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Torres-Tamayo N, Rae TC, Hirasaki E, Betti L. Testing the reliability of the rearticulation of osteological primate pelves in comparative morphological studies. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2816-2833. [PMID: 38112056 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25366] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of human pelvic form is primarily studied using disarticulated osteological material of living and fossil primates that need rearticulation to approximate anatomical position. To test whether this technique introduces errors that impact biological signals, virtual rearticulations of the pelvis in anatomical position from computed tomography scans were compared with rearticulated models from the same individuals for one female and one male of Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Macaca mulatta, Lepilemur mustelinus, Galago senegalensis, and Nycticebus pygmaeus. "Cadaveric" pelvic bones were first analyzed in anatomical position, then the three bones were segmented individually, intentionally scattered, and "rearticulated" to test for rearticulation error. Three-dimensional landmarks and linear measurements were used to characterize the overall pelvis shape. Cadaveric and rearticulated pelves were not identical, but inter-specific and intra-specific shape differences were higher than the landmarking error in the cadaveric individuals and the landmarking/rearticulation error in the rearticulated pelves, demonstrating that the biological signal is stronger than the noise introduced by landmarking and rearticulation. The rearticulation process, however, underestimates the medio-lateral pelvic measurements in species with a substantial pubic gap (e.g., G. senegalensis, N. pygmaeus) possibly because the greater contribution of soft tissue to the pelvic girdle introduces higher uncertainty during rearticulation. Nevertheless, this discrepancy affects only the caudal-most part of the pelvis. This study demonstrates that the rearticulation of pelvic bones does not substantially affect the biological signal in comparative 3D morphological studies but suggests that anatomically connected pelves of species with wide pubic gaps should be preferentially included in these studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Todd C Rae
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Eishi Hirasaki
- Centre for Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Lia Betti
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, UK
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2
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Gómez-Olivencia A, Arsuaga JL. The Sima de los Huesos thorax and lumbar spine: Selected traits and state-of-the-art. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2465-2490. [PMID: 38450997 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25414] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Information on the evolution of the thorax and lumbar spine in the genus Homo is hampered by a limited fossil record due to the inherent fragility of vertebrae and ribs. Neandertals show significant metric and morphological differences in these two anatomical regions, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information on the evolution of these anatomical regions within the Neandertal lineage but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of these regions at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the costal skeleton, and the thoracic and lumbar spine anatomy of the hominins found in Sima de los Huesos compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans. The current SH fossil record comprises 738 vertebral specimens representing a minimum of 70 cervical, 95 thoracic and 47 lumbar vertebrae, 652 rib fragments representing a minimum of 118 ribs, and 26 sternal fragments representing 4 sterna. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their thorax and lumbar spine more similar to that of Neandertals than to that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in these anatomical regions, primarily in the orientation of the lumbar transverse processes and in the robusticity of the second ribs. The presence of some but not all of the suite of Neandertal-derived features is consistent with the pattern found in the cranium and other postcranial regions of this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Dept. Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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3
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López‐Rey JM, García‐Martínez D, Bastir M. How to make a digital reconstruction of the human ribcage. J Anat 2024; 245:27-34. [PMID: 38317536 PMCID: PMC11161820 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14022] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Up to now, there have been no publication standardizing the digital reconstruction of the modern human ribcage from commingled costo-vertebral material. Consequently, we designed a validated protocol based on anatomical features observed in the literature and the CT scanned ribcages of 10 adult European individuals. After quantifying the shape of these ribcages using 3D geometric morphometrics, we split each vertebra and rib within their corresponding (semi)landmarks. Subsequently, individual bones + (semi)landmarks were imported to LhpFusionBox, commingled and 3D reconstructed. To validate the accuracy of the protocol, we first reconstructed a randomly chosen ribcage three times and then compared these reconstructions to the rest of the sample. Since these reconstructions were closer to their original counterpart than to the others, the remaining sample was reconstructed once. Next, we tested the intra-observer error during reconstructing using the Procrustes distances among the original ribcages and the reconstructions. We observed that first each ribcage reconstruction was clustered to its original counterpart and second there was a learning curve showing an improvement in the reconstruction process over time. Subsequently, we explored general size and shape differences among the original and reconstructed ribcages through a study of centroid size and a permutation test on the Procrustes distances (10,000 permutations), respectively. Specific shape differences between both groups were further examined through a principal component analysis in shape space. None of these analyses found statistical differences between the original and reconstructed ribcages (p > 0.05). Eventually, we extracted the mean shapes of the original ribcages and the reconstructions in order to visualize potential deviations caused by the anatomical considerations of the researcher. These results demonstrate that the protocol is accurate enough to be used when reconstructing a disarticulated human ribcage.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M. López‐Rey
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of PaleobiologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC)MadridSpain
- Department of Biology, Faculty of SciencesUniversidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM)MadridSpain
| | - Daniel García‐Martínez
- Physical Anthropology Unit, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)MadridSpain
- Laboratory of Forensic AnthropologyCentre for Functional EcologyDepartment of Life SciencesUniversity of Coimbra (UC)Portugal
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH)BurgosSpain
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Department of PaleobiologyMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN‐CSIC)MadridSpain
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4
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Bastir M, González Ruíz JM, Rueda J, Garrido López G, Gómez-Recio M, Beyer B, San Juan AF, Navarro E. Variation in human 3D trunk shape and its functional implications in hominin evolution. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11762. [PMID: 35817835 PMCID: PMC9273616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15344-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the contribution of external trunk morphology and posture to running performance in an evolutionary framework. It has been proposed that the evolution from primitive to derived features of torso shape involved changes from a mediolaterally wider into a narrower, and antero-posteriorly deeper into a shallower, more lightly built external trunk configuration, possibly in relation to habitat-related changes in locomotor and running behaviour. In this context we produced experimental data to address the hypothesis that medio-laterally narrow and antero-posteriorly shallow torso morphologies favour endurance running capacities. We used 3D geometric morphometrics to relate external 3D trunk shape of trained, young male volunteers (N = 27) to variation in running velocities during different workloads determined at 45–50%, 70% and 85% of heart rate reserve (HRR) and maximum velocity. Below 85% HRR no relationship existed between torso shape and running velocity. However, at 85% HRR and, more clearly, at maximum velocity, we found highly statistically significant relations between external torso shape and running performance. Among all trained subjects those with a relatively narrow, flat torso, a small thoracic kyphosis and a more pronounced lumbar lordosis achieved significantly higher running velocities. These results support the hypothesis that external trunk morphology relates to running performance. Low thoracic kyphosis with a flatter ribcage may affect positively respiratory biomechanics, while increased lordosis affects trunk posture and may be beneficial for lower limb biomechanics related to leg return. Assuming that running workload at 45–50% HRR occurs within aerobic metabolism, our results may imply that external torso shape is unrelated to the evolution of endurance running performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - José María González Ruíz
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Rueda
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Garrido López
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Gómez-Recio
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Benoit Beyer
- Laboratory of Functional Anatomy (LAF), Faculty of Motor Skills Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alejandro F San Juan
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Navarro
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Faculty of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences-INEF, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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Thelwell M, Bullas A, Kühnapfel A, Hart J, Ahnert P, Wheat J, Loeffler M, Scholz M, Choppin S. Modelling of human torso shape variation inferred by geometric morphometrics. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265255. [PMID: 35271672 PMCID: PMC8912174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional body measurement techniques are commonly used to assess physical health; however, these approaches do not fully represent the complex shape of the human body. Three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems capture rich point cloud data that provides a representation of the surface of 3D objects and have been shown to be a potential anthropometric tool for use within health applications. Previous studies utilising 3D imaging have only assessed body shape based on combinations and relative proportions of traditional body measures, such as lengths, widths and girths. Geometric morphometrics (GM) is an established framework used for the statistical analysis of biological shape variation. These methods quantify biological shape variation after the effects of non-shape variation-location, rotation and scale-have been mathematically held constant, otherwise known as the Procrustes paradigm. The aim of this study was to determine whether shape measures, identified using geometric morphometrics, can provide additional information about the complexity of human morphology and underlying mass distribution compared to traditional body measures. Scale-invariant features of torso shape were extracted from 3D imaging data of 9,209 participants form the LIFE-Adult study. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were created to determine the extent to which variations in human torso shape are explained by existing techniques. The results of this investigation suggest that linear combinations of body measures can explain 49.92% and 47.46% of the total variation in male and female body shape features, respectively. However, there are also significant amounts of variation in human morphology which cannot be identified by current methods. These results indicate that Geometric morphometric methods can identify measures of human body shape which provide complementary information about the human body. The aim of future studies will be to investigate the utility of these measures in clinical epidemiology and the assessment of health risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Thelwell
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Alice Bullas
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Kühnapfel
- LIFE Research Center for Civilisation Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - John Hart
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Ahnert
- LIFE Research Center for Civilisation Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jon Wheat
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Loeffler
- LIFE Research Center for Civilisation Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Scholz
- LIFE Research Center for Civilisation Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- IFB Adiposity Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simon Choppin
- Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre, Health Research Institute, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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Fischer B, Grunstra NDS, Zaffarini E, Mitteroecker P. Sex differences in the pelvis did not evolve de novo in modern humans. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:625-630. [PMID: 33767411 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01425-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
It is commonly assumed that the strong sexual dimorphism of the human pelvis evolved for delivering the relatively large human foetuses. Here we compare pelvic sex differences across modern humans and chimpanzees using a comprehensive geometric morphometric approach. Even though the magnitude of sex differences in pelvis shape was two times larger in humans than in chimpanzees, we found that the pattern is almost identical in the two species. We conclude that this pattern of pelvic sex differences did not evolve de novo in modern humans and must have been present in the common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees, and thus also in the extinct Homo species. We further suggest that this shared pattern was already present in early mammals and propose a hypothesis of facilitated variation as an explanation: the conserved mammalian endocrine system strongly constrains the evolution of the pattern of pelvic differences but enables rapid evolutionary change of the magnitude of sexual dimorphism, which in turn facilitated the rapid increase in hominin brain size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Fischer
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Nicole D S Grunstra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria.,Mammal Collection, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Eva Zaffarini
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Philipp Mitteroecker
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Unit for Theoretical Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria
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7
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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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8
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Covariation of fetal skull and maternal pelvis during the perinatal period in rhesus macaques and evolution of childbirth in primates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:21251-21257. [PMID: 32817513 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002112117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
A large brain combined with an upright posture in humans has resulted in a high cephalopelvic proportion and frequently obstructed labor. Fischer and Mitteroecker [B. Fischer, P. Mitteroecker, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112, 5655-5660 (2015)] proposed that the morphological covariations between the skull and pelvis could have evolved to ameliorate obstructed labor in humans. The availability of quantitative data of such covariation, especially of the fetal skull and maternal pelvis, however, is still scarce. Here, we present direct evidence of morphological covariations between the skull and pelvis using actual mother-fetus dyads during the perinatal period of Macaca mulatta, a species that exhibits cephalopelvic proportions comparable to modern humans. We analyzed the covariation of the three-dimensional morphology of the fetal skull and maternal pelvis using computed tomography-based models. The covariation was mostly observed at the pelvic locations related to the birth canal, and the forms of the birth canal and fetal skull covary in such a way that reduces obstetric difficulties. Therefore, cephalopelvic covariation could have evolved not only in humans, but also in other primate taxa in parallel, or it could have evolved already in the early catarrhines.
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9
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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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10
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Rib cage anatomy in Homo erectus suggests a recent evolutionary origin of modern human body shape. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1178-1187. [PMID: 32632258 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1240-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The tall and narrow body shape of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) evolved via changes in the thorax, pelvis and limbs. It is debated, however, whether these modifications first evolved together in African Homo erectus, or whether H. erectus had a more primitive body shape that was distinct from both the more ape-like Australopithecus species and H. sapiens. Here we present the first quantitative three-dimensional reconstruction of the thorax of the juvenile H. erectus skeleton, KNM-WT 15000, from Nariokotome, Kenya, along with its estimated adult rib cage, for comparison with H. sapiens and the Kebara 2 Neanderthal. Our three-dimensional reconstruction demonstrates a short, mediolaterally wide and anteroposteriorly deep thorax in KNM-WT 15000 that differs considerably from the much shallower thorax of H. sapiens, pointing to a recent evolutionary origin of fully modern human body shape. The large respiratory capacity of KNM-WT 15000 is compatible with the relatively stocky, more primitive, body shape of H. erectus.
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11
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Late subadult ontogeny and adult aging of the human thorax reveals divergent growth trajectories between sexes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10737. [PMID: 32612141 PMCID: PMC7329879 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism is an important feature of adult thorax morphology, but when and how sex-related differences in the ribcage arise during ontogeny is poorly known. Previous research proposed that sex-related size differences in the nasal region arise during puberty. Therefore, we explore whether ribcage sexual dimorphism also arises at that time and whether this sexual dimorphism is maintained until old age. We measured 526 (semi)landmarks on 80 CT-based human ribcage reconstructions, on individuals ranging from 7 to 65 year-old. The 3D coordinates were submitted to the Procrustes superimposition and analyzed. Our results show that the trajectories of thorax size and shape between sexes diverge at around 12 years of age, and continue slightly diverging until old age. The differential ontogenetic trends cause adult male ribcages to become deeper, shorter, and wider than female. Our results are consistent with the evidence from the cranial respiratory system, with the development of sexual dimorphism probably related to changes in body composition during puberty combined with changes in the reproductive system.
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Uy J, Hawks J, VanSickle C. Sexual dimorphism of the relationship between the gut and pelvis in humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:130-140. [PMID: 32519366 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Obstetric demands have long been considered in the evolution of the pelvis, yet consideration of the interaction of pregnancy, the pelvis, and the gastrointestinal tract (gut) is lacking. Here, we explore sex differences in the relationship of gut volume with body size and pelvic dimensions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Computed tomography (CT) scans of living adult Homo sapiens (46 females and 42 males) were obtained to measure in vivo gut volume (GV) and to extract 3D models of the pelvis. We collected 19 3D landmarks from each pelvis model to acquire pelvic measurements. We used ordinary least squares regression to explore relationships between GV and body weight, stature, and linear pelvic dimensions. RESULTS The gut-pelvis relationship differs between males and females. Females do not exhibit significant statistical correlations between GV and any variable tested. GV correlates with body size and pelvic outlet size in males. GV scales with negative allometry relative to body weight, stature, maximum bi-iliac breadth, inferior transverse outlet breadth, and bispinous distance in males. DISCUSSION The lack of association between GV and body size in females may be due to limits imposed by the anticipation of accommodating a gravid uterus and/or the increased plasticity of the pelvis. The pattern of relationship between GV and the pelvic outlet suggests the role of the bony pelvis in supporting the adominal viscera in females may be small relative to its role in childbirth. We conclude that gut size inference in fossil hominins from skeletal proxies is limited and confounded by sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanelle Uy
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | - John Hawks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Caroline VanSickle
- Department of Anatomy, A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, 800 W. Jefferson St., Kirksville, Missouri, USA
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Lois Zlolniski S, Torres‐Tamayo N, García‐Martínez D, Blanco‐Pérez E, Mata‐Escolano F, Barash A, Nalla S, Martelli S, Sanchis‐Gimeno JA, Bastir M. 3D geometric morphometric analysis of variation in the human lumbar spine. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:361-372. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Federico Mata‐Escolano
- CT and MRI Unit, ERESA, Department of RadiologyGeneral University Hospital Valencia Spain
| | - Alon Barash
- Faculty of Medicine in the GalileeBar Ilan University Ramat Gan Israel
| | - Shahed Nalla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Johannesburg Johannesburg South Africa
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Sandra Martelli
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy (CIA), Department of Cell and Developmental BiologyFaculty of Life Sciences, University College London London UK
| | - Juan A. Sanchis‐Gimeno
- Giaval Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of MedicineUniversity of Valencia Valencia Spain
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology GroupMuseo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC) Madrid Spain
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Grunstra NDS, Zachos FE, Herdina AN, Fischer B, Pavličev M, Mitteroecker P. Humans as inverted bats: A comparative approach to the obstetric conundrum. Am J Hum Biol 2019; 31:e23227. [PMID: 30810261 PMCID: PMC6492174 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2018] [Revised: 02/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The narrow human birth canal evolved in response to multiple opposing selective forces on the pelvis. These factors cannot be sufficiently disentangled in humans because of the limited range of relevant variation. Here, we outline a comparative strategy to study the evolution of human childbirth and to test existing hypotheses in primates and other mammals. METHODS We combined a literature review with comparative analyses of neonatal and female body and brain mass, using three existing datasets. We also present images of bony pelves of a diverse sample of taxa. RESULTS Bats, certain non-human primates, seals, and most ungulates, including whales, have much larger relative neonatal masses than humans, and they all differ in their anatomical adaptations for childbirth. Bats, as a group, are particularly interesting in this context as they give birth to the relatively largest neonates, and their pelvis is highly dimorphic: Whereas males have a fused symphysis, a ligament bridges a large pubic gap in females. The resulting strong demands on the widened and vulnerable pelvic floor likely are relaxed by roosting head-down. CONCLUSIONS Parturition has constituted a strong selective force in many non-human placentals. We illustrated how the demands on pelvic morphology resulting from locomotion, pelvic floor stability, childbirth, and perhaps also erectile function in males have been traded off differently in mammals, depending on their locomotion and environment. Exploiting the power of a comparative approach, we present new hypotheses and research directions for resolving the obstetric conundrum in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole D. S. Grunstra
- Department of Theoretical BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Mammal CollectionNatural History Museum ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Frank E. Zachos
- Mammal CollectionNatural History Museum ViennaViennaAustria
- Department of Integrative ZoologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
| | | | - Barbara Fischer
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition ResearchKlosterneuburgAustria
| | - Mihaela Pavličev
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CenterCincinnatiOhio
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Cincinnati College of MedicineCincinnatiOhio
- Department of PhilosophyUniversity of CincinnatiCincinnatiOhio
| | - Philipp Mitteroecker
- Department of Theoretical BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition ResearchKlosterneuburgAustria
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Gómez-Olivencia A, Barash A, García-Martínez D, Arlegi M, Kramer P, Bastir M, Been E. 3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4387. [PMID: 30377294 PMCID: PMC6207772 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06803-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The size and shape of the Neandertal thorax has been debated since the first discovery of Neandertal ribs more than 150 years ago, with workers proposing different interpretations ranging from a Neandertal thoracic morphology that is indistinguishable from modern humans, to one that was significantly different from them. Here, we provide a virtual 3D reconstruction of the thorax of the adult male Kebara 2 Neandertal. Our analyses reveal that the Kebara 2 thorax is significantly different but not larger from that of modern humans, wider in its lower segment, which parallels his wide bi-iliac breadth, and with a more invaginated vertebral column. Kinematic analyses show that rib cages that are wider in their lower segment produce greater overall size increments (respiratory capacity) during inspiration. We hypothesize that Neandertals may have had a subtle, but somewhat different breathing mechanism compared to modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Dept. Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain.
- IKERBASQUE. Basque Foundation for Science, 48013, Bilbao, Spain.
- Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194, CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17, Place du Trocadéro, 75016, Paris, France.
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, Madrid, 28029, Spain.
| | - Alon Barash
- Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Bar-Ilan University, Henrietta Szold, 8. P.O.B 1589, 1311502, Zefat, Israel
| | - Daniel García-Martínez
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J. G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mikel Arlegi
- Dept. Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena s/n, 48940, Leioa, Spain
- Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, PACEA UMR 5199, Bâtiment B8, 33615, Pessac, France
| | - Patricia Kramer
- Departments of Anthropology and Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195-3100, USA
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J. G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ella Been
- Department of Sports Therapy, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, 5545001, Kiryat Ono, Israel
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 6997801, Tel Aviv, Israel
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