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Korpinen N. Differences in vertebral bone density between African apes. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24937. [PMID: 38644542 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24937] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Low-energy vertebral fractures are a common health concern, especially in elderly people. Interestingly, African apes do not seem to experience as many vertebral fractures and the low-energy ones are even rarer. One potential explanation for this difference is the lower bone density in humans. Yet, only limited research has been done on the vertebral bone density of the great apes and these have mainly included only single vertebrae. Hence the study aim is to expand our understanding of the vertebral microstructure of African apes in multiple spinal segments. MATERIALS Bone density in the vertebral body of C7, T12, and L3 was measured from 32 Pan troglodytes and 26 Gorilla gorilla using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). RESULTS There was a clear difference between the three individual vertebrae and consequently the spinal segments in terms of trabecular density and cortical density and thickness. The variation of these bone parameters between the vertebrae differed between the apes but was also different from those reported for humans. The chimpanzees were observed to have overall higher trabecular density, but gorillas had higher cortical density and thickness. Cortical thickness had a relatively strong association with the vertebral size. DISCUSSION Despite the similarity in locomotion and posture, the results show slight differences in the bone parameters and their variation between spinal segments in African apes. This variation also differs from humans and appears to indicate a complex influence of locomotion, posture, and body size on the different spinal segments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina Korpinen
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Nalley TK, Scott JE, McGechie F, Grider-Potter N. Comparative ontogeny of functional aspects of human cervical vertebrae. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24788. [PMID: 37283367 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Differences between adult humans and great apes in cervical vertebral morphology are well documented, but the ontogeny of this variation is still largely unexplored. This study examines patterns of growth in functionally relevant features of C1, C2, C4, and C6 in extant humans and apes to understand the development of their disparate morphologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Linear and angular measurements were taken from 530 cervical vertebrae representing 146 individual humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Specimens were divided into three age-categories based on dental eruption: juvenile, adolescent, and adult. Inter- and intraspecific comparisons were evaluated using resampling methods. RESULTS Of the eighteen variables examined here, seven distinguish humans from apes at the adult stage. Human-ape differences in features related to atlantoaxial joint function tend to be established by the juvenile stage, whereas differences in features related to the nuchal musculature and movement of the subaxial elements do not fully emerge until adolescence or later. The orientation of the odontoid process-often cited as a feature that distinguishes humans from apes-is similar in adult humans and adult chimpanzees, but the developmental patterns are distinct, with human adultlike morphology being achieved much earlier. DISCUSSION The biomechanical consequences of the variation observed here is poorly understood. Whether the differences in growth patterns represent functional links to cranial development or postural changes, or both, requires additional investigation. Determining when humanlike ontogenetic patterns evolved in hominins may provide insight into the functional basis driving the morphological divergence between extant humans and apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierra K Nalley
- Medical Anatomical Sciences Department, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Jeremiah E Scott
- Medical Anatomical Sciences Department, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Faye McGechie
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Neysa Grider-Potter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Mutumi GL, Hall RP, Hedrick BP, Yohe LR, Sadier A, Davies KTJ, Rossiter SJ, Sears KE, Dávalos LM, Dumont ER. Disentangling Mechanical and Sensory Modules in the Radiation of Noctilionoid Bats. Am Nat 2023; 202:216-230. [PMID: 37531274 DOI: 10.1086/725368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWith diverse mechanical and sensory functions, the vertebrate cranium is a complex anatomical structure whose shifts between modularity and integration, especially in mechanical function, have been implicated in adaptive diversification. Yet how mechanical and sensory systems and their functions coevolve, as well as how their interrelationship contributes to phenotypic disparity, remain largely unexplored. To examine the modularity, integration, and evolutionary rates of sensory and mechanical structures within the head, we analyzed hard and soft tissue scans from ecologically diverse bats in the superfamily Noctilionoidea, a clade that ranges from insectivores and carnivores to frugivores and nectarivores. We identified eight regions that evolved in a coordinated fashion, thus recognizable as evolutionary modules: five associated with bite force and three linked to olfactory, visual, and auditory systems. Interrelationships among these modules differ between Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae) and other noctilionoids. Consistent with the hypothesis that dietary transitions begin with changes in the capacity to detect novel food items followed by adaptations to process them, peak rates of sensory module evolution predate those of some mechanical modules. We propose that the coevolution of structures influencing bite force, olfaction, vision, and hearing constituted a structural opportunity that allowed the phyllostomid ancestor to take advantage of existing ecological opportunities and contributed to the clade's remarkable radiation.
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Korpinen N. Comparison of bone density patterns of the subaxial spine between chimpanzees and gorillas - A case study. J Med Primatol 2023; 52:85-91. [PMID: 36420796 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12627] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Case study on the bone density pattern of subaxial vertebral column in African apes. INTRODUCTION African apes have been noted to experience fewer back ailments than humans and to have higher vertebral bone density. Yet, research on the subject is quite limited and has usually included only one or few vertebrae. However, to understand vertebral column as whole and how posture and locomotion might have affected it, we need to know how bone density varies between adjacent vertebrae. MATERIALS AND METHODS Bone density in the vertebral body was measured for all subaxial vertebrae of five specimens including two Pan troglodytes (1 male and 1 female) and three Gorilla gorilla (2 males and 1 female) using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). RESULTS The results tentatively indicated differences between species, especially in the trabecular density of the cervical segment and support the need for further studies on this subject.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niina Korpinen
- Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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Jung H, von Cramon-Taubadel N. Morphological modularity in the anthropoid axial skeleton. J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103256. [PMID: 36156434 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has found that hominoids have stronger modularity between limb elements than other anthropoids, suggesting that there is less constraint on morphological diversification (e.g., limb proportions) in hominoids in terms of evolutionary independence. However, degrees of modularity in the axial skeleton have not been investigated across a broad range of anthropoid taxa. Thus, it is unknown whether hominoids also have stronger modularity in the axial skeleton than other anthropoids, which has implications for the evolution of diverse torso morphologies in Miocene apes as well as the evolution of novel characteristics in the skull and vertebrae of fossil hominins. In this study, 12 anthropoid genera were sampled to examine degrees of modularity between axial skeletal elements (i.e., cranium, mandible, vertebrae, and sacrum). Covariance ratio coefficients were calculated using variance/covariance matrices of interlandmark distances for each axial skeletal element to evaluate degrees of modularity. The results showed that Alouatta, Hylobates, Gorilla, Pan, and Homo showed generally stronger modularity than other anthropoid taxa when considering all axial skeletal elements. When only considering the vertebral elements (i.e., vertebrae and sacrum), Alouatta, Hylobates, Gorilla, and Pan showed generally stronger modularity than other anthropoid taxa. Humans showed stronger modularity between the skull and vertebrae than other hominoids. Thus, the evolution of novel characteristics in the skull and vertebral column may have been less constrained in fossil hominins due to the dissociation of trait covariation between axial skeletal elements in hominoid ancestors, thus fostering more evolutionary independence between the skull and vertebral column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 380 Academic Center, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261, USA; Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, 19555 N 59th Ave, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
| | - Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, 380 Academic Center, Ellicott Complex, Buffalo, NY 14261, USA
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Komza K, Viola B, Netten T, Schroeder L. Morphological integration in the hominid midfoot. J Hum Evol 2022; 170:103231. [PMID: 35940157 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103231] [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: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
The calculation of morphological integration across living apes and humans may provide important insights into the potential influence of integration on evolutionary trajectories in the hominid lineage. Here, we quantify magnitudes of morphological integration among and within elements of the midfoot in great apes and humans to examine the link between locomotor differences and trait covariance. We test the hypothesis that the medial elements of the great ape foot are less morphologically integrated with one another compared to humans based on their abducted halluces, and aim to determine how adaptations for midfoot mobility/stiffness and locomotor specialization influence magnitudes of morphological integration. The study sample is composed of all cuneiforms, the navicular, the cuboid, and metatarsals 1-5 of Homo sapiens (n = 80), Pan troglodytes (n = 63), Gorilla gorilla (n = 39), and Pongo sp. (n = 41). Morphological integration was quantified using the integration coefficient of variation of interlandmark distances organized into sets of a priori-defined modules. Magnitudes of integration across these modules were then compared against sets of random traits from the whole midfoot. Results show that all nonhuman apes have less integrated medial elements, whereas humans have highly integrated medial elements, suggesting a link between hallucal abduction and reduced levels of morphological integration. However, we find considerable variation in magnitudes of morphological integration across metatarsals 2-5, the intermediate and lateral cuneiform, the cuboid, and navicular, emphasizing the influence of functional and nonfunctional factors in magnitudes of integration. Lastly, we find that humans and orangutans show the lowest overall magnitudes of integration in the midfoot, which may be related to their highly specialized functions, and suggest a link between strong diversifying selection and reduced magnitudes of morphological integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Komza
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S2, Canada.
| | - Bence Viola
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S2, Canada
| | - Teagan Netten
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S2, Canada
| | - Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada; Human Evolution Research Institute, Department of Anthropology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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Arlegi M, Pantoja-Pérez A, Veschambre-Couture C, Gómez-Olivencia A. Covariation between the cranium and the cervical vertebrae in hominids. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103112. [PMID: 34894608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of patterns of integration is crucial for the reconstruction and understanding of how morphological changes occur in a taxonomic group throughout evolution. These patterns are relatively constant; however, both patterns and the magnitudes of integration may vary across species. These differences may indicate morphological diversification, in some cases related to functional adaptations to the biomechanics of organisms. In this study, we analyze patterns of integration between two functional and developmental structures, the cranium and the cervical spine in hominids, and we quantify the amount of divergence of each anatomical element through phylogeny. We applied these methods to three-dimensional data from 168 adult hominid individuals, summing a total of more than 1000 cervical vertebrae. We found the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) display the lowest covariation with the cranium in hominids (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Gorilla beringei, Pongo pygmaeus). H. sapiens show a relatively different pattern of craniocervical correlation compared with chimpanzees and gorillas, especially in variables implicated in maintaining the balance of the head. Finally, the atlas and axis show lower magnitude of shape change during evolution than the rest of the cervical vertebrae, especially those located in the middle of the subaxial cervical spine. Overall, results suggest that differences in the pattern of craniocervical correlation between humans and gorillas and chimpanzees could reflect the postural differences between these groups. Also, the stronger craniocervical integration and larger magnitude of shape change during evolution shown by the middle cervical vertebrae suggests that they have been selected to play an active role in maintaining head balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Veschambre-Couture
- UMR 5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Bâtiment B8, CS 50023, 33615, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Villamil CI, Santiago-Nazario A. Integration between the cranial boundaries of the nasopharynx and the upper cervical vertebrae in Homo and Pan. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:1974-1990. [PMID: 34510776 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The nasopharynx is an important anatomical structure involved in respiration. Its bony boundaries, including the basicranium and upper cervical vertebrae, may be subject to selective pressures and constraints related to respiratory function. Here, we investigate phenotypic integration, or covariation, between the face, the basicranial boundaries of the nasopharynx, and the atlas and axis to understand constraints affecting these structures. We collected three-dimensional coordinate data from a sample of 80 humans and 44 chimpanzees, and used two-block partial least squares to assess RV (a multivariate generalization of Pearson's r2 ), rPLS , the covariance ratio, and effect size for integration among structures. We find that integration is significant among some of these structures, and that integration between the basicranial nasopharynx and vertebrae and between the face and vertebrae is likely independent. We also find divergences in the pattern of integration between humans and chimpanzees suggesting greater constraints among the human face and nasopharynx, which we suggest are linked to divergent developmental trajectories in the two taxa. Evolutionary changes in human basicranial anatomy, coupled with human-like developmental trajectories, may have required that the face grow to compensate any variation in nasopharyngeal structure. However, we were unable to determine whether the nasopharynx or the face is more strongly integrated with the vertebrae, and therefore whether respiration or biomechanical considerations related to positional behavior may be more strongly tied to vertebral evolution. Future work should focus on greater sample sizes, soft tissue structures, and more diverse taxa to further clarify these findings.
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Ghosh S, Kasher M, Malkina I, Livshits G. Is craniofacial morphology and body composition related by common genes: Comparative analysis of two ethnically diverse populations. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:249-261. [PMID: 34297355 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The overarching hypothesis of the present paper is that ethnically and/or genetically diverse human populations may exhibit similarity in correlations between various aspects of human phenotypes due to the morphological integration process during the ontogenetic stages. To test this we investigated whether an association between craniofacial (CF) features and body composition (BC) variations is present in humans and the extent to which such possible associations are comparable in different populations. Furthermore, the paper examines the contribution of common genetic (additive) and shared familial environmental factors in assessing the correlation between CF and BC characteristics in humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS Two pedigree-based samples were collected from two distinct populations, including India (Santhal) and Europe (Chuvash). Canonical correlation analysis was used to compare the association between CF and BC characteristics in the two studied samples. The contribution of genetic and familial environmental factors on the correlation between CF and BC features was analyzed through variance decomposition analysis by implementing the Mendelian Analysis package (MAN). RESULTS Our study suggests that CF morphology is significantly (p < 0.001) associated with BC variation in both samples. CF characteristics and BC phenotypes revealed a consistent trend in both samples where condensed and broad CF morphology was significantly associated with increased fat accumulation, with slight variations between the Santhal and Chuvash samples. Despite the variations observed between the samples, the heritability estimates were impressively equivalent for traits like total facial height (55.6%Santhal vs.56.1%Chuvash ) and nasal index (42.8%Santhal vs. 43.3%Chuvash ). DISCUSSION The genetic contribution of CF morphology appeared to be extensive and the contribution of common genetic and shared family environmental correlations between CF and BC measures were suggestively substantial. Accordingly, these correlations were consistently observed across ethnically diverse populations, despite drastic morphological differences between the samples under comparison.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sudipta Ghosh
- Department of Anthropology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, Meghalaya, India
| | - Melody Kasher
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ida Malkina
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gregory Livshits
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel
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Jung H, Simons EA, von Cramon-Taubadel N. Examination of magnitudes of integration in the catarrhine vertebral column. J Hum Evol 2021; 156:102998. [PMID: 34020295 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of novel vertebral morphologies observed in humans and other extant hominoids may be related to changes in the magnitudes and/or patterns of covariation among traits. To examine this, we tested magnitudes of integration in the vertebral column of cercopithecoids and hominoids, including humans. Three-dimensional surface scans of 14 vertebral elements from 30 Cercopithecus, 32 Chlorocebus, 39 Macaca, 45 Hylobates, 31 Pan, and 86 Homo specimens were used. A resampling method was used to generate distributions of integration coefficient of variation scores for vertebral elements individually using interlandmark distances. Interspecific comparisons of mean integration coefficient of variation were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni adjustment. The results showed that hominoids generally had lower mean integration coefficient of variation than cercopithecoids. In addition, humans showed lower mean integration coefficient of variation than other hominoids in their last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Cercopithecoids and Hylobates showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in cervical vertebrae than in thoracolumbar vertebrae. Pan and Homo showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in the last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in the thoracolumbar region, except for the L1 of Pan. The results suggest fewer integration-mediated constraints on the evolution of vertebral morphology in hominoids when compared with cercopithecoids. The weaker magnitudes of integration in lumbar vertebrae in humans when compared with chimpanzees likewise suggest fewer constraints on the evolution of novel lumbar vertebrae morphology in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Evan A Simons
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Villamil CI. The role of developmental rate, body size, and positional behavior in the evolution of covariation and evolvability in the cranium of strepsirrhines and catarrhines. J Hum Evol 2021; 151:102941. [PMID: 33482561 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies on hominin craniofacial evolution have focused on phenotypic integration or covariation among traits. Covariation is thought to significantly affect evolutionary trajectories, shaping the ways in which hominins and other primates could have evolved. However, the ways in which covariation itself evolves are not well understood. This study aims to investigate the role of phylogeny, development, body size, and positional behavior in shaping the strength of covariation in strepsirrhine and catarrhine primate crania (n = 1009, representing 11 genera). These factors may have been catalysts for change in the magnitude of covariation, and they have changed significantly during primate evolution and particularly hominin evolution. Modern humans in particular have slow developmental trajectories, large bodies, and a unique form of locomotion in the form of orthograde bipedalism. Variance of eigenvalues, mean integration, mean evolvability, and mean conditional evolvability was estimated and their relationship to the various factors described earlier was assessed using phylogenetic and nonphylogenetic analyses. Results indicate that some phylogenetic signal is present, but it is not equivalent across integration statistics or cranial regions. In particular, these results suggest that closely related species are more similar than more distantly related species in evolvability of the cranial base and integration of the face. Two divergent patterns were also identified, in which covariation and evolvability of the cranial base are linked to developmental rate, but those of the face are linked to body size. Neither locomotion nor posture appears related to covariation or evolvability of the primate cranium. These results suggest that overall low covariation observed in the hominin cranium may be a result of separate trends in different cranial regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalina I Villamil
- School of Chiropractic, Universidad Central Del Caribe, PO Box 60327, Bayamón, PR, 00960-6032, USA; Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
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Torres-Tamayo N, Martelli S, Schlager S, García-Martínez D, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Mata-Escolano F, Nalla S, Ogihara N, Oishi M, Bastir M. Assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation in Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes: A 3D geometric morphometric approach. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:514-534. [PMID: 32864759 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Understanding thoraco-pelvic integration in Homo sapiens and their closest living relatives (genus Pan) is of great importance within the context of human body shape evolution. However, studies assessing thoraco-pelvic covariation across Hominoidea species are scarce, although recent research would suggest shared covariation patterns in humans and chimpanzees but also species-specific features, with sexual dimorphism and allometry influencing thoraco-pelvic covariation in these taxa differently. MATERIAL AND METHODS N = 30 adult H. sapiens and N = 10 adult Pan troglodytes torso 3D models were analyzed using 3D geometric morphometrics and linear measurements. Effects of sexual dimorphism and allometry on thoraco-pelvic covariation were assessed via regression analyses, and patterns of thoraco-pelvic covariation in humans and chimpanzees were computed via Two-Block Partial Least Squares analyses. RESULTS Results confirm the existence of common aspects of thoraco-pelvic covariation in humans and chimpanzees, and also species-specific covariation in H. sapiens that is strongly influenced by sexual dimorphism and allometry. Species-specific covariation patterns in chimpanzees could not be confirmed because of the small sample size, but metrics point to a correspondence between the most caudal ribs and iliac crest morphology that would be irrespective of sex. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that humans and chimpanzees share common aspects of thoraco-pelvic covariation but might differ in others. In humans, torso integration is strongly influenced by sexual dimorphism and allometry, whilst in chimpanzees it may not be. This study also highlights the importance not only of torso widths but also of torso depths when describing patterns of thoraco-pelvic covariation in primates. Larger samples are necessary to support these interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Torres-Tamayo
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sandra Martelli
- UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy (CIA), Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, London, UK
| | - Stefan Schlager
- Biological Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel García-Martínez
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Burgos, Spain
| | | | | | - Shahed Nalla
- GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Naomichi Ogihara
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Motoharu Oishi
- Laboratory of Anatomy 1, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Markus Bastir
- Departamento de Paleobiología, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Torres-Tamayo N, Schlager S, García-Martínez D, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Nalla S, Ogihara N, Oishi M, Martelli S, Bastir M. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal. J Hum Evol 2020; 147:102854. [PMID: 32805525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The skeletal torso is a complex structure of outstanding importance in understanding human body shape evolution, but reconstruction usually entails an element of subjectivity as researchers apply their own anatomical expertise to the process. Among different fossil reconstruction methods, 3D geometric morphometric techniques have been increasingly used in the last decades. Two-block partial least squares analysis has shown great potential for predicting missing elements by exploiting the covariation between two structures (blocks) in a reference sample: one block can be predicted from the other one based on the strength of covariation between blocks. The first aim of this study is to test whether this predictive approach can be used for predicting thorax morphologies from pelvis morphologies within adult Homo sapiens reference samples with known covariation between the thorax and the pelvis. The second aim is to apply this method to Kebara 2 Neandertal (Israel, ∼60 ka) to predict its thorax morphology using two different pelvis reconstructions as predictors. We measured 134 true landmarks, 720 curve semilandmarks, and 160 surface semilandmarks on 60 3D virtual torso models segmented from CT scans. We conducted three two-block partial least squares analyses between the thorax (block 1) and the pelvis (block 2) based on the H. sapiens reference samples after performing generalized Procrustes superimposition on each block separately. Comparisons of these predictions in full shape space by means of Procrustes distances show that the male-only predictive model yields the most reliable predictions within modern humans. In addition, Kebara 2 thorax predictions based on this model concur with the thorax morphology proposed for Neandertals. The method presented here does not aim to replace other techniques, but to rather complement them through quantitative prediction of a virtual 'scaffold' to articulate the thoracic fossil elements, thus extending the potential of missing data estimation beyond the methods proposed in previous works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Torres-Tamayo
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibanez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Stefan Schlager
- Biological Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hebelstr 29, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel García-Martínez
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Avenida de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan Alberto Sanchis-Gimeno
- GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibanez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Shahed Nalla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Naomichi Ogihara
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Motoharu Oishi
- Laboratory of Anatomy 1, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Sandra Martelli
- UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy (CIA), Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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Plomp K, Viðarsdóttir US, Dobney K, Weston D, Collard M. Potential adaptations for bipedalism in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of Homo sapiens: A 3D comparative analysis. J Hum Evol 2019; 137:102693. [PMID: 31711026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A number of putative adaptations for bipedalism have been identified in the hominin spine. However, it is possible that some have been overlooked because only a few studies have used 3D and these studies have focused on cervical vertebrae. With this in mind, we used geometric morphometric techniques to compare the 3D shapes of three thoracic and two lumbar vertebrae of Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla, and Pongo pygmaeus. The study had two goals. One was to confirm the existence of traits previously reported to distinguish the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of H. sapiens from those of the great apes. The other was to, if possible, identify hitherto undescribed traits that differentiate H. sapiens thoracic and lumbar vertebrae from those of the great apes. Both goals were accomplished. Our analyses not only substantiated a number of traits that have previously been discussed in the literature but also identified four traits that have not been described before: (1) dorsoventrally shorter pedicles in the upper thoracic vertebrae; (2) dorsoventrally longer laminae in all five of the vertebrae examined; (3) longer transverse processes in the upper thoracic vertebrae; and (4) craniocaudally 'pinched' spinous process tips in all of the vertebrae examined. A review of the biomechanical literature suggests that most of the traits highlighted in our analyses can be plausibly linked to bipedalism, including three of the four new ones. As such, the present study not only sheds further light on the differences between the spines of H. sapiens and great apes but also enhances our understanding of how the shift to bipedalism affected the hominin vertebral column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Plomp
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, 14 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7WZ, UK.
| | - Una Strand Viðarsdóttir
- Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Læknagarður, Vatnsmýrarvegi 16, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Keith Dobney
- Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, 14 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7WZ, UK
| | - Darlene Weston
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 6303 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Mark Collard
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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Arlegi M, Veschambre‐Couture C, Gómez‐Olivencia A. Evolutionary selection and morphological integration in the vertebral column of modern humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:17-36. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y TecnologíaUniversidad del País Vasco‐Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) Leioa Spain
- Université de Bordeaux, PACEA UMR 5199 Pessac France
| | | | - Asier Gómez‐Olivencia
- Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y TecnologíaUniversidad del País Vasco‐Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU) Leioa Spain
- IKERBASQUE. Basque Foundation for Science Bizkaia Spain
- Centro UCM‐ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos Madrid Spain
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Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam RM, Bonmatí A, Lorenzo C, Velez AD, Martínez-Calvo C, Arsuaga JL. The cochlea of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): New insights into cochlear evolution in the genus Homo. J Hum Evol 2019; 136:102641. [PMID: 31569005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102641] [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: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The cochlea contains taxonomic and phylogenetic information and its morphology is related with hearing abilities among fossil hominins. Data for the genus Homo is presently limited to early Homo and the early Neandertals from Krapina. The present study of the middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) provides new evidence on cochlear evolution in the genus Homo. We compared the absolute length, proportional lengths of each turn, number of turns, size and shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, volume, curvature gradient, and thickness of the cochlea between extant Pan troglodytes, extant Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis and the SH hominins. The SH hominins resemble P. troglodytes in the proportionally long basal turn, the small size and round shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, the small cochlear volume and the low cochlear thickness. The SH hominins resemble Neandertals and H. sapiens in their long cochlear length and in the proportionally short third turn. Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens share several features, not present in the SH hominins, and that likely represent homoplasies: a larger volume, larger size and oval shape of the cross-section of the basal turn and higher cochlear thickness. Later Neandertals show a derived proportionally shorter apical turn. Changes in cochlear volume in Homo cannot be fully explained by variation in body mass or cochlear length but are more directly related to changes in the cross-sectional area of the basal turn. Based on previous studies of the outer and middle ear in SH hominins, changes in the outer and middle ear preceded changes in the inner ear, and the cochlea and semicircular canals seem to have evolved independently in the Neandertal clade. Finally, the small cochlear volume in the SH hominins suggests a slightly higher upper limit of hearing compared with modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf M Quam
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West-79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Alejandro Bonmatí
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV, Zona Educacional 4, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Alex D Velez
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Carolina Martínez-Calvo
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Hedrick BP, Mutumi GL, Munteanu VD, Sadier A, Davies KTJ, Rossiter SJ, Sears KE, Dávalos LM, Dumont E. Morphological Diversification under High Integration in a Hyper Diverse Mammal Clade. J MAMM EVOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-019-09472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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