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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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2
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Dickinson E, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. Mechanical and morphometric approaches to body mass estimation in rhesus macaques: A test of skeletal variables. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24901. [PMID: 38445298 PMCID: PMC11137856 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimation of body mass from skeletal metrics can reveal important insights into the paleobiology of archeological or fossil remains. The standard approach constructs predictive equations from postcrania, but studies have questioned the reliability of traditional measures. Here, we examine several skeletal features to assess their accuracy in predicting body mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Antemortem mass measurements were compared with common skeletal dimensions from the same animals postmortem, using 115 rhesus macaques (male: n = 43; female: n = 72). Individuals were divided into training (n = 58) and test samples (n = 57) to build and assess Ordinary Least Squares or multivariate regressions by residual sum of squares (RSS) and AIC weights. A leave-one-out approach was implemented to formulate the best fit multivariate models, which were compared against a univariate and a previously published catarrhine body-mass estimation model. RESULTS Femur circumference represented the best univariate model. The best model overall was composed of four variables (femur, tibia and fibula circumference and humerus length). By RSS and AICw, models built from rhesus macaque data (RSS = 26.91, AIC = -20.66) better predicted body mass than did the catarrhine model (RSS = 65.47, AIC = 20.24). CONCLUSION Body mass in rhesus macaques is best predicted by a 4-variable equation composed of humerus length and hind limb midshaft circumferences. Comparison of models built from the macaque versus the catarrhine data highlight the importance of taxonomic specificity in predicting body mass. This paper provides a valuable dataset of combined somatic and skeletal data in a primate, which can be used to build body mass equations for fragmentary fossil evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- School of Chiropractic, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, USA
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3
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Aramendi J, Mabulla A, Baquedano E, Domínguez-Rodrigo M. Biomechanical and taxonomic diversity in the Early Pleistocene in East Africa: Structural analysis of a recently discovered femur shaft from Olduvai Gorge (bed I). J Hum Evol 2024; 186:103469. [PMID: 38071888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103469] [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: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent Plio-Pleistocene hominin findings have revealed the complexity of human evolutionary history and the difficulties involved in its interpretation. Moreover, the study of hominin long bone remains is particularly problematic, since it commonly depends on the analysis of fragmentary skeletal elements that in many cases are merely represented by small diaphyseal portions and appear in an isolated fashion in the fossil record. Nevertheless, the study of the postcranial skeleton is particularly important to ascertain locomotor patterns. Here we report on the discovery of a robust hominin femoral fragment (OH 84) at the site of Amin Mturi Korongo dated to 1.84 Ma (Olduvai Bed I). External anatomy and internal bone structure of OH 84 were analyzed and compared with previously published data for modern humans and chimpanzees, as well as for Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo specimens ranging from the Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene. Biomechanical analyses based on transverse cross-sections and the comparison of OH 84 with another robust Olduvai specimen (OH 80) suggest that OH 84 might be tentatively allocated to Paranthropus boisei. More importantly, the identification of a unique combination of traits in OH 84 could indicate both terrestrial bipedalism and an arboreal component in the locomotor repertoire of this individual. If interpreted correctly, OH 84 could thus add to the already mounting evidence of substantial locomotor diversity among Early Pleistocene hominins. Likewise, our results also highlight the difficulties in accurately interpreting the link between form and function in the human fossil record based on fragmentary remains, and ultimately in distinguishing between coeval hominin groups due to the heterogeneous pattern of inter- and intraspecific morphological variability detected among fossil femora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Aramendi
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UK.
| | - Audax Mabulla
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Dar Es Salaam, P.O. Box 35050, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Enrique Baquedano
- Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, Plaza de Las Bernardas s/n, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), University of Alcalá and Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, C/Covarrubias 36, 28010, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo
- Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), University of Alcalá and Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, C/Covarrubias 36, 28010, Madrid, Spain; University of Alcalá, Department of History and Philosophy, Area of Prehistory, C/Colegios 2, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Rice University, Department of Anthropology, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005 1827, USA
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4
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Ruff CB, Wood BA. The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:223-237. [PMID: 37335778 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21988] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Body mass is a critical variable in many hominin evolutionary studies, with implications for reconstructing relative brain size, diet, locomotion, subsistence strategy, and social organization. We review methods that have been proposed for estimating body mass from true and trace fossils, consider their applicability in different contexts, and the appropriateness of different modern reference samples. Recently developed techniques based on a wider range of modern populations hold promise for providing more accurate estimates in earlier hominins, although uncertainties remain, particularly in non-Homo taxa. When these methods are applied to almost 300 Late Miocene through Late Pleistocene specimens, the resulting body mass estimates fall within a 25-60 kg range for early non-Homo taxa, increase in early Homo to about 50-90 kg, then remain constant until the Terminal Pleistocene, when they decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bernard A Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Yim AD, Cowgill L, Katz DC, Roseman CC. Variation in ontogenetic trajectories of limb dimensions in humans is attributable to both climatic effects and neutral evolution. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103369. [PMID: 37104893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103369] [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: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies showed that there is variation in ontogenetic trajectories of human limb dimensions and proportions. However, little is known about the evolutionary significance of this variation. This study used a global sample of modern human immature long bone measurements and a multivariate linear mixed-effects model to study 1) whether the variation in ontogenetic trajectories of limb dimensions is consistent with ecogeographic predictions and 2) the effects of different evolutionary forces on the variation in ontogenetic trajectories. We found that genetic relatedness arising from neutral (nonselective) evolution, allometric variation associated with the change in size, and directional effects from climate all contributed to the variation in ontogenetic trajectories of all major long bone dimensions in modern humans. After accounting for the effects of neutral evolution and holding other effects considered in the current study constant, extreme temperatures have weak, positive associations with diaphyseal length and breadth measurements, while mean temperature shows negative associations with diaphyseal dimensions. The association with extreme temperatures fits the expectations of ecogeographic rules, while the association with mean temperature may explain the observed among-group variation in intralimb indices. The association with climate is present throughout ontogeny, suggesting an explanation of adaptation by natural selection as the most likely cause. On the other hand, genetic relatedness among groups, as structured by neutral evolutionary factors, is an important consideration when interpreting skeletal morphology, even for nonadult individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Di Yim
- Department of Health and Exercise Sciences, Truman State University, 100 E Normal Ave, Kirksville, MO, USA; Department of Biology, Truman State University, 100 E Normal Ave, Kirksville, MO, USA; Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 109 Davenport Hall, 607 S Mathews Ave, Urbana, IL, USA.
| | - Libby Cowgill
- Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, 112 Swallow Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - David C Katz
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Canada
| | - Charles C Roseman
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 515 Morrill Hall, 505 S Goodwin Ave, Urbana, IL, USA
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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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7
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Mongillo J, Vescovo G, Bramanti B. Belly fat or bloating? New insights into the physical appearance of St Anthony of Padua. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260505. [PMID: 34932567 PMCID: PMC8691610 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered saints in the Catholic world, have been inspired by literary sources, which described the Saint as either naturally corpulent or with a swollen abdomen due to dropsy (i.e. fluid accumulation in the body cavities). Even recent attempts to reconstruct the face of the Saint have yielded discordant results regarding his outward appearance. To address questions about the real appearance of St Anthony, we applied body mass estimation equations to the osteometric measurements taken in 1981, during the public recognition of the Saint’s skeletal remains. Both the biomechanical and the morphometric approach were employed to solve some intrinsic limitations in the equations for body mass estimation from skeletal remains. The estimated body mass was used to assess the physique of the Saint with the body mass index. The outcomes of this investigation reveal interesting information about the body type of the Saint throughout his lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mongillo
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara c.so Ercole I d’Este n.32, Ferrara, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Giulia Vescovo
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara c.so Ercole I d’Este n.32, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Barbara Bramanti
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara c.so Ercole I d’Este n.32, Ferrara, Italy
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8
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Curnoe D, Datan I, Goh HM, Bin Sauffi MS, Ruff CB. Further analyses of the Deep Skull femur from Niah Caves, Malaysia. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103089. [PMID: 34837741 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Darren Curnoe
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales 2021, Australia
| | - Ipoi Datan
- Sarawak Museum Department, Jalan Barak, Kuching, Sarawak, 93000, Malaysia
| | - Hsiao Mei Goh
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; Centre for Global Archaeological Research, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, 11800, Malaysia
| | | | - Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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9
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Pampush JD, Fuselier EJ, Yapuncich GS. Using BayesModelS to provide Bayesian- and phylogenetically-informed primate body mass predictions. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103077. [PMID: 34688978 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
An accurate prediction of the body mass of an extinct species can greatly inform the reconstruction of that species' ecology. Therefore, paleontologists frequently predict the body mass of extinct taxa from fossilized materials, particularly dental dimensions. Body mass prediction has traditionally been performed in a frequentist statistical framework, and accounting for phylogenetic relationships while calibrating prediction models has only recently become more commonplace. In this article, we apply BayesModelS-a phylogenetically informed Bayesian prediction method-to predict body mass in a sample of 49 euarchontan species (24 strepsirrhines, 20 platyrrhines, 3 tarsiids, 1 dermopteran, and 1 scandentian) and compare this approach's body mass prediction accuracy with other commonly used techniques, namely ordinary least squares, phylogenetic generalized least squares, and phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs). When predicting the body masses of extant euarchontans from dental and postcranial variables, BayesModelS and PICs have substantially higher predictive accuracy than ordinary least squares and phylogenetic generalized least squares. The improved performances of BayesModelS and PIC are most evident for dentally derived body mass proxies or when body mass proxies have high degrees of phylogenetic covariance. Predicted values generated by BayesModelS and PIC methods also show less variance across body mass proxies when applied to the Eocene adapiform Notharctus tenebrosus. These more explicitly phylogenetically based methods should prove useful for predicting body mass in a paleontological context, and we provide executive scripts for both BayesModelS and PIC to increase ease of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Pampush
- Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA; Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA.
| | - Edward J Fuselier
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA
| | - Gabriel S Yapuncich
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Medical Education Administration, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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10
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Rani D, Krishan K, Kumar A, Kanchan T. Assessment of body weight from percutaneous widths of the bones and joints-Implications in forensic and clinical examinations. ACTA BIO-MEDICA : ATENEI PARMENSIS 2021; 92:e2021225. [PMID: 34212927 PMCID: PMC8343750 DOI: 10.23750/abm.v92i3.10274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Estimation of age, stature, sex, and ancestry contributes to the establishment of the biological profile of the deceased in forensic examinations. Assessment of the body weight aids in the approximation of the overall body size of the individual which may help in the forensic identification process. In clinical examinations, body weight assessment assumes importance in cases where body weight measurement is a challenging task due to illness and body deformity. OBJECTIVE The present research was conducted to estimate the body weight from the percutaneous width of the bones and joints with the help of prediction equations. METHODS The study was carried out on 344 adults (172 Females and 172 Males) aged between 18 and 25 years from the Himachal Pradesh State of North India. Eleven anthropometric measurements including height vertex, mid-arm circumference, humerus bicondylar width, transverse chest breadth, sagittal chest breadth, bi-iliac breadth, handbreadth, femur bicondylar breadth, ankle breadth, foot breadth, and body weight were taken on each individual. The sex differences were evaluated by using independent student t-test and Mann-Whitney U test and the correlation between the body weight and the anthropometric variables was investigated by using both Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient depending upon the normality of the data. Regression models for the estimation of body weight were calculated. Further, a validation study was carried out to check the accuracy and utility of the derived regression models by calculating the mean absolute percent prediction error (MAPPE). RESULTS Significant sex differences were observed among all the anthropometric variables. The transverse chest breadth and mid-arm circumference were strongly correlated with the body weight, whereas, a good correlation was also observed in other measurements except for the ankle breadth. The SEE (Standard error of estimate) of the derived linear regression models was compared, and it was found that multiple linear regression models show better accuracy than simple linear regression models. The MAPPE was found to be less in the case of multiple linear regression models than the linear ones. CONCLUSION The present investigation concludes that regression models can be used in the estimation of body weight from the percutaneous measurements and joint widths with reasonable accuracy in an Indian population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Rani
- Department of Anthropology (UGC Centre of Advanced Study), Panjab University, Sector-14, Chandigarh, India.
| | - Kewal Krishan
- Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India.
| | - Ajay Kumar
- Department of Anthropology (UGC Centre of Advanced Study), Panjab University, Sector-14, Chandigarh, India.
| | - Tanuj Kanchan
- Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, India.
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11
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Hoehmann CL, Beatty BL. Surface metrology of bone surface attachments of knee ligaments. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:52-65. [PMID: 34021967 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24684] [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: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Textural differences between entheses reflect biomechanical activities of the musculoskeletal system. Methods used to measure these surfaces have limitations. Here, the surface metrology of roughness of articular and entheseal surfaces of the knee are investigated with an optical profiler. METHODS Osteological specimens of six femora and seven tibiae were prepared from cadavers. Measurements were obtained to surrogate body mass. Specimens were molded with polyvinylsiloxane and casts prepared with resin, which were scanned using a white light optical profiler. Scans were processed by a computer program. Each scan produced 32 variables, categorized into 6 groups for each location. RESULTS The distribution of data was mostly normal. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified Ssk significant (p-value .002); post hoc Tukey testing indicated significance between femoral PCL and tibial ACL entheses groups (p-value .007), and between tibial ACL and tibial entheses groups (p-value .002) suggesting the ability to differentiate anterior and posterior cruciate ligament entheses. Sku was found significant with a t test between articular and entheseal surfaces. Correlation coefficients were significant between surface metrology parameters and measurements related to body mass. CONCLUSIONS This study distinguished differences between entheses of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, with the Ssk parameter most useful. Differences in articular and entheseal surfaces were found with the Sku parameter most useful. Correlations indicated a relationship between body mass and surface metrology parameters. Finally, these findings suggest this method can be used for further investigation of spondyloarthropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Hoehmann
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nassau University Medical Center, East Meadow, New York, USA.,New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Brian Lee Beatty
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.,United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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12
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Ruff CB, Wunderlich RE, Hatala KG, Tuttle RH, Hilton CE, D'Août K, Webb DM, Hallgrímsson B, Musiba C, Baksh M. Body mass estimation from footprint size in hominins. J Hum Evol 2021; 156:102997. [PMID: 33993031 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Although many studies relating stature to foot length have been carried out, the relationship between foot size and body mass remains poorly understood. Here we investigate this relationship in 193 adult and 50 juvenile habitually unshod/minimally shod individuals from five different populations-Machiguenga, Daasanach, Pumé, Hadzabe, and Samoans-varying greatly in body size and shape. Body mass is highly correlated with foot size, and can be predicted from foot area (maximum length × breadth) in the combined sample with an average error of about 10%. However, comparisons among populations indicate that body shape, as represented by the body mass index (BMI), has a significant effect on foot size proportions, with higher BMI samples exhibiting relatively smaller feet. Thus, we also derive equations for estimating body mass from both foot size and BMI, with BMI in footprint samples taken as an average value for a taxon or population, estimated independently from skeletal remains. Techniques are also developed for estimating body mass in juveniles, who have relatively larger feet than adults, and for converting between foot and footprint size. Sample applications are given for five Pliocene through Holocene hominin footprint samples from Laetoli (Australopithecus afarensis), Ileret (probable Homo erectus), Happisburgh (possible Homo antecessor), Le Rozel (archaic Homo sapiens), and Barcin Höyük (H. sapiens). Body mass estimates for Homo footprint samples appear reasonable when compared to skeletal estimates for related samples. However, estimates for the Laetoli footprint sample using the new formulae appear to be too high when compared to skeletal estimates for A. afarensis. Based on the proportions of A.L. 288-1, this is apparently a result of relatively large feet in this taxon. A different method using a ratio between body mass and foot area in A.L. 288-1 provides estimates more concordant with skeletal estimates and should be used for A. afarensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1800 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD, 21111, USA.
| | - Roshna E Wunderlich
- Department of Biology, James Madison University, MSC 7801, Harrisonburg, VA, 22807, USA
| | - Kevin G Hatala
- Department of Biology, Chatham University, Buhl Hall, Woodland Rd., Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA
| | - Russell H Tuttle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Charles E Hilton
- Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina, 301 Alumni Bldg., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3115, USA
| | - Kristiaan D'Août
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, 6 West Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, UK
| | - David M Webb
- Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA, 19530, USA
| | - Benedikt Hallgrímsson
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, McCaig Institute for Bone and Joint Health, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Charles Musiba
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Denver, NC Building, Suite 4002, 1200 Larimer Street, Denver, CO, 80217, USA
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Maijanen H, Junno JA, Keisu A, Niinimäki J, Lehenkari P, Oura P. Sex estimation from knee breadth dimensions in a Finnish population. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2021; 51:101873. [PMID: 33823332 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2021.101873] [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: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sex estimation is an important part of osteological analysis of skeletons and forensic identification process. Traditionally cranial and pelvic traits are utilized for accurate sex estimation. However, post-cranial measurements have also been proven to accurately estimate sex especially from robust bones such as the femur. In this study, we investigated the potential of knee breadth dimensions in sex estimation in a Finnish population. To conduct this study we utilized a study sample (n = 1654) belonging to the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. All individuals were 46 years of age at the time of the examination. Three knee breadth dimensions were measured from subjects' knee posteroanterior radiographs: femoral biepicondylar breadth (FBEB), mediolateral breadth of the femoral condyles (FCML), and mediolateral breadth of the tibial plateau (TPML). Sex estimation was performed using logistic regression. The study clearly demonstrated that all three measurements were different between males and females. Sectioning points for individual knee breadth measurements were 82.9 mm for FBEB, 76.6 mm for FCML and 75.4 mm for TPML. The classification rates ranged from 90.9% to 93.6%. The less commonly used measurements of FCML and TPML showed higher accuracy than FBEB in sex estimation. Our study confirmed that knee breadths can be successfully utilized to improve sex estimation in cases where the skeleton is only partially preserved and other major components of sex estimation are absent. We can also provide new standards for sex estimation from the knee joint in a Finnish population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli Maijanen
- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Juho-Antti Junno
- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Asla Keisu
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jaakko Niinimäki
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Petri Lehenkari
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Petteri Oura
- Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Forensic Medicine Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
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14
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Ruff CB, Squyres N, Junno J. Body mass estimation in hominins from humeral articular dimensions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:480-499. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Nicole Squyres
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
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15
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Yapuncich GS, Bowie A, Belais R, Churchill SE, Walker CS. Predicting body mass of bonobos (Pan paniscus) with human-based morphometric equations. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23088. [PMID: 31961002 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
A primate's body mass covaries with numerous ecological, physiological, and behavioral characteristics. This versatility and potential to provide insight into an animal's life has made body mass prediction a frequent and important objective in paleoanthropology. In hominin paleontology, the most commonly employed body mass prediction equations (BMPEs) are "mechanical" and "morphometric": uni- or multivariate linear regressions incorporating dimensions of load-bearing skeletal elements and stature and living bi-iliac breadth as predictor variables, respectively. The precision and accuracy of BMPEs are contingent on multiple factors, however, one of the most notable and pervasive potential sources of error is extrapolation beyond the limits of the reference sample. In this study, we use a test sample requiring extrapolation-56 bonobos (Pan paniscus) from the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo-to evaluate the predictive accuracy of human-based morphometric BMPEs. We first assess systemic differences in stature and bi-iliac breadth between humans and bonobos. Due to significant differences in the scaling relationships of body mass and stature between bonobos and humans, we use panel regression to generate a novel BMPE based on living bi-iliac breadth. We then compare the predictive accuracy of two previously published morphometric equations with the novel equation and find that the novel equation predicts bonobo body mass most accurately overall (41 of 56 bonobos predicted within 20% of their observed body mass). The novel BMPE is particularly accurate between 25 and 45 kg. Given differences in limb proportions, pelvic morphology, and body tissue composition between the human reference and bonobo test samples, we find these results promising and evaluate the novel BMPE's potential application to fossil hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S Yapuncich
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Aleah Bowie
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Steven E Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
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16
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Myszka A, Krenz-Niedbała M, Tomczyk J, Zalewska M. Osteoarthritis: A problematic disease in past human populations. A dependence between entheseal changes, body size, age, sex, and osteoarthritic changes development. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2019; 303:2357-2371. [PMID: 31680482 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis is a problematic trait in terms of etiology and interpretation in past human populations. The relationships between osteoarthritic changes (osteophytes, porosity, and eburnation) and entheseal changes, body mass, stature, bone massiveness, sex, and age on the basis of skeletal material from Łekno (Poland) are analyzed here. Entheses were the strongest contributor to the prediction of osteophyte expression and when all types of changes and all joints were taken together. Stature demonstrates a negative dependence on porosity. When each joint was analyzed separately, entheses were the strongest contributor to the prediction of arthritis expression in the wrist and hip. Age was the strongest contributor to the prediction of arthritis expression in the elbow. Body mass, stature, bone massiveness, and sex had no effect on osteoarthritic changes in any of the examined joints. The results of the present study suggest an important dependence between entheses and osteoarthritic changes. Other factors had little to no effect on differences in OA severity. These results do not dispel all doubts but enrich knowledge about the effect of etiological factors on osteoarthritic change formation. This knowledge is essential for proper, reliable interpretation of osteoarthritic changes in the context of past human biology, ecology, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Myszka
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jacek Tomczyk
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Zalewska
- Department of the Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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17
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Keisu A, Oura P, Niskanen M, Ruff CB, Niinimäki J, Arvola T, Auvinen J, Tuukkanen J, Lehenkari P, Junno J. The association between knee breadth and body mass: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 case study. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:196-206. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Asla Keisu
- Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research UnitUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Petteri Oura
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Life Course Health ResearchUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Markku Niskanen
- Faculty of HumanitiesDepartment of Archaeology, University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Christopher B. Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and EvolutionJohns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Jaakko Niinimäki
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Timo Arvola
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and TechnologyUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Juha Auvinen
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Life Course Health ResearchUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Juha Tuukkanen
- Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research UnitUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Petri Lehenkari
- Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research UnitUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Medical Research Center OuluOulu University Hospital and University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Juho‐Antti Junno
- Faculty of Medicine, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research UnitUniversity of Oulu Oulu Finland
- Faculty of HumanitiesDepartment of Archaeology, University of Oulu Oulu Finland
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18
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Korpinen N, Keisu A, Niinimäki J, Karppinen J, Niskanen M, Junno JA, Oura P. Body mass estimation from dimensions of the fourth lumbar vertebra in middle-aged Finns. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2019; 40:5-16. [PMID: 31279223 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although body mass is not a stable trait over the lifespan, information regarding body size assists the forensic identification of unknown individuals. In this study, we aimed to study the potential of using the fourth lumbar vertebra (L4) for body mass estimation among contemporary Finns. Our sample comprised 1158 individuals from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 who had undergone measurements of body mass at age 31 and 46 and lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at age 46. MRI scans were used to measure the maximum and minimum widths, depths, and heights of the L4 body. Their means and sum were calculated together with vertebral cross-sectional area (CSA) and volume. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and reduced major axis (RMA) regression was used to produce equations for body mass among the full sample (n = 1158) and among normal-weight individuals (n = 420). In our data, body mass was associated with all the L4 size parameters (R = 0.093-0.582, p ≤ 0.019 among the full sample; R = 0.243-0.696, p ≤ 0.002 among the normal-weight sample). RMA regression models seemed to fit the data better than OLS, with vertebral CSA having the highest predictive value in body mass estimation. In the full sample, the lowest standard errors were 6.1% (95% prediction interval ±9.6 kg) and 7.1% (±9.1 kg) among men and women, respectively. In the normal-weight sample, the lowest errors were 4.9% (±6.9 kg) and 4.7% (±5.7 kg) among men and women, respectively. Our results indicate that L4 dimensions are potentially useful in body mass estimation, especially in cases with only the axial skeleton available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina Korpinen
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Asla Keisu
- Cancer Research and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jaakko Niinimäki
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jaro Karppinen
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Aapistie 1, FI-90220 Oulu, Finland
| | - Markku Niskanen
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Juho-Antti Junno
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Cancer Research and Translational Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland
| | - Petteri Oura
- Medical Research Center Oulu, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland; Center for Life Course Health Research, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oulu, PO Box 5000, FI-90014 Oulu, Finland.
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19
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Cunningham DL, Rogers MV, Wescott DJ, McCarthy RC. Reevaluation of the body mass estimate for the KNM-ER 5428 Homo erectus talus. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:148-155. [PMID: 31268179 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In this study, we reexamined the body mass estimate for the Homo erectus specimen KNM-ER 5428 based on talus dimensions. Previous estimates of >90 kg for this fossil are large in comparison to body mass estimates for other H. erectus specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study sample consisted of tali and femora of 132 modern cadaver males from a documented body mass skeletal collection. We recorded the talus trochlear mediolateral (TTML) breadth and femoral head diameter (FHD) for each modern human specimen, and obtained KNM-ER 5428's TTML values from the literature. We developed regression formulae based on TTML using the body mass estimated from FHD for the entire human sample and for known body masses from a normal-BMI subsample, and then used these formulae to calculate body mass for KNM-ER 5428. In addition, we examined the range of body masses for individuals with TTML measurements comparable to KNM-ER 5428. RESULTS The body masses of normal-BMI individuals with a TTML ≥32.3 mm (the smaller of the two fossil measurements from the literature) ranged between 60.3 and 86.2 kg and averaged 72.3 kg. The body masses of normal-BMI individuals with a TTML ≥33.7 mm (the larger measurement) ranged between 63.5 and 86.2 kg with a mean of 73.6 kg. The correlations between TTML and body mass are moderate. Revised body mass point estimates for KNM-ER 5428 ranged between 69.2 and 81.6 kg based on TTML, and average 70.5 and 76.0 kg. DISCUSSION Results suggest previously published body mass estimates of KNM-ER 5428's are too large. Its body mass was likely between 70 and 76 kg rather than >90 kg.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Melinda V Rogers
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
| | - Daniel J Wescott
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
| | - Robert C McCarthy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois
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20
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Maijanen H, Jeong Y. Discrepancies between reported and cadaveric body size measurements associated with a modern donated skeletal collection. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2018; 69:86-97. [PMID: 30007497 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2018.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Body mass and stature estimation methods used in biological anthropology require materials with known body size information. There are several types of body size data that can be associated with skeletal collections. However, discussion regarding the reliability and suitability of these types of information for anthropological research is scarce. This paper focuses on differences between reported and recorded cadaver weights and heights associated with a modern donated skeletal collection, similar to these commonly used in anthropological research. In addition, the study identifies factors that may influence these discrepancies. The results show statistically significant differences between reported and cadaver body size information. Generally, reported weights, statures and body mass indices (BMI) were greater compared to the cadaver information in this sample. However, potential effects on these discrepancies varied depending on sex and information type. Age was found to influence stature discrepancy in females, and donation type had an effect on the female weight discrepancy. The results also show that body size range (weight, stature and BMI) can contribute to these discrepancies. Even though the differences between reported and cadaver data may not be significant at the population level, the individual variation can cause misclassifications of individuals depending on the data used. This study encourages researchers using modern documented collections and their body size information to openly acknowledge the types of weight and stature data used and to discuss potential problems associated with them.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Maijanen
- University of Oulu, Archaeology, PO Box 1000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland.
| | - Y Jeong
- Middle Tennessee State University, Biology, PO Box 60, Murfreesboro, TN 37132, USA
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Pomeroy E, Mushrif-Tripathy V, Kulkarni B, Kinra S, Stock JT, Cole TJ, Shirley MK, Wells JCK. Estimating body mass and composition from proximal femur dimensions using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES 2018; 11:2167-2179. [PMID: 31565085 PMCID: PMC6743672 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-018-0665-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Body mass prediction from the skeleton most commonly employs femoral head diameter (FHD). However, theoretical predictions and empirical data suggest the relationship between mass and FHD is strongest in young adults, that bone dimensions reflect lean mass better than body or fat mass and that other femoral measurements may be superior. Here, we generate prediction equations for body mass and its components using femoral head, neck and proximal shaft diameters and body composition data derived from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of young adults (n = 155, 77 females and 78 males, mean age 22.7 ± 1.3 years) from the Andhra Pradesh Children and Parents Study, Hyderabad, India. Sex-specific regression of log-transformed data on femoral measurements predicted lean mass with smaller standard errors of estimate (SEEs) than body mass (12-14% and 16-17% respectively), while none of the femoral measurements were significant predictors of fat mass. Subtrochanteric mediolateral shaft diameter gave lower SEEs for lean mass in both sexes and for body mass in males than FHD, while FHD was a better predictor of body mass in women. Our results provide further evidence that lean mass is more closely related to proximal femur dimensions than body or fat mass and that proximal shaft diameter is a better predictor than FHD of lean but not always body mass. The mechanisms underlying these relationships have implications for selecting the most appropriate measurement and reference sample for estimating body or lean mass, which also depend on the question under investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pomeroy
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF UK
| | | | | | - Sanjay Kinra
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jay T. Stock
- ADaPt Project, PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tim J. Cole
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UCL, London, UK
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Pomeroy E, Macintosh A, Wells JC, Cole TJ, Stock JT. Relationship between body mass, lean mass, fat mass, and limb bone cross-sectional geometry: Implications for estimating body mass and physique from the skeleton. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:56-69. [PMID: 29344931 PMCID: PMC6178563 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Revised: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimating body mass from skeletal dimensions is widely practiced, but methods for estimating its components (lean and fat mass) are poorly developed. The ability to estimate these characteristics would offer new insights into the evolution of body composition and its variation relative to past and present health. This study investigates the potential of long bone cross-sectional properties as predictors of body, lean, and fat mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Humerus, femur and tibia midshaft cross-sectional properties were measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography in sample of young adult women (n = 105) characterized by a range of activity levels. Body composition was estimated from bioimpedance analysis. RESULTS Lean mass correlated most strongly with both upper and lower limb bone properties (r values up to 0.74), while fat mass showed weak correlations (r ≤ 0.29). Estimation equations generated from tibial midshaft properties indicated that lean mass could be estimated relatively reliably, with some improvement using logged data and including bone length in the models (minimum standard error of estimate = 8.9%). Body mass prediction was less reliable and fat mass only poorly predicted (standard errors of estimate ≥11.9% and >33%, respectively). DISCUSSION Lean mass can be predicted more reliably than body mass from limb bone cross-sectional properties. The results highlight the potential for studying evolutionary trends in lean mass from skeletal remains, and have implications for understanding the relationship between bone morphology and body mass or composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Pomeroy
- School of Natural Sciences and PsychologyLiverpool John Moores UniversityLiverpool, L3 3AFUnited Kingdom
| | - Alison Macintosh
- ADaPt Project, PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridge, CB2 3QGUnited Kingdom
| | - Jonathan C.K. Wells
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondon, WC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Tim J. Cole
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child HealthLondon, WC1N 1EHUnited Kingdom
| | - Jay T. Stock
- ADaPt Project, PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology and AnthropologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridge, CB2 3QGUnited Kingdom
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of Western OntarioLondonOntario, N6A 3K7Canada
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23
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Ruff CB. Functional morphology in the pages of the AJPA. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:688-704. [PMID: 29574828 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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Junno JA, Niskanen M, Maijanen H, Holt B, Sladek V, Niinimäki S, Berner M. The effect of age and body composition on body mass estimation of males using the stature/bi-iliac method. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:122-129. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 10/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Burgess ML, McFarlin SC, Mudakikwa A, Cranfield MR, Ruff CB. Body mass estimation in hominoids: Age and locomotor effects. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:36-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Brassey CA, O'Mahoney TG, Chamberlain AT, Sellers WI. A volumetric technique for fossil body mass estimation applied to Australopithecus afarensis. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:47-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Evaluating morphometric body mass prediction equations with a juvenile human test sample: accuracy and applicability to small-bodied hominins. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:65-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Yapuncich GS. Alternative methods for calculating percentage prediction error and their implications for predicting body mass in fossil taxa. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:140-145. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Dagosto M, Gebo D, Ni X, Smith T. Estimating body size in early primates: The case of Archicebus and Teilhardina. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:8-19. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 09/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Yapuncich GS, Churchill SE, Cameron N, Walker CS. Morphometric panel regression equations for predicting body mass in immature humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:179-195. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S. Yapuncich
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina 27607
- Department of Evolutionary AnthropologyDuke UniversityDurham North Carolina 27708
| | - Steven E. Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary AnthropologyDuke UniversityDurham North Carolina 27708
- Evolutionary Studies InstituteUniversity of the WitwatersrandWits 2050 South Africa
| | - Noël Cameron
- Evolutionary Studies InstituteUniversity of the WitwatersrandWits 2050 South Africa
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health SciencesLoughborough UniversityLoughborough, LE11 3TU United Kingdom
| | - Christopher S. Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina 27607
- Department of Evolutionary AnthropologyDuke UniversityDurham North Carolina 27708
- Evolutionary Studies InstituteUniversity of the WitwatersrandWits 2050 South Africa
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Chevalier T, Clarys JP, Lefèvre P, Beauthier JP, Louryan S, Cattrysse E. Body mass prediction from femoral volume and sixteen other femoral variables in the elderly: BMI and adipose tissue effects. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:26-42. [PMID: 29345302 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The frequently used prediction equations of body mass do not seem appropriate for elderly individuals. Here, we establish the relationship between femoral dimensions and known body mass in elderly individuals in order to develop prediction formulas and identify the factors affecting their accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS The body mass linear least-squares regression is based on 17 femoral dimensions, including femoral volume, and 66 individuals. Body proportion and composition effects on accuracy are analyzed by means of the body mass index (BMI) and on a subset sample (n = 25), by means of the masses of adipose, bone and muscle tissues. RESULTS Most variables significantly reflect body mass. Among them, six dimensions (e.g., biepicondylar breadth, femoral volume, and head femoral diameter) present percent standard errors of estimate ranging from 9.5 to 11% (r = 0.72-0.81) in normal BMI samples. Correlations are clearly lower in samples with normal and abnormal BMI [r = 0.38-0.58; % of standard error of estimate (SEE) = 17.3-19.6%] and not significantly correlated in females (femoral volume) who present high proportions of abnormal BMI and adipose tissue. In the subset, femoral volume is well correlated with bone mass (r = 0.88; %SEE = 7.9%) and lean body mass (r = 0.67; %SEE = 17.2%). DISCUSSION Our body mass estimation equations for elderly individuals are relevant since relatively low correlations are recurrent in studies using younger individuals of known body mass. However, age, sex, lifestyle, and skeleton considerations of studied populations can provide information about the relevance of the body mass estimation, which is dependent on the BMI classification and the proportion of adipose tissue. Our general considerations can be used for studies of younger individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Chevalier
- UMR7194/HNHP, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre Européen de Recherches Préhistoriques de Tautavel (EPCC-CERP), Tautavel, France
| | - Jan Pieter Clarys
- Radiology Department, UZ Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Experimental Anatomy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medecine-Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Pol Beauthier
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medecine-Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphane Louryan
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medecine-Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Erik Cattrysse
- Department of Experimental Anatomy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Ruff CB, Burgess ML, Squyres N, Junno JA, Trinkaus E. Lower limb articular scaling and body mass estimation in Pliocene and Pleistocene hominins. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:85-111. [PMID: 29331230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous attempts to estimate body mass in pre-Holocene hominins have relied on prediction equations derived from relatively limited extant samples. Here we derive new equations to predict body mass from femoral head breadth and proximal tibial plateau breadth based on a large and diverse sample of modern humans (avoiding the problems associated with using diaphyseal dimensions and/or cadaveric reference samples). In addition, an adjustment for the relatively small femoral heads of non-Homo taxa is developed based on observed differences in hip to knee joint scaling. Body mass is then estimated for 214 terminal Miocene through Pleistocene hominin specimens. Mean body masses for non-Homo taxa range between 39 and 49 kg (39-45 kg if sex-specific means are averaged), with no consistent temporal trend (6-1.85 Ma). Mean body mass increases in early Homo (2.04-1.77 Ma) to 55-59 kg, and then again dramatically in Homo erectus and later archaic middle Pleistocene Homo, to about 70 kg. The same average body mass is maintained in late Pleistocene archaic Homo and early anatomically modern humans through the early/middle Upper Paleolithic (0.024 Ma), only declining in the late Upper Paleolithic, with regional variation. Sexual dimorphism in body mass is greatest in Australopithecus afarensis (log[male/female] = 1.54), declines in Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus (log ratio 1.36), and then again in early Homo and middle and late Pleistocene archaic Homo (log ratio 1.20-1.27), although it remains somewhat elevated above that of living and middle/late Pleistocene anatomically modern humans (log ratio about 1.15).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - M Loring Burgess
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nicole Squyres
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juho-Antti Junno
- Department of Archeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Erik Trinkaus
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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Niskanen M, Junno JA, Maijanen H, Holt B, Sladék V, Berner M. Can we refine body mass estimations based on femoral head breadth? J Hum Evol 2017; 115:112-121. [PMID: 29223292 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Femoral head breadth is widely used in body mass estimation in biological anthropology. Earlier research has demonstrated that reduced major axis (RMA) equations perform better than least squares (LS) equations. Although a simple RMA equation to estimate body size from femoral head breadth is sufficient in most cases, our experiments with male skeletons from European data (including late Pleistocene and Holocene skeletal samples) and the Forensic Anthropology Data Bank data (including the W. M. Bass Donated Skeletal Collection sample) show that including femoral length or anatomically estimated stature in an equation with femoral head breadth improves body mass estimation precision. More specifically, although directional bias related to body mass is not reduced within specific samples, the total estimation error range, directional bias related to stature, and temporal fluctuation in estimation error are markedly reduced. The overall body mass estimation precision of individuals representing different temporal periods and ancestry groups (e.g., African and European ancestry) is thus improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markku Niskanen
- Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland.
| | - Juho-Antti Junno
- Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Heli Maijanen
- Department of Archaeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Brigitte Holt
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Vladimir Sladék
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Charles University, Prague 128 43, Czech Republic
| | - Margit Berner
- Department of Anthropology, Natural History Museum, Vienna 1010, Austria
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Ruff CB, Niskanen M. Introduction to special issue: Body mass estimation - Methodological issues and fossil applications. J Hum Evol 2017; 115:1-7. [PMID: 29174414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Markku Niskanen
- Department of Archeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland.
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Will M, Pablos A, Stock JT. Long-term patterns of body mass and stature evolution within the hominin lineage. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:171339. [PMID: 29291118 PMCID: PMC5717693 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Body size is a central determinant of a species' biology and adaptive strategy, but the number of reliable estimates of hominin body mass and stature have been insufficient to determine long-term patterns and subtle interactions in these size components within our lineage. Here, we analyse 254 body mass and 204 stature estimates from a total of 311 hominin specimens dating from 4.4 Ma to the Holocene using multi-level chronological and taxonomic analytical categories. The results demonstrate complex temporal patterns of body size variation with phases of relative stasis intermitted by periods of rapid increases. The observed trajectories could result from punctuated increases at speciation events, but also differential proliferation of large-bodied taxa or the extinction of small-bodied populations. Combined taxonomic and temporal analyses show that in relation to australopithecines, early Homo is characterized by significantly larger average body mass and stature but retains considerable diversity, including small body sizes. Within later Homo, stature and body mass evolution follow different trajectories: average modern stature is maintained from ca 1.6 Ma, while consistently higher body masses are not established until the Middle Pleistocene at ca 0.5-0.4 Ma, likely caused by directional selection related to colonizing higher latitudes. Selection against small-bodied individuals (less than 40 kg; less than 140 cm) after 1.4 Ma is associated with a decrease in relative size variability in later Homo species compared with earlier Homo and australopithecines. The isolated small-bodied individuals of Homo naledi (ca 0.3 Ma) and Homo floresiensis (ca 100-60 ka) constitute important exceptions to these general patterns, adding further layers of complexity to the evolution of body size within the genus Homo. At the end of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, body size in Homo sapiens declines on average, but also extends to lower limits not seen in comparable frequency since early Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Will
- Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
- Grupo de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropolgía (BEP), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jay T. Stock
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- Department of Anthropology, Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaN6A 3K7
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Ruff CB, Burgess ML, Ketcham RA, Kappelman J. Limb Bone Structural Proportions and Locomotor Behavior in A.L. 288-1 ("Lucy"). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166095. [PMID: 27902687 PMCID: PMC5130205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
While there is broad agreement that early hominins practiced some form of terrestrial bipedality, there is also evidence that arboreal behavior remained a part of the locomotor repertoire in some taxa, and that bipedal locomotion may not have been identical to that of modern humans. It has been difficult to evaluate such evidence, however, because of the possibility that early hominins retained primitive traits (such as relatively long upper limbs) of little contemporaneous adaptive significance. Here we examine bone structural properties of the femur and humerus in the Australopithecus afarensis A.L. 288-1 ("Lucy", 3.2 Myr) that are known to be developmentally plastic, and compare them with other early hominins, modern humans, and modern chimpanzees. Cross-sectional images were obtained from micro-CT scans of the original specimens and used to derive section properties of the diaphyses, as well as superior and inferior cortical thicknesses of the femoral neck. A.L. 288-1 shows femoral/humeral diaphyseal strength proportions that are intermediate between those of modern humans and chimpanzees, indicating more mechanical loading of the forelimb than in modern humans, and by implication, a significant arboreal locomotor component. Several features of the proximal femur in A.L. 288-1 and other australopiths, including relative femoral head size, distribution of cortical bone in the femoral neck, and cross-sectional shape of the proximal shaft, support the inference of a bipedal gait pattern that differed slightly from that of modern humans, involving more lateral deviation of the body center of mass over the support limb, which would have entailed increased cost of terrestrial locomotion. There is also evidence consistent with increased muscular strength among australopiths in both the forelimb and hind limb, possibly reflecting metabolic trade-offs between muscle and brain development during hominin evolution. Together these findings imply significant differences in both locomotor behavior and ecology between australopiths and later Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - M. Loring Burgess
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Richard A. Ketcham
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - John Kappelman
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
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Brzobohatá H, Krajíček V, Horák Z, Velemínská J. Sexual Dimorphism of the Human Tibia through Time: Insights into Shape Variation Using a Surface-Based Approach. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0166461. [PMID: 27846265 PMCID: PMC5112946 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper we present a three-dimensional (3D) morphometrical assessment of human tibia sexual dimorphism based on whole bone digital representation. To detect shape-size and shape differences between sexes, we used geometric morphometric tools and colour-coded surface deviation maps. The surface-based methodology enabled analysis of sexually dimorphic features throughout the shaft and articular ends of the tibia. The overall study dataset consisted of 183 3D models of adult tibiae from three Czech population subsets, dating to the early medieval (9-10th century) (N = 65), early 20th century (N = 61) and 21st-century (N = 57). The time gap between the chronologically most distant and contemporary datasets was more than 1200 years. The results showed that, in all three datasets, sexual dimorphism was pronounced. There were some sex-dimorphic characteristics common to all three samples, such as tuberosity protrusion, anteriorly bowed shaft and relatively larger articular ends in males. Diachronic comparisons also revealed substantial shape variation related to the most dimorphic area. Male/female distinctions showed a consistent temporal trend regarding the location of dimorphic areas (shifting distally with time), while the maximal deviation between male and female digitized surfaces fluctuated and reached the lowest level in the 21st-century sample. Sex determination on a whole-surface basis yielded the lowest return of correct sex assignment in the 20th-century group, which represented the lowest socioeconomic status. The temporal variation could be attributed to changes in living conditions, the decreasing lower limb loading/labour division in the last 12 centuries having the greatest effect. Overall, the results showed that a surface-based approach is successful for analysing complex long bone geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Brzobohatá
- Department of Prehistorical Archaeology, Institute of Archaeology of the Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Václav Krajíček
- Department of Software and Computer Science Education, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Horák
- Laboratory of Biomechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Velemínská
- Department of Anthropology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
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Chevalier T, Lefèvre P, Clarys JP, Beauthier JP. The accuracy of body mass prediction for elderly specimens: Implications for paleoanthropology and legal medicine. J Forensic Leg Med 2016; 43:102-109. [PMID: 27497725 DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2016.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Different practices in paleoanthropology and legal medicine raise questions concerning the robustness of body mass (BM) prediction. Integrating personal identification from body mass estimation with skeleton is not a classic approach in legal medicine. The originality of our study is the use of an elderly sample in order to push prediction methods to their limits and to discuss about implications in paleoanthropology and legal medicine. The aim is to observe the accuracy of BM prediction in relation to the body mass index (BMI, index of classification) using five femoral head (FH) methods and one shaft (FSH) method. The sample is composed of 41 dry femurs obtained from dissection where age (c. 82 years) and gender are known, and weight (c. 59.5 kg) and height are measured upon admission to the body leg service. We show that the estimation of the mean BM of the elderly sample is not significantly different to the real mean BM when the appropriate formula is used for the femoral head diameter. In fact, the best prediction is obtained with the McHenry formula (1992), which was based on a sample with an equivalent average mass to that of our sample. In comparison, external shaft diameters, which are known to be more influenced by mechanical stimuli than femoral head diameters, yield less satisfactory results with the McHenry formula (1992) for shaft diameters. Based on all the methods used and the distinctive selected sample, overestimation (always observed with the different femoral head methods) can be restricted to 1.1%. The observed overestimation with the shaft method can be restricted to 7%. However, the estimation of individual BM is much less reliable. The BMI has a strong impact on the accuracy of individual BM prediction, and is unquestionably more reliable for individuals with normal BMI (9.6% vs 16.7% for the best prediction error). In this case, the FH method is also the better predictive method but not if we integrate the total sample (i.e., the FSH method is better with more varied BMI). Finally, the estimation of the mean BM of a sample can be used with more confidence compared to the estimation of individual BM. The former is very useful in an evolutionary perspective whereas the latter should be used in keeping with the information gathered on the studied specimen in order to reduce prediction errors. Finally, the BM estimation can be a parameter to consider for personal identification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Chevalier
- UMR7194/HNHP, Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre Européen de Recherches Préhistoriques de Tautavel, France.
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis [LABO], Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medicine - Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
| | - Jan Pieter Clarys
- Radiology Department UZ Brussels, Experimental Anatomy Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
| | - Jean-Pol Beauthier
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis [LABO], Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medicine - Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.
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