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Sylvester AD, Zbijewski W, Shi G, Meckel LA, Chu EY, Cunningham DL, Wescott DJ. Macroscopic differences in adult human femora are linked to body mass index. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2846-2857. [PMID: 38284320 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Bone functional adaptation is routinely invoked to interpret skeletal morphology despite ongoing debate regarding the limits of the bone response to mechanical stimuli. The wide variation in human body mass presents an opportunity to explore the relationship between mechanical load and skeletal response in weight-bearing elements. Here, we examine variation in femoral macroscopic morphology as a function of body mass index (BMI), which is used as a metric of load history. A sample of 80 femora (40 female; 40 male) from recent modern humans was selected from the Texas State University Donated Skeletal Collection. Femora were imaged using x-ray computed tomography (voxel size ~0.5 mm), and segmented to produce surface models. Landmark-based geometric morphometric analyses based on the Coherent Point Drift algorithm were conducted to quantify shape. Principal components analyses were used to summarize shape variation, and component scores were regressed on BMI. Within the male sample, increased BMI was associated with a mediolaterally expanded femoral shaft, as well as increased neck-shaft angle and decreased femoral neck anteversion angle. No statistically significant relationships between shape and BMI were found in the female sample. While mechanical stimulus has traditionally been applied to changes in long bong diaphyseal shape it appears that bone functional adaptation may also result in fundamental changes in the shape of skeletal elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Wojciech Zbijewski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gengxin Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lauren A Meckel
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Science Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
| | - Elaine Y Chu
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
| | | | - Daniel J Wescott
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, USA
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2
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Altiok H, Burnham R, Simon JC, Flanagan A, Kawaiah A, Sienko S, Buckon C, Bauer JP, Kruger KM, Krzak JJ. The Effect of Knee Height Asymmetry on Gait Biomechanics. J Pediatr Orthop 2024; 44:e598-e603. [PMID: 38706385 DOI: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000002704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though the primary goal for limb length discrepancy (LLD) management is to equalize the leg lengths, symmetry between corresponding long bones is usually not achieved, leading to knee height asymmetry (KHA). To date, there is minimal information on what effect KHA has on gait biomechanics and joint loading. Thus, the purpose of this study is to determine the impact of KHA on gait biomechanics. METHODS Seventeen subjects with KHA after limb equalizing surgery and 10 healthy controls were enrolled. Subjects participated in 3D gait analysis collected using self-selected speed. Lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, work generated/absorbed, and total work were calculated. Standing lower limb x-rays and scanograms were used to measure LLD and calculate the tibia-to-femur (TF) ratio for each limb. Two sample t tests were used to compare differences in standing LLD, TF ratio, and work between groups. Bivariate correlation using Pearson correlation coefficients was conducted between TF ratio and total mechanical work, as well as between knee height asymmetry indices and total work asymmetry (α=0.05). RESULTS Among participants, there were no differences between LLD; however, there were differences between TF ratio and knee height asymmetry. We found a nonsignificant relationship between TF ratio and total mechanical work for individual lower extremities. Therefore, the length of individual bones (TF ratio) relative to each other within the individual lower extremity was not associated with the amount of work produced. However, when a difference exists between sides (asymmetry, ie, TF ratio asymmetry), there were associated differences in work (work asymmetry) produced between sides (r=0.54, P =0.003). In other words, greater knee height asymmetry between limbs resulted in more asymmetrical mechanical work during walking. CONCLUSIONS These findings may have implications for the management of LLD. Asymmetrical total mechanical work could lead to atypical joint loading during gait. Surgeons may want to consider prioritizing achieving knee height symmetry as a postoperative goal when correcting limb length discrepancy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, Case Control Study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haluk Altiok
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Robert Burnham
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Ann Flanagan
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Abdal Kawaiah
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Susan Sienko
- Shriners Children's Clinical Research, Portland, OR
| | | | | | - Karen M Kruger
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
- Marquette University, Biomedical Engineering, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Joseph J Krzak
- Shriners Children's, Gerald F. Harris Motion Analysis Center, Chicago, IL
- Midwestern University, Physical Therapy Program, Downers Grove, IL
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3
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Rodríguez L, García-González R, Arsuaga JL, Carretero JM. Exploring the morphology of adult tibia and fibula from Sima de los Huesos site in sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2606-2634. [PMID: 37792425 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
The analysis of the locomotor anatomy of Late Pleistocene Homo has largely focused on changes in proximal femur and pelvic morphologies, with much attention centered on the emergence of modern humans. Although much of the focus has been on changes in the proximal femur, some research has also been conducted on tibiae and, to a lesser extent, fibulae. With this in mind, we present one of the largest samples of the same population of human tibiae and fibulae from the Middle Pleistocene to determine their main characteristic traits and establish similarities and differences, primarily with those of Neanderthals and modern humans, but also with other Middle Pleistocene specimens in the fossil record. Through this study, we established that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Sima de los Huesos (Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain) had lower leg long bones similar to those of Neanderthals, although there were some important differences, such as bone length, which this fossil individuals resembled those of modern humans and not to Neanderthals. This fact is related to the crural index and leg length, even though we do not have any true association between femora and tibiae yet, it has implications for establishing locomotor efficiency and climate adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Rodríguez
- Area de Antropología Física. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales. Campus De Vegazana, León, España
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
| | | | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - José-Miguel Carretero
- Laboratorio de Evolución Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Unidad Asociada de I+D+i al CSIC Vidrio y Materiales del Patrimonio Cultural (VIMPAC), Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, España
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4
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Wall-Scheffler C. Women have stronger legs and other side-effects of human body proportions. Am J Hum Biol 2024; 36:e24034. [PMID: 38156511 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.24034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cara Wall-Scheffler
- Department of Biology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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5
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Hobaiter C, Dominy NJ. Eve of extinction. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:846-847. [PMID: 38409317 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02359-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
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6
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Pomeroy E. Review: The different adaptive trajectories in Neanderthals and Homo sapiens and their implications for contemporary human physiological variation. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 280:111420. [PMID: 37001690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Neanderthals are our one of our closest evolutionary cousins, but while they evolved in Eurasia, we (anatomically modern humans, AMH) originated in Africa. This contrasting evolutionary history has led to morphological and genetic distinctions between our species. Neanderthals are characterised by a relatively stocky build, high body mass, proportionally wide bodies and shorter limbs, a bell-shaped ribcage with a wide pelvis, and a long, low cranial vault compared with AMH. Classic readings of Neanderthal morphology link many of these traits to cold climate adaptations, however these interpretations have been questioned and alternative hypotheses including behavioural factors, dietary adaptations, locomotor specialisations, evolutionary history and neutral evolutionary processes have been invoked. Compared with AMH, Neanderthals may have been adapted for strength and power rather than endurance and may have consumed a diet high in animal products. However, reviewing these hypotheses highlights a number of limitations in our understanding of contemporary human physiology and metabolism, including the relationship between climate and morphology in AMH and Neanderthals, physiological limits on protein consumption, and the relationship between gut morphology and diet. As various relevant factors are clearly linked (e.g. diet, behaviour, metabolism, morphology, activity), ultimately a more integrated approach may be needed to fully understand Neanderthal biology. Variation among contemporary AMHs may offer, with caveats, a useful model for understanding the evolution of both Neanderthal and modern human characteristics, which in turn may further deepen our understanding of variability within and between contemporary humans. Neanderthals; Anatomically modern humans; morphology; climate adaptation; power adaptations; metabolism; diet; physiology; endurance running.
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7
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Calsbeek R. Ecological rules for global species distribution also predict performance variation in Ironman triathletes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283282. [PMID: 37163562 PMCID: PMC10171585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Bergmann's and Allen's rules predict changes in body size and appendage length across temperature gradients for species with broad geographic distributions. Larger bodies and longer limbs facilitate cooling whereas smaller bodies and compact limbs limit heat loss. Although these patterns are highly repeatable (hence "rules" of ecology) the patterns and underlying mechanisms are less-well understood in humans. Here I show that variation in running performance among human male triathletes is consistent with both Bergmann's and Allen's rules. Males (but not females) with relatively larger body size and longer limbs performed better at hot compared to cold race venues and vice-versa. Consistent with results in other taxa, sex-specificity may reflect selection for sexual dimorphism. Results suggest that ecological patterns detected over large-spatial scales may arise from fine-scale variation in locomotor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Calsbeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States of America
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8
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Wall-Scheffler CM. Women carry for less: body size, pelvis width, loading position and energetics. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e36. [PMID: 37588931 PMCID: PMC10426031 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The energetic cost of walking varies with mass and speed; however, the metabolic cost of carrying loads has not consistently increased proportionally to the mass carried. The cost of carrying mass, and the speed at which human walkers carry this mass, has been shown to vary with load position and load description (e.g. child vs. groceries). Additionally, the preponderance of women carriers around the world, and the tendency for certain kinds of population-level sexual dimorphism has led to the hypothesis that women might be more effective carriers than men. Here, I investigate the energetic cost and speed changes of women (N = 9) and men (N = 6) walking through the woods carrying their own babies (mean baby mass = 10.6 kg) in three different positions - on their front, side and back using the same Ergo fabric baby sling. People carrying their babies on their backs are able to maintain their unloaded walking speed (1.4 m/s) and show the lowest increase in metabolic cost per distance (J/m, 17.4%). Women carry the babies for a lower energetic cost than men at all conditions (p < 0.01). Further energetic and kinematic evidence elucidates the preponderance of back-carrying cross-culturally, and illustrates the importance of relatively wider bi-trochanteric breadths for reducing the energetic costs of carrying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara M. Wall-Scheffler
- Department of Biology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, WA, USA and Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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9
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Murray AA. Variability and the form-function framework in evolutionary biomechanics and human locomotion. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e29. [PMID: 37588899 PMCID: PMC10426129 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The form-function conceptual framework, which assumes a strong relationship between the structure of a particular trait and its function, has been crucial for understanding morphological variation and locomotion among extant and fossil species across many disciplines. In biological anthropology, it is the lens through which many important questions and hypotheses have been tackled with respect to relationships between morphology and locomotor kinematics, energetics and performance. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that the morphologies of fossil hominins, apes and humans can confer considerable locomotor diversity and flexibility, and can do so with a range of kinematics depending on soft tissue plasticity and environmental and cultural factors. This complexity is not built into traditional biomechanical or mathematical models of relationships between structure and kinematics or energetics, limiting our interpretation of what bone structure is telling us about behaviour in the past. The nine papers presented in this Special Collection together address some of the challenges that variation in the relationship between form and function pose in evolutionary biomechanics, to better characterise the complexity linking structure and function and to provide tools through which we may begin to incorporate some of this complexity into our functional interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison A. Murray
- Department of Anthropology, University of Victoria, Cornett Building Room B228, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, CanadaV8P 5C2
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10
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Variation in cross-sectional indicator of femoral robusticity in Homo sapiens and Neandertals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4739. [PMID: 35304879 PMCID: PMC8933494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08405-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in the cross-sectional properties of long bones are used to reconstruct the activity of human groups and differences in their respective habitual behaviors. Knowledge of what factors influence bone structure in Homo sapiens and Neandertals is still insufficient thus, this study investigated which biological and environmental variables influence variations in the femoral robusticity indicator of these two species. The sample consisted of 13 adult Neandertals from the Middle Paleolithic and 1959 adult individuals of H. sapiens ranging chronologically from the Upper Paleolithic to recent times. The femoral biomechanical properties were derived from the European data set, the subject literature, and new CT scans. The material was tested using a Mantel test and statistical models. In the models, the polar moment of area (J) was the dependent variable; sex, age, chronological period, type of lifestyle, percentage of the cortical area (%CA), the ratio of second moment areas of inertia about the X and Y axes (Ix/Iy), and maximum slope of the terrain were independent covariates. The Mantel tests revealed spatial autocorrelation of the femoral index in H. sapiens but not in Neandertals. A generalized additive mixed model showed that sex, %CA, Ix/Iy, chronological period, and terrain significantly influenced variation in the robusticity indicator of H. sapiens femora. A linear mixed model revealed that none of the analyzed variables correlated with the femoral robusticity indicator of Neandertals. We did not confirm that the gradual decline in the femoral robusticity indicator of H. sapiens from the Middle Paleolithic to recent times is related to the type of lifestyle; however, it may be associated with lower levels of mechanical loading during adolescence. The lack of correlation between the analysed variables and the indicator of femoral robusticity in Neandertals may suggest that they needed a different level of mechanical stimulus to produce a morphological response in the long bone than H. sapiens.
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11
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Blanco G, Sánchez-Marco A, Negro JJ. Night Capture of Roosting Cave Birds by Neanderthals: An Actualistic Approach. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.733062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence is accumulating on the regular and systematic Neanderthal exploitation of birds. However, the motivations, mechanisms, and circumstances underlying this behavior remains little explored despite their potential implications on Neanderthal ecology and capabilities. Fossil remains of choughs (Pyrrhocorax, Corvidae) are among the most abundant in cave sites with Mousterian technology. We reviewed the evidence showing that Neanderthals processed choughs for food, and confirmed that it occurred frequently over a widespread spatial and temporal scale. This lead us to propose the hypothesis that the cave-like refuge is the keystone resource connecting Neanderthals and choughs captured at night in rocky shelters eventually used by both species. By adopting an actualistic approach, we documented the patterns of refuge use and population dynamics of communally roosting choughs, the strategies and technology currently used to capture them, and their behavioral response against experimental human predators at night. Actualistic experiments showed that large numbers of choughs can be captured without highly sophisticated tools at night regularly and periodically, due to their occupation year-round during long-term periods of the same nocturnal shelters, the constant turnover of individuals, and their high site tenacity at these roost-sites even after recurrent disturbance and predation. Captures even with bare hands are further facilitated because choughs tend to flee confused into the cavity in darkness when dazzled and cornered by human (experimental) predators. Given the extreme difficulty of daylight chough capturing in open country, nocturnal hunting with the help of fire in the roosting caves and consumption in situ are proposed as the most plausible explanations for the strong association of choughs and Neanderthals in fossil assemblages. Night hunting of birds has implications for the social, anatomical, technological, and cognitive capacities of Neanderthals.
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12
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Ocobock C, Lacy S, Niclou A. Between a rock and a cold place: Neanderthal biocultural cold adaptations. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:262-279. [PMID: 33797824 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
A large body of work focuses on the unique aspects of Neanderthal anatomy, inferred physiology, and behavior to test the assumption that Neanderthals were hyper-adapted to living in cold environments. This research has expanded over the years to include previously unexplored and potentially adaptive features such as brown adipose tissue and fire-usage. Here we review the current state of knowledge of Neanderthal cold adaptations along morphological, physiological, and behavioral lines. While highlighting foundational as well as recent work, we also emphasize key areas for future research. Despite thriving in a variety of climates, it is well-accepted that Neanderthals appear to be the most cold-adapted of known fossil hominin groups; however, there are still many unknowns. There is a great deal yet to be uncovered about the nature and manifestation of Neanderthal adaptation and how the synergy of biology and culture helped buffer them against extreme and variable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara Ocobock
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA.,Eck Institute for Global Health, Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
| | - Sarah Lacy
- Department of Anthropology, California State University Dominguez Hills, Carson, California, USA
| | - Alexandra Niclou
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, USA
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13
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Longman DP, Wells JCK, Stock JT. Human athletic paleobiology; using sport as a model to investigate human evolutionary adaptation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171 Suppl 70:42-59. [PMID: 31957878 PMCID: PMC7217212 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The use of sport as a conceptual framework offers unprecedented opportunities to improve our understanding of what the body does, shedding new light on our evolutionary trajectory, our capacity for adaptation, and the underlying biological mechanisms. This approach has gained traction over recent years. To date, sport has facilitated exploration not only of the evolutionary history of our species as a whole, but also of human variation and adaptation at the interindividual and intraindividual levels. At the species level, analysis of lower and upper limb biomechanics and energetics with respect to walking, running and throwing have led to significant advances in the understanding of human adaptations relative to other hominins. From an interindividual perspective, investigation of physical activity patterns and endurance running performance is affording greater understanding of evolved constraints of energy expenditure, thermoregulatory energetics, signaling theory, and morphological variation. Furthermore, ultra-endurance challenges provoke functional trade-offs, allowing new ground to be broken in the study of life history trade-offs and human adaptability. Human athletic paleobiology-the recruitment of athletes as study participants and the use of contemporary sports as a model for studying evolutionary theory-has great potential. Here, we draw from examples in the literature to provide a review of how the use of athletes as a model system is enhancing understanding of human evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Longman
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health SciencesLoughborough UniversityLoughboroughUK
| | | | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntarioCanada
- Department of ArchaeologyMax Planck Institute for the Science of Human HistoryJenaGermany
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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14
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Longman DP, Macintosh Murray A, Roberts R, Oakley S, Wells JC, Stock JT. Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests that energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2019; 1:e16. [PMID: 37588394 PMCID: PMC10427320 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2019.13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Both extinct and extant hominin populations display morphological features consistent with Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. However, the functional implications of the morphologies described by these ecological laws are poorly understood. We examined this through the lens of endurance running. Previous research concerning endurance running has focused on locomotor energetic economy. We considered a less-studied dimension of functionality, thermoregulation. The performance of male ultra-marathon runners (n = 88) competing in hot and cold environments was analysed with reference to expected thermoregulatory energy costs and the optimal morphologies predicted by Bergmann's and Allen's Rules. Ecogeographical patterning supporting both principles was observed in thermally challenging environments. Finishers of hot-condition events had significantly longer legs than finishers of cold-condition events. Furthermore, hot-condition finishers had significantly longer legs than those failing to complete hot-condition events. A degree of niche-picking was evident; athletes may have tailored their event entry choices in accordance with their previous race experiences. We propose that the interaction between prolonged physical exertion and hot or cold climates may induce powerful selective pressures driving morphological adaptation. The resulting phenotypes reduce thermoregulatory energetic expenditure, allowing diversion of energy to other functional outcomes such as faster running.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P. Longman
- School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, UK
| | | | - Rebecca Roberts
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UK
| | - Saskia Oakley
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UK
| | - Jonathan C.K. Wells
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, LondonWC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jay T. Stock
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, CambridgeCB2 3QG, UK
- Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, D-07745Jena, Germany
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15
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Galbusera F, Bassani T. The Spine: A Strong, Stable, and Flexible Structure with Biomimetics Potential. Biomimetics (Basel) 2019; 4:E60. [PMID: 31480241 PMCID: PMC6784295 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics4030060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
From its first appearance in early vertebrates, the spine evolved the function of protecting the spinal cord, avoiding excessive straining during body motion. Its stiffness and strength provided the basis for the development of the axial skeleton as the mechanical support of later animals, especially those which moved to the terrestrial environment where gravity loads are not alleviated by the buoyant force of water. In tetrapods, the functions of the spine can be summarized as follows: protecting the spinal cord; supporting the weight of the body, transmitting it to the ground through the limbs; allowing the motion of the trunk, through to its flexibility; providing robust origins and insertions to the muscles of trunk and limbs. This narrative review provides a brief perspective on the development of the spine in vertebrates, first from an evolutionary, and then from an embryological point of view. The paper describes functions and the shape of the spine throughout the whole evolution of vertebrates and vertebrate embryos, from primordial jawless fish to extant animals such as birds and humans, highlighting its fundamental features such as strength, stability, and flexibility, which gives it huge potential as a basis for bio-inspired technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Galbusera
- Laboratory of Biological Structures Mechanics, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy.
| | - Tito Bassani
- Laboratory of Biological Structures Mechanics, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161 Milan, Italy
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16
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Machado H, Avilla L. The Diversity of South American Equus: Did Size Really Matter? Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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17
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Wall-Scheffler CM, Myers MJ. The Biomechanical and Energetic Advantages of a Mediolaterally Wide Pelvis in Women. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:764-775. [PMID: 28297181 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Here, we argue that two key shifts in thinking are required to more clearly understand the selection pressures shaping pelvis evolution in female hominins: (1) the primary locomotor mode of female hominins was loaded walking in the company of others, and (2) the periodic gait of human walking is most effectively explained as a biomechanically controlled process related to heel-strike collisions that is tuned for economy and stability by properly-timed motor inputs (a model called dynamic walking). In the light of these two frameworks, the evidence supports differences between female and male upper-pelvic morphology being the result of the unique reproductive role of female hominins, which involved moderately paced, loaded walking in groups. Anat Rec, 300:764-775, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara M Wall-Scheffler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.,Department of Biology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington
| | - Marcella J Myers
- Department of Biology, St. Catherine University, St. Paul Campus, St. Paul, Minnesota
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Seguchi N, Quintyn CB, Yonemoto S, Takamuku H. An assessment of postcranial indices, ratios, and body mass versus eco-geographical variables of prehistoric Jomon, Yayoi agriculturalists, and Kumejima Islanders of Japan. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [PMID: 28488767 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We explore variations in body and limb proportions of the Jomon hunter-gatherers (14,000-2500 BP), the Yayoi agriculturalists (2500-1700 BP) of Japan, and the Kumejima Islanders of the Ryukyus (1600-1800 AD) with 11 geographically diverse skeletal postcranial samples from Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America using brachial-crural indices, femur head-breadth-to-femur length ratio, femur head-breadth-to-lower-limb-length ratio, and body mass as indicators of phenotypic climatic adaptation. Specifically, we test the hypothesis that variation in limb proportions seen in Jomon, Yayoi, and Kumejima is a complex interaction of genetic adaptation; development and allometric constraints; selection, gene flow and genetic drift with changing cultural factors (i.e., nutrition) and climate. METHODS The skeletal data (1127 individuals) were subjected to principle components analysis, Manly's permutation multiple regression tests, and Relethford-Blangero analysis. RESULTS The results of Manly's tests indicate that body proportions and body mass are significantly correlated with latitude, and minimum and maximum temperatures while limb proportions were not significantly correlated with these climatic variables. Principal components plots separated "climatic zones:" tropical, temperate, and arctic populations. The indigenous Jomon showed cold-adapted body proportions and warm-adapted limb proportions. Kumejima showed cold-adapted body proportions and limbs. The Yayoi adhered to the Allen-Bergmann expectation of cold-adapted body and limb proportions. Relethford-Blangero analysis showed that Kumejima experienced gene flow indicated by high observed variances while Jomon experienced genetic drift indicated by low observed variances. CONCLUSIONS The complex interaction of evolutionary forces and development/nutritional constraints are implicated in the mismatch of limb and body proportions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Seguchi
- Department of Environmental Changes, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-Ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan.,Department of Anthropology, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, Montana, 59812
| | - Conrad B Quintyn
- Department of Anthropology, Bloomsburg University, Centennial Hall 154, 400 East Second Street, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, 17815
| | - Shiori Yonemoto
- The Kyushu University Museum, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Takamuku
- Department of Anthropology, Doigahama Site Anthropological Museum, 891-8 Kandakami, Houhoku-cho, Shimonoseki City, Yamaguchi, 759-6121, Japan
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19
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Vidal-Cordasco M, Mateos A, Zorrilla-Revilla G, Prado-Nóvoa O, Rodríguez J. Energetic cost of walking in fossil hominins. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 164:609-622. [PMID: 28832938 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Revised: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many biomechanical studies consistently show that a broader pelvis increases the reaction forces and bending moments across the femoral shaft, increasing the energetic costs of unloaded locomotion. However, a biomechanical model does not provide the real amount of metabolic energy expended in walking. The aim of this study is to test the influence of pelvis breadth on locomotion cost and to evaluate the locomotion efficiency of extinct Pleistocene hominins. MATERIAL AND METHODS The current study measures in vivo the influence of pelvis width on the caloric cost of locomotion, integrating anthropometry, body composition and indirect calorimetry protocols in a sample of 46 subjects of both sexes. RESULTS We show that a broader false pelvis is substantially more efficient for locomotion than a narrower one and that the influence of false pelvis width on the energetic cost is similar to the influence of leg length. Two models integrating body mass, femur length and bi-iliac breadth are used to estimate the net and gross energetic costs of locomotion in a number of extinct hominins. The results presented here show that the locomotion of Homo was not energetically more efficient than that of Australopithecus and that the locomotion of extinct Homo species was not less efficient than that of modern Homo sapiens. DISCUSSION The changes in the anatomy of the pelvis and lower limb observed with the appearance of Homo ergaster probably did not fully offset the increased expenditure resulting from a larger body mass. Moreover, the narrow pelvis in modern humans does not contribute to greater efficiency of locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Vidal-Cordasco
- Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca, National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), 3, Burgos 09002, Spain
| | - A Mateos
- Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca, National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), 3, Burgos 09002, Spain
| | - G Zorrilla-Revilla
- Escuela Interuniversitaria de Posgrado en Evolucion Humana, Universidad de Burgos, Pza. Misael Bañuelos s/n, Burgos 09001, Spain
| | - O Prado-Nóvoa
- Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca, National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), 3, Burgos 09002, Spain
| | - J Rodríguez
- Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca, National Research Center on Human Evolution (CENIEH), 3, Burgos 09002, Spain
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20
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Been E, Gómez-Olivencia A, Shefi S, Soudack M, Bastir M, Barash A. Evolution of Spinopelvic Alignment in Hominins. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:900-911. [PMID: 28406567 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Spinopelvic alignment refers to the interaction between pelvic orientation, spinal curvatures, and the line of gravity. In a healthy modern human, this alignment is characterized by reciprocal curves/orientation of the sacrum, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis. In an economic sagittal posture, these curvatures keep the line of gravity close to the center of the acetabulum. The purpose of this study is to explore the spinopelvic alignment in extinct hominins. We examined spinopelvic alignment of a single representative from each of the following hominin groups: Australopithecus, Homo erectus (H. erectus), H. neanderthalensis, and early H. sapiens. Pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis for each representative was estimated and compared with that of modern humans. Three basic spinopelvic alignments were found: (1) the sinusoidal alignment with moderate to high spinal curvatures and pelvic incidence found in H. erectus and H. sapiens; (2) the straight alignment with small spinal curvatures and small pelvic incidence found in Neandertal lineage hominins; (3) the compound alignment found in Australopithecus, with moderate pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis, and nearly straight cervical spine. Our results indicate that balanced upright posture can be achieved in different alignments. Each hominin group solved the requirements of erect posture in a slightly different way. Moreover, we propose the term "cranio-spino-pelvic balance" to substitute "spino-pelvic balance." From an evolutionary perspective, not only changes in the pelvis have conditioned the evolution of the spinal curvatures but also changes in the equilibrium of the head likely also affected this balance. Anat Rec, 300:900-911, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Been
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Israel.,Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV-EHU, Apdo. 644, Bilbao, 48080, Spain.,IKERBASQUE. Basque Foundation for Science, Basque.,Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), Madrid, 28029, Spain
| | - Sara Shefi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Israel
| | - Michalle Soudack
- Pediatric Imaging, Edmond and Lily Safra Children's Hospital, Tel Hashomer, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Spain
| | - Alon Barash
- Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar Ilan University, Zefat, Israel
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21
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Been E, Hovers E, Ekshtain R, Malinski-Buller A, Agha N, Barash A, Mayer DEBY, Benazzi S, Hublin JJ, Levin L, Greenbaum N, Mitki N, Oxilia G, Porat N, Roskin J, Soudack M, Yeshurun R, Shahack-Gross R, Nir N, Stahlschmidt MC, Rak Y, Barzilai O. The first Neanderthal remains from an open-air Middle Palaeolithic site in the Levant. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2958. [PMID: 28592838 PMCID: PMC5462778 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03025-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of caves and open landscape sites. The fossil record shows that two types of hominins occupied the region during this period—Neandertals and Homo sapiens. Until recently, diagnostic fossil remains were found only at cave sites. Because the two populations in this region left similar material cultural remains, it was impossible to attribute any open-air site to either species. In this study, we present newly discovered fossil remains from intact archaeological layers of the open-air site ‘Ein Qashish, in northern Israel. The hominin remains represent three individuals: EQH1, a nondiagnostic skull fragment; EQH2, an upper right third molar (RM3); and EQH3, lower limb bones of a young Neandertal male. EQH2 and EQH3 constitute the first diagnostic anatomical remains of Neandertals at an open-air site in the Levant. The optically stimulated luminescence ages suggest that Neandertals repeatedly visited ‘Ein Qashish between 70 and 60 ka. The discovery of Neandertals at open-air sites during the late MP reinforces the view that Neandertals were a resilient population in the Levant shortly before Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens populated the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella Been
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono, 55107, Israel. .,Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.
| | - Erella Hovers
- Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel.,Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874101, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4101, Israel
| | - Ravid Ekshtain
- Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
| | - Ariel Malinski-Buller
- MONREPOS Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution, Schloss Monrepos, D - 56567, Neuwied, Germany
| | - Nuha Agha
- Israel Antiquities Authority, P.O. Box 586, Jerusalem, 91004, Israel
| | - Alon Barash
- Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar Ilan University, Zefat, 13115, Israel
| | - Daniella E Bar-Yosef Mayer
- Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel.,Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Lihi Levin
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Noam Greenbaum
- Department of Geography & Environmental Studies, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Netta Mitki
- Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
| | - Gregorio Oxilia
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Via degli Ariani 1, 48121, Ravenna, Italy.,Department of Biology, University of Florence, Via del Proconsolo, 12, 50122, Firenze, Italy
| | - Naomi Porat
- Luminescence Dating Lab, Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, 95501, Israel
| | - Joel Roskin
- Department of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel.,School of Sciences, Achva Academic College, Shikmim Mobile Post 79800, Shikmim, Israel
| | - Michalle Soudack
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, 52621, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Reuven Yeshurun
- Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Ruth Shahack-Gross
- Department of Maritime Civilizations, University of Haifa, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
| | - Nadav Nir
- Institute of Archaeology, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel
| | | | - Yoel Rak
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Omry Barzilai
- Israel Antiquities Authority, P.O. Box 586, Jerusalem, 91004, Israel
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Pomeroy E, Wells JCK, Stanojevic S, Miranda JJ, Moore LG, Cole TJ, Stock JT. Surname-inferred Andean ancestry is associated with child stature and limb lengths at high altitude in Peru, but not at sea level. Am J Hum Biol 2015; 27:798-806. [PMID: 25960137 PMCID: PMC4607539 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2014] [Revised: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Native Andean ancestry gives partial protection from reduced birthweight at high altitude in the Andes compared with European ancestry. Whether Andean ancestry is also associated with body proportions and greater postnatal body size at altitude is unknown. Therefore, we tested whether a greater proportion of Andean ancestry is associated with stature and body proportions among Peruvian children at high and low altitude. METHODS Height, head circumference, head-trunk height, upper and lower limb lengths, and tibia, ulna, hand and foot lengths, were measured in 133 highland and 169 lowland children aged 6 months to 8.5 years. For highland and lowland groups separately, age-sex-adjusted anthropometry z scores were regressed on the number of indigenous parental surnames as a proxy for Andean ancestry, adjusting for potential confounders (maternal age and education, parity, altitude [highlands only]). RESULTS Among highland children, greater Andean ancestry was negatively associated with stature and tibia, ulna, and lower limb lengths, independent of negative associations with greater altitude for these measurements. Relationships were strongest for tibia length: each additional Andean surname or 1,000 m increase at altitude among highland children was associated with 0.18 and 0.65 z score decreases in tibia length, respectively. Anthropometry was not significantly associated with ancestry among lowland children. CONCLUSIONS Greater Andean ancestry is associated with shorter stature and limb measurements at high but not low altitude. Gene-environment interactions between high altitude and Andean ancestry may exacerbate the trade-off between chest dimensions and stature that was proposed previously, though we could not test this directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pomeroy
- Newnham College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C K Wells
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Childhood Nutrition Research Centre, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sanja Stanojevic
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - J Jaime Miranda
- CRONICAS Center of Excellence in Chronic Diseases and Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Lorna G Moore
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Tim J Cole
- Population, Policy and Practice Programme, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jay T Stock
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
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23
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Heyes P, MacDonald K. Neandertal energetics: Uncertainty in body mass estimation limits comparisons with Homo sapiens. J Hum Evol 2015; 85:193-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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25
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Hruschka DJ, Hadley C, Brewis AA, Stojanowski CM. Genetic population structure accounts for contemporary ecogeographic patterns in tropic and subtropic-dwelling humans. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122301. [PMID: 25816235 PMCID: PMC4376747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Accepted: 02/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Contemporary human populations conform to ecogeographic predictions that animals will become more compact in cooler climates and less compact in warmer ones. However, it remains unclear to what extent this pattern reflects plastic responses to current environments or genetic differences among populations. Analyzing anthropometric surveys of 232,684 children and adults from across 80 ethnolinguistic groups in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Americas, we confirm that body surface-to-volume correlates with contemporary temperature at magnitudes found in more latitudinally diverse samples (Adj. R2 = 0.14-0.28). However, far more variation in body surface-to-volume is attributable to genetic population structure (Adj. R2 = 0.50-0.74). Moreover, genetic population structure accounts for nearly all of the observed relationship between contemporary temperature and body surface-to-volume among children and adults. Indeed, after controlling for population structure, contemporary temperature accounts for no more than 4% of the variance in body form in these groups. This effect of genetic affinity on body form is also independent of other ecological variables, such as dominant mode of subsistence and household wealth per capita. These findings suggest that the observed fit of human body surface-to-volume with current climate in this sample reflects relatively large effects of existing genetic population structure of contemporary humans compared to plastic response to current environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Hruschka
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Craig Hadley
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Alexandra A. Brewis
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Christopher M. Stojanowski
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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26
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Macintosh AA, Davies TG, Pinhasi R, Stock JT. Declining tibial curvature parallels ∼6150 years of decreasing mobility in central european agriculturalists. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2015; 157:260-75. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison A. Macintosh
- PAVE Research Group; Department of Archaeology & Anthropology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3DZ UK
| | - Thomas G. Davies
- PAVE Research Group; Department of Archaeology & Anthropology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3DZ UK
- Churchill College; Storey's Way Cambridge CB3 0DS UK
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- Earth Institute and School of Archaeology, Newman Building, University College Dublin; Belfield Dublin 4 Ireland
| | - Jay T. Stock
- PAVE Research Group; Department of Archaeology & Anthropology; University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 3DZ UK
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27
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Sparrey CJ, Bailey JF, Safaee M, Clark AJ, Lafage V, Schwab F, Smith JS, Ames CP. Etiology of lumbar lordosis and its pathophysiology: a review of the evolution of lumbar lordosis, and the mechanics and biology of lumbar degeneration. Neurosurg Focus 2015; 36:E1. [PMID: 24785474 DOI: 10.3171/2014.1.focus13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this review is to discuss the mechanisms of postural degeneration, particularly the loss of lumbar lordosis commonly observed in the elderly in the context of evolution, mechanical, and biological studies of the human spine and to synthesize recent research findings to clinical management of postural malalignment. Lumbar lordosis is unique to the human spine and is necessary to facilitate our upright posture. However, decreased lumbar lordosis and increased thoracic kyphosis are hallmarks of an aging human spinal column. The unique upright posture and lordotic lumbar curvature of the human spine suggest that an understanding of the evolution of the human spinal column, and the unique anatomical features that support lumbar lordosis may provide insight into spine health and degeneration. Considering evolution of the skeleton in isolation from other scientific studies provides a limited picture for clinicians. The evolution and development of human lumbar lordosis highlight the interdependence of pelvic structure and lumbar lordosis. Studies of fossils of human lineage demonstrate a convergence on the degree of lumbar lordosis and the number of lumbar vertebrae in modern Homo sapiens. Evolution and spine mechanics research show that lumbar lordosis is dictated by pelvic incidence, spinal musculature, vertebral wedging, and disc health. The evolution, mechanics, and biology research all point to the importance of spinal posture and flexibility in supporting optimal health. However, surgical management of postural deformity has focused on restoring posture at the expense of flexibility. It is possible that the need for complex and costly spinal fixation can be eliminated by developing tools for early identification of patients at risk for postural deformities through patient history (genetics, mechanics, and environmental exposure) and tracking postural changes over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn J Sparrey
- Mechatronic Systems Engineering, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
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28
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Roseman CC, Auerbach BM. Ecogeography, genetics, and the evolution of human body form. J Hum Evol 2014; 78:80-90. [PMID: 25456824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic resemblances among groups are non-randomly distributed in humans. This population structure may influence the correlations between traits and environmental drivers of natural selection thus complicating the interpretation of the fossil record when modern human variation is used as a referential model. In this paper, we examine the effects of population structure and natural selection on postcranial traits that reflect body size and shape with application to the more general issue of how climate - using latitude as a proxy - has influenced hominin morphological variation. We compare models that include terms reflecting population structure, ascertained from globally distributed microsatellite data, and latitude on postcranial phenotypes derived from skeletal dimensions taken from a large global sample of modern humans. We find that models with a population structure term fit better than a model of natural selection along a latitudinal cline in all cases. A model including both latitude and population structure terms is a good fit to distal limb element lengths and bi-iliac breadth, indicating that multiple evolutionary forces shaped these morphologies. In contrast, a model that included only a population structure term best explained femoral head diameter and the crural index. The results demonstrate that population structure is an important part of human postcranial variation, and that clinally distributed natural selection is not sufficient to explain among-group differentiation. The distribution of human body form is strongly influenced by the contingencies of modern human origins, which calls for new ways to approach problems in the evolution of human variation, past and present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles C Roseman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA.
| | - Benjamin M Auerbach
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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Sheehan RC, Gottschall JS. Segment lengths influence hill walking strategies. J Biomech 2014; 47:2611-7. [PMID: 24968942 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2014.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Revised: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Segment lengths are known to influence walking kinematics and muscle activity patterns. During level walking at the same speed, taller individuals take longer, slower strides than shorter individuals. Based on this, we sought to determine if segment lengths also influenced hill walking strategies. We hypothesized that individuals with longer segments would display more joint flexion going uphill and more extension going downhill as well as greater lateral gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis activity in both directions. Twenty young adults of varying heights (below 155 cm to above 188 cm) walked at 1.25 m/s on a level treadmill as well as 6° and 12° up and downhill slopes while we collected kinematic and muscle activity data. Subsequently, we ran linear regressions for each of the variables with height, leg, thigh, and shank length. Despite our population having twice the anthropometric variability, the level and hill walking patterns matched closely with previous studies. While there were significant differences between level and hill walking, there were few hill walking variables that were correlated with segment length. In support of our hypothesis, taller individuals had greater knee and ankle flexion during uphill walking. However, the majority of the correlations were between tibialis anterior and lateral gastrocnemius activities and shank length. Contrary to our hypothesis, relative step length and muscle activity decreased with segment length, specifically shank length. In summary, it appears that individuals with shorter segments require greater propulsion and toe clearance during uphill walking as well as greater braking and stability during downhill walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley C Sheehan
- Department of Kinesiology The Pennsylvania State University 29 Recreation Building University Park, PA, 16802 USA.
| | - Jinger S Gottschall
- Department of Kinesiology The Pennsylvania State University 29 Recreation Building University Park, PA, 16802 USA
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Serrat MA. Allen's Rule Revisited: Temperature Influences Bone Elongation During a Critical Period of Postnatal Development. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:1534-45. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.22763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria A. Serrat
- Department of Anatomy and Pathology; Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine; Marshall University; Huntington West Virginia
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Auerbach BM. Skeletal variation among early Holocene North American humans: Implications for origins and diversity in the Americas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 149:525-36. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Wall-Scheffler CM. Energetics, Locomotion, and Female Reproduction: Implications for Human Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-092611-145739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In our reconstructions of human evolution, a few key questions consistently rise to the surface. These questions tend to revolve around how the morphology of previous hominin species would have allowed them to gain access to resources during key life-history events, particularly gestation and lactation. Here the data surrounding the interactions between these key issues are assessed, making particular notes of recent advances in the fields of energetics and biomechanics as they relate to locomotion during reproduction. Reconstructions of body mass, lower limb length, and pelvic breadth suggest diverse mobility strategies for different hominin species and may offer some clues about the demographic shifts occurring in the late Pleistocene.
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Cowgill LW, Eleazer CD, Auerbach BM, Temple DH, Okazaki K. Developmental variation in ecogeographic body proportions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 148:557-70. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2011] [Accepted: 03/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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