1
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Crompton RH, Sellers W, Davids K, McClymont J. Biomechanics and the origins of human bipedal walking: The last 50 years. J Biomech 2023; 157:111701. [PMID: 37451208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111701] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Motion analysis, as applied to evolutionary biomechanics, has experienced its own evolution over the last 50 years. Here we review how an ever-increasing fossil record, together with continuing advancements in biomechanics techniques, have shaped our understanding of the origin of upright bipedal walking. The original, and long-established hypothesis held by Lamarck (1809), Darwin (1859) and Keith (1934), amongst others, maintained that bipedality originated in an arboreal context. However, the first field studies of gorilla and chimpanzees from the 1960's, highlighted their so-called 'knucklewalking' quadrupedalism, leading scientists to assume, semi-automatically, that knucklewalking must have been the precursor to bipedality. It would not be until the discovery of skeletons of early human relatives Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus prometheus, and the inclusion of methods of analysis from computer science, biomechanics, sports science and medicine, that the knucklewalking hypothesis would be most robustly challenged. Their short, but human-like lower limbs and human-like hand indicated that knucklewalking was not part of our ancestral locomotor repertoire. Rather, most current research in evolutionary biomechanics agrees it was a combination of climbing and bipedalism, both in an arboreal context, which facilitated upright, terrestrial, bipedal walking over short distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Huw Crompton
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK.
| | - William Sellers
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Keith Davids
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
| | - Juliet McClymont
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
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2
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Beaudet A. The Australopithecus assemblage from Sterkfontein Member 4 (South Africa) and the concept of variation in palaeontology. Evol Anthropol 2023. [PMID: 36632711 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Interpreting morphological variation within the early hominin fossil record is particularly challenging. Apart from the fact that there is no absolute threshold for defining species boundaries in palaeontology, the degree of variation related to sexual dimorphism, temporal depth, geographic variation or ontogeny is difficult to appreciate in a fossil taxon mainly represented by fragmentary specimens, and such variation could easily be conflated with taxonomic diversity. One of the most emblematic examples in paleoanthropology is the Australopithecus assemblage from the Sterkfontein Caves in South Africa. Whereas some studies support the presence of multiple Australopithecus species at Sterkfontein, others explore alternative hypotheses to explain the morphological variation within the hominin assemblage. In this review, I briefly summarize the ongoing debates surrounding the interpretation of morphological variation at Sterkfontein Member 4 before exploring two promising avenues that would deserve specific attention in the future, that is, temporal depth and nonhuman primate diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Sabadell, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Cofran Z, VanSickle C, Valenzuela R, García‐Martínez D, Walker CS, Hawks J, Zipfel B, Williams SA, Berger LR. The immature
Homo naledi
ilium from the Lesedi Chamber, Rising Star Cave, South Africa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022. [PMCID: PMC9546141 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Homo naledi is represented by abundant remains from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa. While pelvic elements from the Dinaledi Chamber of the cave are fragmentary, a relatively complete ilium (U.W. 102a–138) was recovered from the Lesedi Chamber. We reconstructed and analyzed the Lesedi ilium, providing qualitative descriptions and quantitative assessment of its morphology and developmental state. Materials and Methods We compared the Lesedi ilium to remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, other South African hominin fossils, and an ontogenetic series of human ilia. We used the Dinaledi adults as a guide for reconstructing the Lesedi ilium. To assess development of the Lesedi ilium, we compared immature/mature proportional ilium height for fossils and humans. We used 3D geometric morphometrics (GMs) to examine size and shape variation among this sample. Results The Lesedi ilium showed incipient development of features expressed in adult H. naledi ilia. The proportional height of the Lesedi ilium was within the range of human juveniles between 4–11 years of age. GM analyses showed that the Lesedi ilium had an iliac blade shape similar to those of australopiths and an expanded auricular surface more similar to humans. Conclusions The reconstructed Lesedi specimen represents the best preserved ilium of H. naledi, confirming the australopith‐like iliac blade morphology first hypothesized in adult specimens, and establishing that this anatomy was present early in this species' ontogeny. In contrast to australopiths, the Lesedi ilium displays an enlarged sacroiliac joint, the significance of which requires further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary Cofran
- Anthropology Department, Vassar College Poughkeepsie New York USA
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Caroline VanSickle
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Anatomy A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine Kirksville Missouri USA
| | | | - Daniel García‐Martínez
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Physical Anthropology Unit, Department of Biodiversity, Ecology, and Evolution, Faculty of Biological Sciences Complutense University of Madrid Madrid Spain
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana Burgos Spain
| | - Christopher S. Walker
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina USA
| | - John Hawks
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Anthropology University of Wisconsin Madison Wisconsin USA
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Evolutionary Studies Institute University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Scott A. Williams
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Evolutionary Studies Institute University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- 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
| | - Lee R. Berger
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
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4
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New fossils from Kromdraai and Drimolen, South Africa, and their distinctiveness among Paranthropus robustus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13956. [PMID: 35977986 PMCID: PMC9385619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Most fossil hominin species are sampled with spatial, temporal or anatomical biases that can hinder assessments of their paleodiversity, and may not yield genuine evolutionary signals. We use new fossils from the Kromdraai (Unit P) and Drimolen sites (South Africa) to provide insights into the paleodiversity of the Lower Pleistocene robust australopith, Paranthropus robustus. Our focus is the morphology of the temporal bone and the relationships between size and shape (allometry) of the semi-circular canals (SCC), an aspect that has not yet been investigated among southern African australopiths. We find significant size and shape SCC differences between P. robustus from Kromdraai, Drimolen and Swartkrans. This site-related variation is consistent with other differences observed on the temporal bone. P. robustus from Kromdraai Unit P is distinctive because of its smaller temporal bone and SCC, and its proportionally less developed posterior SCC, independently of age and sex. We emphasize the importance of allometry to interpret paleodiversity in P. robustus as either the consequence of differences in body size, or as yet unknown factors. Some features of the inner ear of P. robustus represent directional selection soon after its origin, whereas the size and shape variations described here may result from evolutionary changes.
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5
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Berthaume MA, Kupczik K. Molar biomechanical function in South African hominins Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. Interface Focus 2021; 11:20200085. [PMID: 34938434 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2020.0085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet is a driving force in human evolution. Two species of Plio-Pleistocene hominins, Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus, have derived craniomandibular and dental morphologies which are often interpreted as P. robustus having a more biomechanically challenging diet. While dietary reconstructions based on dental microwear generally support this, they show extensive dietary overlap between species, and craniomandibular and dental biomechanical analyses can yield contradictory results. Using methods from anthropology and engineering (i.e. anthroengineering), we quantified the molar biomechanical performance of these hominins to investigate possible dietary differences between them. Thirty-one lower second molars were 3D printed and used to fracture gelatine blocks, and Bayesian generalized linear models were used to investigate the relationship between species and tooth wear, size and shape, and biomechanical performance. Our results demonstrate that P. robustus required more force and energy to fracture blocks but had a higher force transmission rate. Considering previous dietary reconstructions, we propose three evolutionary scenarios concerning the dietary ecologies of these hominins. These evolutionary scenarios cannot be reached by investigating morphological differences in isolation, but require combining several lines of evidence. This highlights the need for a holistic approach to reconstructing hominin dietary ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Berthaume
- Division of Mechanical Engineering and Design, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, UK.,Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kornelius Kupczik
- Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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6
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Braga J, Samir C, Fradi A, Feunteun Y, Jakata K, Zimmer VA, Zipfel B, Thackeray JF, Macé M, Wood BA, Grine FE. Cochlear shape distinguishes southern African early hominin taxa with unique auditory ecologies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17018. [PMID: 34426640 PMCID: PMC8382707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96543-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Insights into potential differences among the bony labyrinths of Plio-Pleistocene hominins may inform their evolutionary histories and sensory ecologies. We use four recently-discovered bony labyrinths from the site of Kromdraai to significantly expand the sample for Paranthropus robustus. Diffeomorphometry, which provides detailed information about cochlear shape, reveals size-independent differences in cochlear shape between P. robustus and Australopithecus africanus that exceed those among modern humans and the African apes. The cochlea of P. robustus is distinctive and relatively invariant, whereas cochlear shape in A. africanus is more variable, resembles that of early Homo, and shows a degree of morphological polymorphism comparable to that evinced by modern species. The curvature of the P. robustus cochlea is uniquely derived and is consistent with enhanced sensitivity to low-frequency sounds. Combined with evidence for selection, our findings suggest that sound perception shaped distinct ecological adaptations among southern African early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Braga
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XCentre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, France ,grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - C. Samir
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - A. Fradi
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - Y. Feunteun
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - K. Jakata
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - V. A. Zimmer
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Faculty of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - B. Zipfel
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - J. F. Thackeray
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - M. Macé
- Véto 31, 73 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 47000 Agen, France
| | - B. A. Wood
- grid.253615.60000 0004 1936 9510Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 USA
| | - F. E. Grine
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA ,grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
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7
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Madison P, Wood B. Birth of Australopithecus. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:298-306. [PMID: 34340258 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21917] [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: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The announcement of a fossilized child's skull discovered in a quarry in 1924 sub-Saharan Africa might not have seemed destined to be a classic paper. This contribution focuses on anatomist Raymond Dart's 1925 paper in which he designated the Taungs skull the type specimen of Australopithecus africanus. We combine an account of Dart's training and experience, with a telling of the fossil's discovery, analysis, the initial response of a mostly skeptical community, and a review of subsequent discoveries that consolidated the case Dart made for a hitherto unknown human close relative. Dart's paper presented evidence that confirmed the prescience of Charles Darwin's prediction that Africa was the birthplace of modern humans. The Taungs skull's unique mix of great ape and human attributes eventually led to a paradigm shift in our understanding of human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige Madison
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,International Research Affiliate, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Bernard Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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8
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Sacrum morphology supports taxonomic heterogeneity of "Australopithecus africanus" at Sterkfontein Member 4. Commun Biol 2021; 4:347. [PMID: 33731844 PMCID: PMC7969745 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01850-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The presence of multiple Australopithecus species at Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa (2.07–2.61 Ma), is highly contentious, and quantitative assessments of craniodental and postcranial variability remain inconclusive. Using geometric morphometrics, we compared the sacrum of the small-bodied, presumed female subadult Australopithecus africanus skeleton Sts 14 to the large, alleged male adult StW 431 against a geographically diverse sample of modern humans, and two species of Pan, Gorilla, and Pongo. The probabilities of sampling morphologies as distinct as Sts 14 and StW 431 from a single species ranged from 1.3 to 2.5% for the human sample, and from 0.0 to 4.5% for the great apes, depending on the species and the analysis. Sexual dimorphism and developmental or geologic age could not adequately explain the differences between StW 431 and Sts 14, suggesting that they are unlikely to be conspecific. This supports earlier claims of taxonomic heterogeneity at Sterkfontein Member 4. Fornai et al. present a geometric morphometric study of the sacrum in two alleged Australopithecus africanus specimens from Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa. By comparing the two fossil hominins to a diverse sample of modern humans and great apes, the authors conclude that the observed morphological differences are unlikely to occur within a single species, supporting earlier claims of taxonomic heterogeneity within the Australopithecus africanus hypodigm.
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9
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McCarthy R, Zimel E. Revised estimates of Taung’s brain size growth. S AFR J SCI 2020. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2020/5963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cranial capacity, a proxy for the volume of the brain and associated cranial contents, is an important yardstick used to compare early hominin species because increasing brain size is a key characteristic of our lineage. In 1925, Raymond Dart claimed that a natural endocast found at the Buxton Limeworks near Taung, South Africa (which he named Australopithecus africanus), showed signs of neural reorganisation, but its juvenile status complicated comparison to other hominoid species. In an attempt to put its brain size and reorganisation into a comparative context, subsequent researchers have tried to estimate Taung’s adult cranial capacity by comparison to coarse-grained hominoid growth data. In this study, we simulated brain growth in A. africanus using asymptotic growth models in known-age mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and modern humans, and show that, at just under 4 years old, Taung’s brain had already finished or nearly finished growing according to hominoid developmental schedules. Percentage-growth remaining estimates are lower here than in previous studies using cross-sectional ontogenetic samples of unknown chronological age. Our new adult estimates (between 404 cm3 and 430 cm3 overall and 405–406 cm3 for chimpanzee models) are smaller than previous estimates with a ‘starting’ cranial capacity of 404 cm3, supporting the hypothesis that Taung’s adult brain size would have fallen toward the lower end of the A. africanus range of variation and strengthening the case that Taung was female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert McCarthy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily Zimel
- Department of Physical Sciences, Benedictine University, Lisle, Illinois, USA
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10
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Urciuoli A, Zanolli C, Beaudet A, Dumoncel J, Santos F, Moyà-Solà S, Alba DM. The evolution of the vestibular apparatus in apes and humans. eLife 2020; 9:e51261. [PMID: 32122463 PMCID: PMC7054002 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Phylogenetic relationships among extinct hominoids (apes and humans) are controversial due to pervasive homoplasy and the incompleteness of the fossil record. The bony labyrinth might contribute to this debate, as it displays strong phylogenetic signal among other mammals. However, the potential of the vestibular apparatus for phylogenetic reconstruction among fossil apes remains understudied. Here we test and quantify the phylogenetic signal embedded in the vestibular morphology of extant anthropoids (monkeys, apes and humans) and two extinct apes (Oreopithecus and Australopithecus) as captured by a deformation-based 3D geometric morphometric analysis. We also reconstruct the ancestral morphology of various hominoid clades based on phylogenetically-informed maximum likelihood methods. Besides revealing strong phylogenetic signal in the vestibule and enabling the proposal of potential synapomorphies for various hominoid clades, our results confirm the relevance of vestibular morphology for addressing the controversial phylogenetic relationships of fossil apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Urciuoli
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel CrusafontUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del VallèsBarcelonaSpain
| | - Clément Zanolli
- Laboratoire PACEA, UMR 5199 CNRS, Université de BordeauxPessacFrance
| | - Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Department of AnatomyUniversity of PretoriaPretoriaSouth Africa
| | - Jean Dumoncel
- Laboratoire AMIS, UMR 5288 CNRS, Université de ToulouseToulouseFrance
| | - Frédéric Santos
- Laboratoire PACEA, UMR 5199 CNRS, Université de BordeauxPessacFrance
| | - Salvador Moyà-Solà
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel CrusafontUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del VallèsBarcelonaSpain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA)BarcelonaSpain
- Unitat d’Antropologia (Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia)Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del VallèsBarcelonaSpain
| | - David M Alba
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel CrusafontUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del VallèsBarcelonaSpain
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11
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Kupczik K, Toro-Ibacache V, Macho GA. On the relationship between maxillary molar root shape and jaw kinematics in Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180825. [PMID: 30225074 PMCID: PMC6124107 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plio-Pleistocene hominins from South Africa remain poorly understood. Here, we focus on how Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus exploited and-in part-partitioned their environment. Specifically, we explore the extent to which first maxillary molar roots (M1) are oriented and thus, by proxy, estimate the direction of loads habitually exerted on the chewing surface. Landmark-based shape analysis of M1 root reconstructions of 26 South African hominins and three East African Paranthropus boisei suggest that A. africanus may have been able to dissipate the widest range of laterally directed loads. Paranthropus robustus and P. boisei, despite having overlapping morphologies, differ in aspects of root shape/size, dento-cranial morphologies, microwear textures and C4 food consumption. Hence, while Paranthropus monophyly cannot be excluded, equivalence of dietary niche can. The South African hominins occupied distinct ecological niches, whereby P. robustus appears uniquely adapted to dissipate antero-posteriorly directed loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kornelius Kupczik
- Max Planck Weizmann Center for Integrative Archaeology and Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - Viviana Toro-Ibacache
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig 04103, Germany
- Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Chile, Sergio Livingstone Pohlhammer 943, Independencia, Región Metropolitana, Santiago de Chile, Chile
| | - Gabriele A. Macho
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK
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12
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Stratford DJ. The Sterkfontein Caves after Eighty Years of Paleoanthropological Research: The Journey Continues. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.12982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Justin Stratford
- Department of Archaeology, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies; University of the Witwatersrand; Johanneburg South Africa
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13
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de Ruiter DJ, Churchill S, Hawks J, Berger L. Late Australopiths and the Emergence of Homo. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANTHROPOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anthro-102116-041734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
New fossil discoveries and new analyses increasingly blur the lines between Australopithecus and Homo, changing scientific ideas about the transition between the two genera. The concept of the genus itself remains an unsettled issue, though recent fossil discoveries and theoretical advances, alongside developments in phylogenetic reconstruction and hypothesis testing, are helping us approach a resolution. A review of the latest discoveries and research reveals that (a) despite the recent recovery of key fossil specimens, the antiquity of the genus Homo remains uncertain; (b) although there exist several australopith candidate ancestors for the genus Homo, there is little consensus about which of these, if any, represents the actual ancestor; and (c) potential convergent evolution (homoplasy) in adaptively significant features in late australopiths and basal members of the Homo clade, combined with probable reticulate evolution, makes it currently impossible to identify the direct ancestor of Homo erectus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darryl J. de Ruiter
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
| | - S.E. Churchill
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - J. Hawks
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706
| | - L.R. Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, South Africa
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14
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Kimbel WH, Villmoare B. From Australopithecus to Homo: the transition that wasn't. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2016; 371:20150248. [PMID: 27298460 PMCID: PMC4920303 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the transition from Australopithecus to Homo is usually thought of as a momentous transformation, the fossil record bearing on the origin and earliest evolution of Homo is virtually undocumented. As a result, the poles of the transition are frequently attached to taxa (e.g. A. afarensis, at ca 3.0 Ma versus H. habilis or H. erectus, at ca 2.0-1.7 Ma) in which substantial adaptive differences have accumulated over significant spans of independent evolution. Such comparisons, in which temporally remote and adaptively divergent species are used to identify a 'transition', lend credence to the idea that genera should be conceived at once as monophyletic clades and adaptively unified grades. However, when the problem is recast in terms of lineages, rather than taxa per se, the adaptive criterion becomes a problem of subjectively privileging 'key' characteristics from what is typically a stepwise pattern of acquisition of novel characters beginning in the basal representatives of a clade. This is the pattern inferred for species usually included in early Homo, including H. erectus, which has often been cast in the role as earliest humanlike hominin. A fresh look at brain size, hand morphology and earliest technology suggests that a number of key Homo attributes may already be present in generalized species of Australopithecus, and that adaptive distinctions in Homo are simply amplifications or extensions of ancient hominin trends.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Kimbel
- Institute of Human Origins, and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Brian Villmoare
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA Department of Anthropology, University College London, London UK WC1H 0BW
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Leece AB, Kegley ADT, Lacruz RS, Herries AIR, Hemingway J, Kgasi L, Potze S, Adams JW. The first hominin from the early Pleistocene paleocave of Haasgat, South Africa. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2024. [PMID: 27190720 PMCID: PMC4867710 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Haasgat is a primate-rich fossil locality in the northeastern part of the Fossil Hominid Sites of South Africa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we report the first hominin identified from Haasgat, a partial maxillary molar (HGT 500), that was recovered from an ex situ calcified sediment block sampled from the locality. The in situ fossil bearing deposits of the Haasgat paleokarstic deposits are estimated to date to slightly older than 1.95 Ma based on magnetobiostratigraphy. This places the hominin specimen at a critical time period in South Africa that marks the last occurrence of Australopithecus around 1.98 Ma and the first evidence of Paranthropus and Homo in the region between ∼2.0 and 1.8 Ma. A comprehensive morphological evaluation of the Haasgat hominin molar was conducted against the current South African catalogue of hominin dental remains and imaging analyses using micro-CT, electron and confocal microscopy. The preserved occlusal morphology is most similar to Australopithecus africanus or early Homo specimens but different from Paranthropus. Occlusal linear enamel thickness measured from micro-CT scans provides an average of ∼2.0 mm consistent with Australopithecus and early Homo. Analysis of the enamel microstructure suggests an estimated periodicity of 7–9 days. Hunter–Schreger bands appear long and straight as in some Paranthropus, but contrast with this genus in the short shape of the striae of Retzius. Taken together, these data suggests that the maxillary fragment recovered from Haasgat best fits within the Australopithecus—early Homo hypodigms to the exclusion of the genus Paranthropus. At ∼1.95 Ma this specimen would either represent another example of late occurring Australopithecus or one of the earliest examples of Homo in the region. While the identification of this first hominin specimen from Haasgat is not unexpected given the composition of other South African penecontemporaneous site deposits, it represents one of the few hominin localities in the topographically-distinct northern World Heritage Site. When coupled with the substantial differences in the mammalian faunal communities between the northern localities (e.g., Haasgat, Gondolin) and well-sampled Bloubank Valley sites (e.g., Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Kromdraai), the recovery of the HGT 500 specimen highlights the potential for further research at the Haasgat locality for understanding the distribution and interactions of hominin populations across the landscape, ecosystems and fossil mammalian communities of early Pleistocene South Africa. Such contextual data from sites like Haasgat is critical for understanding the transition in hominin representation at ∼2 Ma sites in the region from Australopithecus to Paranthropus and early Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B Leece
- The Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony D T Kegley
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Grand Valley State University , Allendale, MI , United States of America
| | - Rodrigo S Lacruz
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, New York University , New York, NY , United States of America
| | - Andy I R Herries
- The Australian Archaeomagnetism Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and History, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia; Centre for Anthropological Research, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Jason Hemingway
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg , South Africa
| | - Lazarus Kgasi
- Plio-Pleistocene Section, Department of Vertebrates, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History , Pretoria , South Africa
| | - Stephany Potze
- Plio-Pleistocene Section, Department of Vertebrates, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History , Pretoria , South Africa
| | - Justin W Adams
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University , Melbourne, Victoria , Australia
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Rearfoot posture of Australopithecus sediba and the evolution of the hominin longitudinal arch. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17677. [PMID: 26628197 PMCID: PMC4667273 DOI: 10.1038/srep17677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The longitudinal arch is one of the hallmarks of the human foot but its evolutionary history remains controversial due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil record. In modern humans, the presence of a longitudinal arch is reflected in the angular relationships among the major surfaces of the human talus and calcaneus complex, which is also known as the rearfoot. A complete talus and calcaneus of Australopithecus sediba provide the opportunity to evaluate rearfoot posture in an early hominin for the first time. Here I show that A. sediba is indistinguishable from extant African apes in the angular configuration of its rearfoot, which strongly suggests that it lacked a longitudinal arch. Inferences made from isolated fossils support the hypothesis that Australopithecus afarensis possessed an arched foot. However, tali attributed to temporally younger taxa like Australopithecus africanus and Homo floresiensis are more similar to those of A. sediba. The inferred absence of a longitudinal arch in A. sediba would be biomechanically consistent with prior suggestions of increased midtarsal mobility in this taxon. The morphological patterns in talus and calcaneus angular relationships among fossil hominins suggest that there was diversity in traits associated with the longitudinal arch in the Plio-Pleistocene.
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Quam R, Martínez I, Rosa M, Bonmatí A, Lorenzo C, de Ruiter DJ, Moggi-Cecchi J, Conde Valverde M, Jarabo P, Menter CG, Thackeray JF, Arsuaga JL. Early hominin auditory capacities. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2015; 1:e1500355. [PMID: 26601261 PMCID: PMC4643776 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Studies of sensory capacities in past life forms have offered new insights into their adaptations and lifeways. Audition is particularly amenable to study in fossils because it is strongly related to physical properties that can be approached through their skeletal structures. We have studied the anatomy of the outer and middle ear in the early hominin taxa Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus and estimated their auditory capacities. Compared with chimpanzees, the early hominin taxa are derived toward modern humans in their slightly shorter and wider external auditory canal, smaller tympanic membrane, and lower malleus/incus lever ratio, but they remain primitive in the small size of their stapes footplate. Compared with chimpanzees, both early hominin taxa show a heightened sensitivity to frequencies between 1.5 and 3.5 kHz and an occupied band of maximum sensitivity that is shifted toward slightly higher frequencies. The results have implications for sensory ecology and communication, and suggest that the early hominin auditory pattern may have facilitated an increased emphasis on short-range vocal communication in open habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University [State University of New York (SUNY)], Binghamton, NY 13902–6000, USA
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Edificio de Ciencias, Campus Universitario, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Manuel Rosa
- Departamento de Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones, Universidad de Alcalá, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Campus Universitario, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Alejandro Bonmatí
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Área de Prehistoria, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Darryl J. de Ruiter
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Jacopo Moggi-Cecchi
- Laboratori di Antropologia, Dipartimento di Biologia, Universita’ di Firenze, via del Proconsolo, 12 50122 Firenze, Italy
| | - Mercedes Conde Valverde
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Edificio de Ciencias, Campus Universitario, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Pilar Jarabo
- Departamento de Teoría de la Señal y Comunicaciones, Universidad de Alcalá, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Campus Universitario, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Colin G. Menter
- Centre for Anthropological Research, Humanities Research Village, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524, Auckland Park 2006, South Africa
| | - J. Francis Thackeray
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro de Investigación (UCM-ISCIII) sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Haile-Selassie Y, Melillo SM. Middle Pliocene hominin mandibular fourth premolars from Woranso-Mille (Central Afar, Ethiopia). J Hum Evol 2015; 78:44-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 08/11/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Clarke R. Australopithecus from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa. THE PALEOBIOLOGY OF AUSTRALOPITHECUS 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5919-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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