834|s2cid=42790876|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/211449/files/PAL_E4439.pdf}}</ref>