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Spear JK, Grabowski M, Sekhavati Y, Costa CE, Goldstein DM, Petrullo LA, Peterson AL, Lee AB, Shattuck MR, Gómez-Olivencia A, Williams SA. Evolution of vertebral numbers in primates, with a focus on hominoids and the last common ancestor of hominins and panins. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103359. [PMID: 37099927 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023]
Abstract
The primate vertebral column has been extensively studied, with a particular focus on hominoid primates and the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. The number of vertebrae in hominoids-up to and including the last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees-is subject to considerable debate. However, few formal ancestral state reconstructions exist, and none include a broad sample of primates or account for the correlated evolution of the vertebral column. Here, we conduct an ancestral state reconstruction using a model of evolution that accounts for both homeotic (changes of one type of vertebra to another) and meristic (addition or loss of a vertebra) changes. Our results suggest that ancestral primates were characterized by 29 precaudal vertebrae, with the most common formula being seven cervical, 13 thoracic, six lumbar, and three sacral vertebrae. Extant hominoids evolved tail loss and a reduced lumbar column via sacralization (homeotic transition at the last lumbar vertebra). Our results also indicate that the ancestral hylobatid had seven cervical, 13 thoracic, five lumbar, and four sacral vertebrae, and the ancestral hominid had seven cervical, 13 thoracic, four lumbar, and five sacral vertebrae. The last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees likely either retained this ancestral hominid formula or was characterized by an additional sacral vertebra, possibly acquired through a homeotic shift at the sacrococcygeal border. Our results support the 'short-back' model of hominin vertebral evolution, which postulates that hominins evolved from an ancestor with an African ape-like numerical composition of the vertebral column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey K Spear
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Mark Grabowski
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK; Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yeganeh Sekhavati
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Christina E Costa
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deanna M Goldstein
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Lauren A Petrullo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Amy L Peterson
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA
| | - Amanda B Lee
- Data Scientist, Jellyfish, Suite 3033, 220 N Green St, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940 Bilbao, Spain; Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación Sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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Cazenave M, Kivell TL. Challenges and perspectives on functional interpretations of australopith postcrania and the reconstruction of hominin locomotion. J Hum Evol 2023; 175:103304. [PMID: 36563461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 1994, Hunt published the 'postural feeding hypothesis'-a seminal paper on the origins of hominin bipedalism-founded on the detailed study of chimpanzee positional behavior and the functional inferences derived from the upper and lower limb morphology of the Australopithecus afarensis A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. Hunt proposed a model for understanding the potential selective pressures on hominins, made robust, testable predictions based on Au. afarensis functional morphology, and presented a hypothesis that aimed to explain the dual functional signals of the Au. afarensis and, more generally, early hominin postcranium. Here we synthesize what we have learned about Au. afarensis functional morphology and the dual functional signals of two new australopith discoveries with relatively complete skeletons (Australopithecus sediba and StW 573 'Australopithecus prometheus'). We follow this with a discussion of three research approaches that have been developed for the purpose of drawing behavioral inferences in early hominins: (1) developments in the study of extant apes as models for understanding hominin origins; (2) novel and continued developments to quantify bipedal gait and locomotor economy in extant primates to infer the locomotor costs from the anatomy of fossil taxa; and (3) novel developments in the study of internal bone structure to extract functional signals from fossil remains. In conclusion of this review, we discuss some of the inherent challenges of the approaches and methodologies adopted to reconstruct the locomotor modes and behavioral repertoires in extinct primate taxa, and notably the assessment of habitual terrestrial bipedalism in early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Cazenave
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Grine FE, Mongle CS, Fleagle JG, Hammond AS. The taxonomic attribution of African hominin postcrania from the Miocene through the Pleistocene: Associations and assumptions. J Hum Evol 2022; 173:103255. [PMID: 36375243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Postcranial bones may provide valuable information about fossil taxa relating to their locomotor habits, manipulative abilities and body sizes. Distinctive features of the postcranial skeleton are sometimes noted in species diagnoses. Although numerous isolated postcranial fossils have become accepted by many workers as belonging to a particular species, it is worthwhile revisiting the evidence for each attribution before including them in comparative samples in relation to the descriptions of new fossils, functional analyses in relation to particular taxa, or in evolutionary contexts. Although some workers eschew the taxonomic attribution of postcranial fossils as being less important (or interesting) than interpreting their functional morphology, it is impossible to consider the evolution of functional anatomy in a taxonomic and phylogenetic vacuum. There are 21 widely recognized hominin taxa that have been described from sites in Africa dated from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene; postcranial elements have been attributed to 17 of these. The bones that have been thus assigned range from many parts of a skeleton to isolated elements. However, the extent to which postcranial material can be reliably attributed to a specific taxon varies considerably from site to site and species to species, and is often the subject of considerable debate. Here, we review the postcranial remains attributed to African hominin taxa from the Late Miocene to the Middle and Late Pleistocene and place these assignations into categories of reliability. The catalog of attributions presented here may serve as a guide for making taxonomic decisions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA.
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - John G Fleagle
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, NY 10024, USA
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Jung H, von Cramon-Taubadel N. Morphological modularity in the anthropoid axial skeleton. J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103256. [PMID: 36156434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has found that hominoids have stronger modularity between limb elements than other anthropoids, suggesting that there is less constraint on morphological diversification (e.g., limb proportions) in hominoids in terms of evolutionary independence. However, degrees of modularity in the axial skeleton have not been investigated across a broad range of anthropoid taxa. Thus, it is unknown whether hominoids also have stronger modularity in the axial skeleton than other anthropoids, which has implications for the evolution of diverse torso morphologies in Miocene apes as well as the evolution of novel characteristics in the skull and vertebrae of fossil hominins. In this study, 12 anthropoid genera were sampled to examine degrees of modularity between axial skeletal elements (i.e., cranium, mandible, vertebrae, and sacrum). Covariance ratio coefficients were calculated using variance/covariance matrices of interlandmark distances for each axial skeletal element to evaluate degrees of modularity. The results showed that Alouatta, Hylobates, Gorilla, Pan, and Homo showed generally stronger modularity than other anthropoid taxa when considering all axial skeletal elements. When only considering the vertebral elements (i.e., vertebrae and sacrum), Alouatta, Hylobates, Gorilla, and Pan showed generally stronger modularity than other anthropoid taxa. Humans showed stronger modularity between the skull and vertebrae than other hominoids. Thus, the evolution of novel characteristics in the skull and vertebral column may have been less constrained in fossil hominins due to the dissociation of trait covariation between axial skeletal elements in hominoid ancestors, thus fostering more evolutionary independence between the skull and vertebral column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 380 Academic Center, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261, USA; Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 19555 N 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
| | - Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 380 Academic Center, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261, USA
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Krenn VA, Fornai C, Webb NM, Woodert MA, Prosch H, Haeusler M. The morphological consequences of segmentation anomalies in the human sacrum. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:690-707. [PMID: 36787761 PMCID: PMC9303760 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite the high frequency of segmentation anomalies in the human sacrum, their evolutionary and clinical implications remain controversial. Specifically, inconsistencies involving the classification and counting methods obscure accurate assessment of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae. Therefore, we aim to establish more reliable morphological and morphometric methods for differentiating between sacralizations and lumbarizations in clinical and paleontological contexts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using clinical CT data from 145 individuals aged 14-47 years, vertebral counts and the spatial relationship between the sacrum and adjoining bony structures were assessed, while the morphological variation of the sacrum was assessed using geometric morphometrics based on varied landmark configurations. RESULTS The prevalence of lumbosacral and sacrococcygeal segmentation anomalies was 40%. Lumbarizations and sacralizations were reliably distinguishable based on the spatial relationship between the iliac crest and the upward or downward trajectory of the linea terminalis on the sacrum. Different craniocaudal orientations of the alae relative to the corpus of the first sacral vertebra were also reflected in the geometric morphometric analyses. The fusion of the coccyx (32%) was frequently coupled with lumbarizations, suggesting that the six-element sacra more often incorporate the coccyx rather than the fifth lumbar vertebra. CONCLUSIONS Our approach allowed the consistent identification of segmentation anomalies even in isolated sacra. Additionally, our outcomes either suggest that homeotic border shifts often affect multiple spinal regions in a unidirectional way, or that sacrum length is highly conserved perhaps due to functional constraints. Our results elucidate the potential clinical, biomechanical, and evolutionary significance of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria A Krenn
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cinzia Fornai
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- VieSID, Vienna School of Interdisciplinary Dentistry, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Nicole M Webb
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Department of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
- Institute of Archaeological Sciences, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mirella A Woodert
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Helmut Prosch
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Haeusler
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
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Williams SA, Pilbeam D. Homeotic change in segment identity derives the human vertebral formula from a chimpanzee-like one. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:283-294. [PMID: 34227681 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES One of the most contentious issues in paleoanthropology is the nature of the last common ancestor of humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos (panins). The numerical composition of the vertebral column has featured prominently, with multiple models predicting distinct patterns of evolution and contexts from which bipedalism evolved. Here, we study total numbers of vertebrae from a large sample of hominoids to quantify variation in and patterns of regional and total numbers of vertebrae in hominoids. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compile and study a large sample (N = 893) of hominoid vertebral formulae (numbers of cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, caudal segments in each specimen) and analyze full vertebral formulae, total numbers of vertebrae, and super-regional numbers of vertebrae: presacral (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) vertebrae and sacrococcygeal vertebrae. We quantify within- and between-taxon variation using heterogeneity and similarity measures derived from population genetics. RESULTS We find that humans are most similar to African apes in total and super-regional numbers of vertebrae. Additionally, our analyses demonstrate that selection for bipedalism reduced variation in numbers of vertebrae relative to other hominoids. DISCUSSION The only proposed ancestral vertebral configuration for the last common ancestor of hominins and panins that is consistent with our results is the modal formula demonstrated by chimpanzees and bonobos (7 cervical-13 thoracic-4 lumbar-6 sacral-3 coccygeal). Hox gene expression boundaries suggest that a rostral shift in Hox10/Hox11-mediated complexes could produce the human modal formula from the proposal ancestral and panin modal formula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, USA
| | - David Pilbeam
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
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Jung H, Simons EA, von Cramon-Taubadel N. Examination of magnitudes of integration in the catarrhine vertebral column. J Hum Evol 2021; 156:102998. [PMID: 34020295 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of novel vertebral morphologies observed in humans and other extant hominoids may be related to changes in the magnitudes and/or patterns of covariation among traits. To examine this, we tested magnitudes of integration in the vertebral column of cercopithecoids and hominoids, including humans. Three-dimensional surface scans of 14 vertebral elements from 30 Cercopithecus, 32 Chlorocebus, 39 Macaca, 45 Hylobates, 31 Pan, and 86 Homo specimens were used. A resampling method was used to generate distributions of integration coefficient of variation scores for vertebral elements individually using interlandmark distances. Interspecific comparisons of mean integration coefficient of variation were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni adjustment. The results showed that hominoids generally had lower mean integration coefficient of variation than cercopithecoids. In addition, humans showed lower mean integration coefficient of variation than other hominoids in their last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Cercopithecoids and Hylobates showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in cervical vertebrae than in thoracolumbar vertebrae. Pan and Homo showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in the last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in the thoracolumbar region, except for the L1 of Pan. The results suggest fewer integration-mediated constraints on the evolution of vertebral morphology in hominoids when compared with cercopithecoids. The weaker magnitudes of integration in lumbar vertebrae in humans when compared with chimpanzees likewise suggest fewer constraints on the evolution of novel lumbar vertebrae morphology in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Evan A Simons
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Abstract
STUDY DESIGN Anatomical study. OBJECTIVES This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of abnormal lumbar vertebrae (4 and 6) and note any differences in pelvic incidence (PI) between spines with 4, 5, and 6 lumbar vertebrae. METHODS We screened 2980 dry cadaveric specimens from an osteological collection. Pelvises were reconstructed by articulating the sacra and innominate bones. PI was measured in all specimens via lateral photographs. L6-pelvic incidence (L6PI) was also measured, by articulating L6 to the sacrum and measuring PI from the superior aspect of the L6 vertebral body. RESULTS Of the specimens screened, 969 specimens were evaluated. Average age of death for all specimens was 50.4 ± 15.4 years. The prevalence of 6 lumbar vertebrae was 0.8% (n = 23), and the prevalence of 4 lumbar vertebrae was 1.8% (n = 54). PI measured 38.5° in specimens with 4 lumbar vertebrae, and 46.7° and 47.1° in specimens with 5 and 6 lumbar vertebrae, respectively. PI was significantly different between specimens with 4 and 5 lumbar vertebrae (P < .001) but not between specimens with 5 and 6 lumbar vertebrae (P = .38). For specimens with 6 lumbar vertebrae, when L6 was added to the sacrum, mean L6PI was 27.4°. CONCLUSIONS In our large cadaveric study of full spines, we reported a lower prevalence of spines with 4 and 6 lumbar vertebrae compared to previous studies. PI was significantly decreased in subjects with 4 lumbar vertebrae compared with those with normal spines, and special caution should be taken when managing sagittal balance in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew V. Abola
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA,Matthew V. Abola, Case Western Reserve
University School of Medicine, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106-4920,
USA.
| | | | | | - Jennifer M. Bauer
- Seattle Children’s Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, WA,
USA
| | - Raymond W. Liu
- Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital at Case Western Reserve
University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L Canington
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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10
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Tague RG. Proximate cause, anatomical correlates, and obstetrical implication of a supernumerary lumbar vertebra in humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:444-456. [PMID: 29159938 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 10/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Three issues are considered on variation in number of presacral vertebrae (PSV) in humans: (1) sexual difference in number of PSV, (2) inactivation of Hoxd-11 gene as etiology for a supernumerary lumbar vertebra, and (3) anatomical correlates of a supernumerary lumbar vertebra, including lumbar-sacral nearthrosis, and pelvic size. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sample was 407 skeletonized females and 1,318 males from United States; ages at death were 20 to 49 years. Two subsamples of males were used: (1) 98 with modal numbers of cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral vertebrae (PSV = 24) and (2) 45 with a supernumerary lumbar vertebra but modal numbers for other vertebral segments (PSV = 25). Measurements were taken of ulna, second metacarpal, vertebrae, femur, and pelvis; presence of lumbar-sacral nearthrosis was observed. RESULTS Although 90% of females and males have 24 PSV, females have higher frequency of 23 PSV and males have higher frequency of 25 PSV. Compared to males with 24 PSV, males with 25 PSV and supernumerary lumbar vertebra show (1) no difference in anatomies associated with inactivation of Hoxd-11, and (2) higher frequency of lumbar-sacral nearthrosis and smaller pelvic inlet circumference. DISCUSSION Sexual difference in number of PSV may be due to tempo of somite formation and Hox gene activation. Hypothesis is not supported that a supernumerary lumbar vertebra is due to inactivation of Hoxd-11. The presence of a supernumerary lumbar vertebra is associated with small pelvic inlet circumference, which can be obstetrically disadvantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert G Tague
- Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803
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Thompson NE, Almécija S. The evolution of vertebral formulae in Hominoidea. J Hum Evol 2017; 110:18-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Tague RG. Sacral Variability in Tailless Species: Homo sapiens
and Ochotona princeps. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:798-809. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert G. Tague
- Department of Geography and Anthropology; Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge Louisiana
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Williams SA, Russo GA. The fifth element (of Lucy's sacrum): Reply to Machnicki, Lovejoy, and Reno. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 161:374-8. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Sacral vertebral remains of the Middle Miocene hominoid Nacholapithecus kerioi from northern Kenya. J Hum Evol 2016; 94:117-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Machnicki AL, Lovejoy CO, Reno PL. Developmental identity versus typology: Lucy has only four sacral segments. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:729-39. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - C. Owen Lovejoy
- Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical SciencesKent State UniversityKent OH
| | - Philip L. Reno
- Department of AnthropologyPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park PA
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Williams SA, Middleton ER, Villamil CI, Shattuck MR. Vertebral numbers and human evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S19-36. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Williams
- Department of Anthropology; Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University; New York NY 10003
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York NY
| | - Emily R. Middleton
- Department of Anthropology; Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University; New York NY 10003
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York NY
| | - Catalina I. Villamil
- Department of Anthropology; Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University; New York NY 10003
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York NY
| | - Milena R. Shattuck
- Department of Anthropology; Center for the Study of Human Origins, New York University; New York NY 10003
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology; New York NY
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Comparative sacral morphology and the reconstructed tail lengths of five extinct primates: Proconsul heseloni, Epipliopithecus vindobonensis, Archaeolemur edwardsi, Megaladapis grandidieri, and Palaeopropithecus kelyus. J Hum Evol 2016; 90:135-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Russo GA, Williams SA. Giant pandas (Carnivora: Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and living hominoids converge on lumbar vertebral adaptations to orthograde trunk posture. J Hum Evol 2015; 88:160-179. [PMID: 26341032 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Living hominoids share a common body plan characterized by a gradient of derived postcranial features that distinguish them from their closest living relatives, cercopithecoid monkeys. However, the evolutionary scenario(s) that led to the derived postcranial features of hominoids are uncertain. Explanations are complicated by the fact that living hominoids vary considerably in positional behaviors, and some Miocene hominoids are morphologically, and therefore probably behaviorally, distinct from modern hominoids. Comparative studies that aim to identify morphologies associated with specific components of positional behavioral repertoires are an important avenue of research that can improve our understanding of the evolution and adaptive significance of the hominoid postcranium. Here, we employ a comparative approach to offer additional insight into the evolution of the hominoid lumbar vertebral column. Specifically, we tested whether giant pandas (Carnivora: Ailuropoda melanoleuca) converge with living hominoids on lumbar vertebral adaptations to the single component of their respective positional behavioral repertoires that they share--orthograde (i.e., upright) trunk posture. We compare lumbar vertebral morphologies of Ailuropoda to those of other living ursids and caniform outgroups (northern raccoons and gray wolves). Mirroring known differences between living hominoids and cercopithecoids, Ailuropoda generally exhibits fewer, craniocaudally shorter lumbar vertebrae with more dorsally positioned transverse processes that are more dorsally oriented and laterally directed, and taller, more caudally directed spinous processes than other caniforms in the sample. Our comparative evidence lends support to a potential evolutionary scenario in which the acquisition of hominoid-like lumbar vertebral morphologies may have evolved for generalized orthograde behaviors and could have been exapted for suspensory behavior in crown hominoids and for other locomotor specializations (e.g., brachiation) in extant lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle A Russo
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 10024, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa.
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Williams SA, Russo GA. Evolution of the hominoid vertebral column: The long and the short of it. Evol Anthropol 2015; 24:15-32. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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