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Cosnefroy Q, Berillon G, Gilissen E, Brige P, Chaumoître K, Lamberton F, Marchal F. New insights into patterns of integration in the femur and pelvis among catarrhines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 184:e24931. [PMID: 38491922 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Integration reflects the level of coordinated variation of the phenotype. The integration of postcranial elements can be studied from a functional perspective, especially with regards to locomotion. This study investigates the link between locomotion, femoral structural properties, and femur-pelvis complex morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured (1) morphological integration between femoral and pelvic morphologies using geometric morphometrics, and (2) covariation between femoral/pelvic morphologies and femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional properties, which we defined as morpho-structural integration. Morphological and morpho-structural integration patterns were measured among humans (n = 19), chimpanzees and bonobos (n = 16), and baboons (n = 14), whose locomotion are distinct. RESULTS Baboons show the highest magnitude of morphological integration and the lowest of morpho-structural integration. Chimpanzees and bonobos show intermediate magnitude of morphological and morpho-structural integration. Yet, body size seems to have a considerable influence on both integration patterns, limiting the interpretations. Finally, humans present the lowest morphological integration and the highest morpho-structural integration between femoral morphology and structural properties but not between pelvic morphology and femur. DISCUSSION Morphological and morpho-structural integration depict distinct strategies among the samples. A strong morphological integration among baboon's femur-pelvis module might highlight evidence for long-term adaptation to quadrupedalism. In humans, it is likely that distinct selective pressures associated with the respective function of the pelvis and the femur tend to decrease morphological integration. Conversely, high mechanical loading on the hindlimbs during bipedal locomotion might result in specific combination of structural and morphological features within the femur.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
- Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pauline Brige
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CERIMED, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Pôle Pharmacie, Radiopharmacie, Marseille, France
| | - Kathia Chaumoître
- UMR 7268 ADES, Aix-Marseille Univ-CNRS-EFS, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, Service d'Imagerie Médicale, Marseille, France
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Druelle F, Leti I, Bokika Ngawolo JC, Narat V. Vertical climbing in free-ranging bonobos: An exploratory study integrating locomotor performance and substrate compliance. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24894. [PMID: 38180148 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24894] [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: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Ecological factors and body size shape animal movement and adaptation. Large primates such as bonobos excel in navigating the demanding substrates of arboreal habitats. However, current approaches lack comprehensive assessment of climbing performance in free-ranging individuals, limiting our understanding of locomotor adaptations. This study aims to explore climbing performance in free-ranging bonobos and how substrate properties affect their behavior. METHODS We collected data on the climbing performance of habituated bonobos, Pan paniscus, in the Bolobo Territory, Democratic Republic of Congo. We analyzed 46 climbing bouts (12 ascents, 34 descents) while moving on vertical substrates of varying diameter and compliance levels. This study assessed the average speed, peak acceleration, resting postures, and transitions between climbing and other locomotor modes. RESULTS During climbing sequences and transitions, bonobos mitigate speed variations. They also exhibit regular pauses during climbing and show higher speeds during descent in contrast to their ascent. Regarding the influence of substrate properties, bonobos exhibit higher speed when ascending on thin and slightly flexible substrates, while they appear to achieve higher speeds when descending on large and stiff substrates, by using a "fire-pole slide" submode. DISCUSSION Bonobos demonstrate remarkable abilities for negotiating vertical substrates and substrate properties influence their performance. Our results support the idea that bonobos adopt a behavioral strategy that aligns with the notion of minimizing costs. Overall, the adoption of high velocities and the use of low-cost resting postures may reduce muscle fatigue. These aspects could represent important targets of selection to ensure ecological efficiency in bonobos.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Druelle
- Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique, UMR 7194, CNRS-MNHN-UPVD, Paris, France
- Functional Morphology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Innocent Leti
- NGO Mbou-Mon-Tour, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Victor Narat
- Eco-Anthropologie, UMR 7206, MNHN-CNRS-Univ. Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Bonobo Eco, Saint Brice sur Vienne, Vienne, France
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3
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Young MW, English HM, Dickinson E, Kantounis SJ, Chernik ND, Cannata MJ, Lynch SK, Jacobson RN, Virga JQ, Lopez A, Granatosky MC. Comparative kinetics of humans and non-human primates during vertical climbing. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247012. [PMID: 38426398 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Climbing represents a critical behavior in the context of primate evolution. However, anatomically modern human populations are considered ill-suited for climbing. This adaptation can be attributed to the evolution of striding bipedalism, redirecting anatomical traits away from efficient climbing. Although prior studies have speculated on the kinetic consequences of this anatomical reorganization, there is a lack of data on the force profiles of human climbers. This study utilized high-speed videography and force plate analysis to assess single limb forces during climbing from 44 human participants of varying climbing experience and compared these data with climbing data from eight species of non-human primates (anthropoids and strepsirrhines). Contrary to expectations, experience level had no significant effect on the magnitude of single limb forces in humans. Experienced climbers did, however, demonstrate a predictable relationship between center of mass position and peak normal forces, suggesting a better ability to modulate forces during climbing. Humans exhibited significantly higher peak propulsive forces in the hindlimb compared with the forelimb and greater hindlimb dominance overall compared with non-human primates. All species sampled demonstrated exclusively tensile forelimbs and predominantly compressive hindlimbs. Strepsirrhines exhibited a pull-push transition in normal forces, while anthropoid primates, including humans, did not. Climbing force profiles are remarkably stereotyped across humans, reflecting the universal mechanical demands of this form of locomotion. Extreme functional differentiation between forelimbs and hindlimbs in humans may help to explain the evolution of bipedalism in ancestrally climbing hominoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody W Young
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Hannah M English
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Stratos J Kantounis
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Noah D Chernik
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Matthew J Cannata
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Samantha K Lynch
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Reuben N Jacobson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - James Q Virga
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Alexander Lopez
- School of Health Professions, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Inclusive Sports and Fitness, Holbrook, NY 11741, USA
| | - Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
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Fannin LD, Joy MS, Dominy NJ, McGraw WS, DeSilva JM. Downclimbing and the evolution of ape forelimb morphologies. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230145. [PMID: 37680499 PMCID: PMC10480693 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The forelimbs of hominoid primates (apes) are decidedly more flexible than those of monkeys, especially at the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. It is tempting to link the greater mobility of these joints to the functional demands of vertical climbing and below-branch suspension, but field-based kinematic studies have found few differences between chimpanzees and monkeys when comparing forelimb excursion angles during vertical ascent (upclimbing). There is, however, a strong theoretical argument for focusing instead on vertical descent (downclimbing), which motivated us to quantify the effects of climbing directionality on the forelimb kinematics of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys). We found that the shoulders and elbows of chimpanzees and sooty mangabeys subtended larger joint angles during bouts of downclimbing, and that the magnitude of this difference was greatest among chimpanzees. Our results cast new light on the functional importance of downclimbing, while also burnishing functional hypotheses that emphasize the role of vertical climbing during the evolution of apes, including the human lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke D. Fannin
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Mary S. Joy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Nathaniel J. Dominy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - W. Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jeremy M. DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, Environment and Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Lameira AR. Arboreal origin of consonants and thus, ultimately, speech. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:122-124. [PMID: 36549965 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The world's spoken languages are universally composed of vowels and consonants, but the primate prototypical call repertoire is almost exclusively composed of vowel-like calls. What was the origin of consonant-like calls? Their prevalence across great apes suggests that an arboreal lifestyle and extractive foraging were ecological preconditions for speech evolution.
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6
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A cost for signaling: do Hadza hunter-gatherers forgo calories to show-off in an experimental context? EVOL HUM BEHAV 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Abstract
Research among non-industrial societies suggests that body kinematics adopted during running vary between groups according to the cultural importance of running. Among groups in which running is common and an important part of cultural identity, runners tend to adopt what exercise scientists and coaches consider to be good technique for avoiding injury and maximising performance. In contrast, among groups in which running is not particularly culturally important, people tend to adopt suboptimal technique. This paper begins by describing key elements of good running technique, including landing with a forefoot or midfoot strike pattern and leg oriented roughly vertically. Next, we review evidence from non-industrial societies that cultural attitudes about running associate with variation in running techniques. Then, we present new data from Tsimane forager–horticulturalists in Bolivia. Our findings suggest that running is neither a common activity among the Tsimane nor is it considered an important part of cultural identity. We also demonstrate that when Tsimane do run, they tend to use suboptimal technique, specifically landing with a rearfoot strike pattern and leg protracted ahead of the knee (called overstriding). Finally, we discuss processes by which culture might influence variation in running techniques among non-industrial societies, including self-optimisation and social learning. New evidence from the Tsimane underscores that running techniques vary between societies according to the cultural importance of running
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A Review of Human-Elephant Ecological Relations in the Malay Peninsula: Adaptations for Coexistence. DIVERSITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/d14010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the relationship between humans and elephants is of particular interest for reducing conflict and encouraging coexistence. This paper reviews the ecological relationship between humans and Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) in the rainforests of the Malay Peninsula, examining the extent of differentiation of spatio-temporal and trophic niches. We highlight the strategies that people and elephants use to partition an overlapping fundamental niche. When elephants are present, forest-dwelling people often build above-the-ground shelters; and when people are present, elephants avoid open areas during the day. People are able to access several foods that are out of reach of elephants or inedible; for example, people use water to leach poisons from tubers of wild yams, use blowpipes to kill arboreal game, and climb trees to access honey. We discuss how the transition to agriculture affected the human–elephant relationship by increasing the potential for competition. We conclude that the traditional foraging cultures of the Malay Peninsula are compatible with wildlife conservation.
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Everett MC, Elliott MC, Gaynor D, Hill AC, Syeda SM, Casana J, Zipfel B, DeSilva JM, Dominy NJ. Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces. S AFR J SCI 2021. [DOI: 10.17159/sajs.2021/10409] [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
Mechanical loading of finger bones (phalanges) can induce angular curvature, which benefits arboreal primates by dissipating forces and economising the recruitment of muscles during climbing. The recent discovery of extremely curved phalanges in a hominin, Homo naledi, is puzzling, for it suggests life in an arboreal milieu, or, alternatively, habitual climbing on vertical rock surfaces. The importance of climbing rock walls is attested by several populations of baboons, one of which uses a 7-m vertical surface to enter and exit Dronkvlei Cave, De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. This rock surface is an attractive model for estimating the probability of extreme mechanical loading on the phalanges of rock-climbing primates. Here we use three-dimensional photogrammetry to show that 82–91% of the climbable surface would generate high forces on the flexor tendon pulley system and severely load the phalanges of baboons and H. naledi. If such proportions are representative of vertical rock surfaces elsewhere, it may be sufficient to induce stress-mitigating curvature in the phalanges of primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Everett
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Marina C. Elliott
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - David Gaynor
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Austin C. Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Samar M. Syeda
- Department of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jesse Casana
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jeremy M. DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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10
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Tarrega-Saunders ELR, King C, Roberts AM, Thorpe SKS. Knuckle-walking and behavioural flexibility in great apes. REVUE DE PRIMATOLOGIE 2021. [DOI: 10.4000/primatologie.10855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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11
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Carroll C. Female excellence in rock climbing likely has an evolutionary origin. Curr Res Physiol 2021; 4:39-46. [PMID: 34746825 PMCID: PMC8562198 DOI: 10.1016/j.crphys.2021.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The human body is exceptional for many reasons, not the least of which is the wide variety of movements it is capable of executing. Because our species is able to execute so many discrete activities, researchers often disagree on which were the movements most essential to the evolution of our species. This paper continues a recently introduced analysis, that the performance gap between female and male athletes narrows in sports which most reflect the movements humans evolved to do. Here, I examine the performance gap in rock climbing. Female climbers are some of the best in the world irrespective of gender, a trend that is not found in any other major sport. I conclude that the exceptional ability of female rock climbers relative to male rock climbers is further evidence of the existence of sex-blind musculoskeletal adaptations, which developed over the course of human evolution – as a result of external (non-sexual) selection forces – to facilitate essential movements. These adaptations abate some of the general physical sexual dimorphism which exists in humans. This paper provides more evidence that the human body was shaped, in part, by pressure to climb well. Rock climbing is the sport most similar to tree climbing, a movement essential to human development. Multiple women can be found in the list of top 100 rock climbers, a trend not found in any other major sport. Sports with a higher degree of gender equity, may reflect movements with a greater degree of evolutionary importance. Rock climbing’s gender gap provides further evidence that early humans faced external selection pressure to climb well. Thus, the importance of climbing to the survival of humans - even after the onset of genus Homo - may be understated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin Carroll
- Columbia University. 2 Broad Street, Westport, CT, 06880, USA
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12
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Kozma EE, Pontzer H. Determinants of climbing energetic costs in humans. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:270788. [PMID: 34160049 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.234567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies in primates and other animals have shown that mass-specific cost of transport (J kg-1 m-1) for climbing is independent of body size across species, but little is known about within-species allometry of climbing costs or the effects of difficulty and velocity. Here, we assessed the effects of velocity, route difficulty and anatomical variation on the energetic cost of climbing within humans. Twelve experienced rock climbers climbed on an indoor wall over a range of difficulty levels and velocities, with energy expenditure measured via respirometry. We found no effect of body mass or limb proportions on mass-specific cost of transport among subjects. Mass-specific cost of transport was negatively correlated with climbing velocity. Increased route difficulty was associated with slower climbing velocities and thus higher costs, but there was no statistically significant effect of route difficulty on energy expenditure independent of velocity. Finally, human climbing costs measured in this study were similar to published values for other primates, suggesting arboreal adaptations have a negligible effect on climbing efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine E Kozma
- Department of Development and Regeneration, University of Leuven Kulak, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium.,Department of Anthropology, City University of New York, Graduate Center, New York, NY 10016, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 10016, USA.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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13
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Something Scary is Out There II: the Interplay of Childhood Experiences, Relict Sexual Dinichism, and Cross-cultural Differences in Spatial Fears. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00289-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AbstractChildren’s nighttime fear is hypothesized as a cognitive relict reflecting a long history of natural selection for anticipating the direction of nighttime predatory attacks on the presumed human ancestor, Australopithecus afarensis, whose small-bodied females nesting in trees would have anticipated predatory attacks from below. Heavier males nesting on the ground would have anticipated nighttime predatory attacks from their sides. Previous research on preschool children and adults supports this cognitive-relict hypothesis by showing developmental consistencies in their remembrances of the location of a “scary thing” relative to their beds. The current study expands this research by investigating whether nighttime fear in childhood, including the effect of parental threats to behave, influenced adult spatial fears in different biotic and abiotic situations. A 25-item questionnaire employing ordinal scales was given to 474 foreign-born Vietnamese and ethnic Chinese adults living in the USA. Univariate analyses of adult remembrances of childhood indicated that females were more fearful of something scary below their beds than males. To examine the influence of childhood nighttime fear on adult fears, exploratory factor analyses supported three factors: (1) indeterminate agents, indicated something scary under the bed, the difficulty locating unspecific threats, and the brief appearances of large apparitions; (2) environmental uncertainty, indicated by potential encounters with unseen animate threats; (3) predictable animals, as the relative comfort of viewing animals in zoo exhibits. Using structural equation modeling, the results suggest that childhood nighttime fear influenced only the latent variable, indeterminate agents, in both groups via the mediating variable, parental threats.
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14
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Austen GE, Dallimer M, Irvine KN, Maund PR, Fish RD, Davies ZG. Exploring shared public perspectives on biodiversity attributes. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gail E. Austen
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Martin Dallimer
- Sustainability Research Institute School of Earth and Environment University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | - Katherine N. Irvine
- Social, Economic and Geographical Sciences Department The James Hutton Institute Aberdeen UK
| | - Phoebe R. Maund
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Robert D. Fish
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
| | - Zoe G. Davies
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology School of Anthropology and Conservation University of Kent Kent UK
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15
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Dunmore CJ, Bardo A, Skinner MM, Kivell TL. Trabecular variation in the first metacarpal and manipulation in hominids. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:219-241. [PMID: 31762017 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 10/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The dexterity of fossil hominins is often inferred by assessing the comparative manual anatomy and behaviors of extant hominids, with a focus on the thumb. The aim of this study is to test whether trabecular structure is consistent with what is currently known about habitually loaded thumb postures across extant hominids. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyze first metacarpal (Mc1) subarticular trabecular architecture in humans (Homo sapiens, n = 10), bonobos (Pan paniscus, n = 10), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes, n = 11), as well as for the first time, gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla, n = 10) and orangutans (Pongo sp., n = 1, Pongo abelii, n = 3 and Pongo pygmaeus, n = 5). Using a combination of subarticular and whole-epiphysis approaches, we test for significant differences in relative trabecular bone volume (RBV/TV) and degree of anisotropy (DA) between species. RESULTS Humans have significantly greater RBV/TV on the radiopalmar aspects of both the proximal and distal Mc1 subarticular surfaces and greater DA throughout the Mc1 head than other hominids. Nonhuman great apes have greatest RBV/TV on the ulnar aspect of the Mc1 head and the palmar aspect of the Mc1 base. Gorillas possessed significantly lower DA in the Mc1 head than any other taxon in our sample. DISCUSSION These results are consistent with abduction of the thumb during forceful "pad-to-pad" precision grips in humans and, in nonhuman great apes, a habitually adducted thumb that is typically used in precision and power grips. This comparative context will help infer habitual manipulative and locomotor grips in fossil hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Dunmore
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Ameline Bardo
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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16
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Root‐Bernstein M, Ladle R. Ecology of a widespread large omnivore, Homo sapiens, and its impacts on ecosystem processes. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:10874-10894. [PMID: 31641442 PMCID: PMC6802023 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Discussions of defaunation and taxon substitution have concentrated on megafaunal herbivores and carnivores, but mainly overlooked the particular ecological importance of megafaunal omnivores. In particular, the Homo spp. have been almost completely ignored in this context, despite the extinction of all but one hominin species present since the Plio-Pleistocene. Large omnivores have a particular set of ecological functions reflecting their foraging flexibility and the varied disturbances they create, functions that may maintain ecosystem stability and resilience. Here, we put the ecology of Homo sapiens in the context of comparative interspecific ecological roles and impacts, focusing on the large omnivore guild, as well as comparative intraspecific variation, focusing on hunter-gatherers.We provide an overview of the functional traits of H. sapiens, which can be used to spontaneously provide the functions for currently ecologically extinct or endangered ecosystem processes. We consider the negative impacts of variations in H. sapiens phenotypic strategies, its possible status as an invasive species, and the potential to take advantage of its learning capacities to decouple negative and positive impacts.We provide examples of how practices related to foraging, transhumance, and hunting could contribute to rewilding-inspired programs either drawing on hunter-gatherer baselines of H. sapiens, or as proxies for extinct or threatened large omnivores. We propose that a greater focus on intraspecific ecological variation and interspecific comparative ecology of H. sapiens can provide new avenues for conservation and ecological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith Root‐Bernstein
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of BioscienceAarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Institute of Ecology and BiodiversitySantiagoChile
- UMR Sciences pour l'Action et le Développement, Activités, Produits, TerritoiresINRA, AgroParisTech, Université Paris‐SaclayThiverval‐GrignonFrance
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES)SantiagoChile
| | - Richard Ladle
- School of Science and HealthFederal University of AlagoasAlagoasBrazil
- School of Geography and the EnvironmentOxford UniversityOxfordUK
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17
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Komza K, Skinner MM. First metatarsal trabecular bone structure in extant hominoids and Swartkrans hominins. J Hum Evol 2019; 131:1-21. [PMID: 31182196 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Changes in first metatarsal (MT1) morphology within the hominin clade are crucial for reconstructing the evolution of a forefoot adapted for human-like gait. Studies of the external morphology of the MT1 in humans, non-human apes, and fossil hominins have documented changes in its robusticity, epiphyseal shape and its articulation with the medial cuneiform. Here, we test whether trabecular structure in the MT1 reflects different loading patterns in the forefoot across extant large apes and humans, and within this comparative context, infer locomotor behavior in two fossil hominins from Swartkrans, South Africa. Microtomographic scans were collected from the MT1 of Pongo sp. (n = 6), Gorilla gorilla (n = 10), Pan troglodytes (n = 10), Homo sapiens (n = 11), as well as SKX 5017 (Paranthropus robustus), and SK 1813 (Hominin gen. sp. indet.). Trabecular structure was quantified within the head and base using a 'whole-epiphysis' approach with medtool 4.2. We found that modern humans displayed relatively higher bone volume fraction (BV/TV) in the dorsal region of each epiphysis and a higher overall degree of anisotropy (DA), whereas great apes showed higher BV/TV in the plantar regions, reflecting dorsiflexion at the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint in the former and plantarflexion in the latter. Both fossils displayed low DA, with SKX 5017 showing a hyper-dorsal concentration of trabecular bone in the head (similar to humans), while SK 1813 showed a more central trabecular distribution not seen in either humans or non-human apes. Additionally, we found differences between non-human apes, modern humans, and the fossil taxa in trabecular spacing (Tb.Sp.), number (Tb.N.), and thickness (Tb.th.). While low DA in both fossils suggests increased mobility of the MT1, differences in their trabecular distributions could indicate variable locomotion in these Pleistocene hominins (recognizing that the juvenile status of SK 1813 is a potential confounding factor). In particular, evidence for consistent loading in hyper-dorsiflexion in SKX 5017 would suggest locomotor behaviors beyond human-like toe off during terrestrial locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Komza
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Canada; School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Holowka NB, Lieberman DE. Rethinking the evolution of the human foot: insights from experimental research. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:221/17/jeb174425. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.174425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Adaptive explanations for modern human foot anatomy have long fascinated evolutionary biologists because of the dramatic differences between our feet and those of our closest living relatives, the great apes. Morphological features, including hallucal opposability, toe length and the longitudinal arch, have traditionally been used to dichotomize human and great ape feet as being adapted for bipedal walking and arboreal locomotion, respectively. However, recent biomechanical models of human foot function and experimental investigations of great ape locomotion have undermined this simple dichotomy. Here, we review this research, focusing on the biomechanics of foot strike, push-off and elastic energy storage in the foot, and show that humans and great apes share some underappreciated, surprising similarities in foot function, such as use of plantigrady and ability to stiffen the midfoot. We also show that several unique features of the human foot, including a spring-like longitudinal arch and short toes, are likely adaptations to long distance running. We use this framework to interpret the fossil record and argue that the human foot passed through three evolutionary stages: first, a great ape-like foot adapted for arboreal locomotion but with some adaptations for bipedal walking; second, a foot adapted for effective bipedal walking but retaining some arboreal grasping adaptations; and third, a human-like foot adapted for enhanced economy during long-distance walking and running that had lost its prehensility. Based on this scenario, we suggest that selection for bipedal running played a major role in the loss of arboreal adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B. Holowka
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Daniel E. Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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19
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Chaney ME, Dao TV, Brechtel BS, Belovich SJ, Siesel KJ, Fredieu JR. The fibularis digiti quinti tendon: A cadaveric study with anthropological and clinical considerations. Foot (Edinb) 2018; 34:45-47. [PMID: 29278836 DOI: 10.1016/j.foot.2017.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 11/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
In addition to the fibularis longus and brevis muscles, a number of anomalous muscles or tendons can arise from the lateral compartment of the leg. The authors describe a bilateral and robust fibularis digiti quinti (FDQ) tendon present in the foot of a 99-year-old female cadaver, present the incidence of this tendon in a cohort of 26 cadavers dissected by podiatric-medical students for a lower-extremity anatomy course, and discuss the anthropological and clinical significance of the findings. In these specimen, the FDQ tendon arose from the fibularis brevis tendon proximal to the lateral malleolus, but did not separate completely from the fibularis brevis tendon until passing through the inferior fibular retinaculum. On the lateral dorsum of the foot, the FDQ passed through a third fibular retinaculum formed by the fibularis tertius tendon, and inserted onto the extensor sling of the fifth digit. This case specimen is designated as an example of the fully present category. Of the 52 limbs dissected, 17 limbs (33%) showed a fully present FDQ, while 20 limbs (38%) exhibited an FDQ in a rudimentary form. Thus, 71% of the limbs showed some presence of the FDQ. Because human bipedality requires less dexterity than that of nonhuman primates in the routine use of their hindlimbs, the authors interpret the high variability of the FDQ, including its absence in many feet, as a relaxation of natural selection maintaining this trait since the divergence of humans from African apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E Chaney
- Department of Anthropology & School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States.
| | - Tung V Dao
- College of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University, Independence, OH, United States
| | - Benjamin S Brechtel
- College of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University, Independence, OH, United States
| | - Stephanie J Belovich
- College of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University, Independence, OH, United States
| | - Kathy J Siesel
- College of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University, Independence, OH, United States
| | - John R Fredieu
- College of Podiatric Medicine, Kent State University, Independence, OH, United States
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20
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Halsey LG, Coward SRL, Thorpe SKS. Bridging the gap: parkour athletes provide new insights into locomotion energetics of arboreal apes. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0608. [PMID: 27881766 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The tree canopy is an energetically challenging environment to traverse. Along with compliant vegetation, gaps in the canopy can prove energetically costly if they force a route-extending detour. Arboreal apes exhibit diverse locomotion strategies, including for gap crossing. Which one they employ in any given scenario may be influenced by the energy costs to do so, which are affected by the details of the immediate environment in combination with their body size. Measuring energetics of arboreal apes is not tractable; thus our knowledge in this area is limited. We devised a novel, custom-made experimental set-up to record the energy expenditure of parkour athletes tree-swaying, jumping and vertical climbing. The latter strategy was vastly more expensive, indicating that when energy economy is the focus arboreal apes will prioritize routes that limit height changes. Whether tree-swaying or jumping was most economical for the athletes depended upon interactions between tree stiffness, the distance to cross, number of tree-sways required and their own mass. Updated analysis of previous interspecific correlations suggests that whether the relative costs to vertical climb are size-invariant across primate species is complicated by details of the climbing context.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel R L Coward
- University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.,Dudley College, Dudley DY1 4AS, UK
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21
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Tsegai ZJ, Skinner MM, Gee AH, Pahr DH, Treece GM, Hublin JJ, Kivell TL. Trabecular and cortical bone structure of the talus and distal tibia in Pan and Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:784-805. [PMID: 28542704 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Internal bone structure, both cortical and trabecular bone, remodels in response to loading and may provide important information regarding behavior. The foot is well suited to analysis of internal bone structure because it experiences the initial substrate reaction forces, due to its proximity to the substrate. Moreover, as humans and apes differ in loading of the foot, this region is relevant to questions concerning arboreal locomotion and bipedality in the hominoid fossil record. MATERIALS AND METHODS We apply a whole-bone/epiphysis approach to analyze trabecular and cortical bone in the distal tibia and talus of Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. We quantify bone volume fraction (BV/TV), degree of anisotropy (DA), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), bone surface to volume ratio (BS/BV), and cortical thickness and investigate the distribution of BV/TV and cortical thickness throughout the bone/epiphysis. RESULTS We find that Pan has a greater BV/TV, a lower BS/BV and thicker cortices than Homo in both the talus and distal tibia. The trabecular structure of the talus is more divergent than the tibia, having thicker, less uniformly aligned trabeculae in Pan compared to Homo. Differences in dorsiflexion at the talocrural joint and in degree of mobility at the talonavicular joint are reflected in the distribution of cortical and trabecular bone. DISCUSSION Overall, quantified trabecular parameters represent overall differences in bone strength between the two species, however, DA may be directly related to joint loading. Cortical and trabecular bone distributions correlate with habitual joint positions adopted by each species, and thus have potential for interpreting joint position in fossil hominoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewdi J Tsegai
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew H Gee
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dieter H Pahr
- Institute for Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics, Vienna University of Technology, Wien, Austria
| | - Graham M Treece
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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22
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Saeki I, Niwa S, Osada N, Hyodo F, Ohta T, Oishi Y, Hiura T. Adaptive significance of arboreality: field evidence from a tree-climbing land snail. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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23
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Human bipedal instability in tree canopy environments is reduced by "light touch" fingertip support. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1135. [PMID: 28442732 PMCID: PMC5430707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Whether tree canopy habitats played a sustained role in the ecology of ancestral bipedal hominins is unresolved. Some argue that arboreal bipedalism was prohibitively risky for hominins whose increasingly modern anatomy prevented them from gripping branches with their feet. Balancing on two legs is indeed challenging for humans under optimal conditions let alone in forest canopy, which is physically and visually highly dynamic. Here we quantify the impact of forest canopy characteristics on postural stability in humans. Viewing a movie of swaying branches while standing on a branch-like bouncy springboard destabilised the participants as much as wearing a blindfold. However “light touch”, a sensorimotor strategy based on light fingertip support, significantly enhanced their balance and lowered their thigh muscle activity by up to 30%. This demonstrates how a light touch strategy could have been central to our ancestor’s ability to avoid falls and reduce the mechanical and metabolic cost of arboreal feeding and movement. Our results may also indicate that some adaptations in the hand that facilitated continued access to forest canopy may have complemented, rather than opposed, adaptations that facilitated precise manipulation and tool use.
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24
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Halsey LG, Coward SRL, Crompton RH, Thorpe SKS. Practice makes perfect: Performance optimisation in 'arboreal' parkour athletes illuminates the evolutionary ecology of great ape anatomy. J Hum Evol 2017; 103:45-52. [PMID: 28166907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
An animal's size is central to its ecology, yet remarkably little is known about the selective pressures that drive this trait. A particularly compelling example is how ancestral apes evolved large body mass in such a physically and energetically challenging environment as the forest canopy, where weight-bearing branches and lianas are flexible, irregular and discontinuous, and the majority of preferred foods are situated on the most flexible branches at the periphery of tree crowns. To date the issue has been intractable due to a lack of relevant fossil material, the limited capacity of the fossil record to reconstruct an animal's behavioural ecology and the inability to measure energy consumption in freely moving apes. We studied the oxygen consumption of parkour athletes while they traversed an arboreal-like course as an elite model ape, to test the ecomorphological and behavioural mechanisms by which a large-bodied ape could optimize its energetic performance during tree-based locomotion. Our results show that familiarity with the arboreal-like course allowed the athletes to substantially reduce their energy expenditure. Furthermore, athletes with larger arm spans and shorter legs were particularly adept at finding energetic savings. Our results flesh out the scanty fossil record to offer evidence that long, strong arms, broad chests and a strong axial system, combined with the frequent use of uniform branch-to-branch arboreal pathways, were critical to off-setting the mechanical and energetic demands of large mass in ancestral apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G Halsey
- Centre for Research in Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London, SW15 4JD, UK.
| | - Samuel R L Coward
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Robin H Crompton
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Ashton Street, Liverpool, L69 3GE, UK.
| | - Susannah K S Thorpe
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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25
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Kozak M, Tobalske B, Martins C, Bowley S, Wuerbel H, Harlander-Matauschek A. Use of space by domestic chicks housed in complex aviaries. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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26
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Crompton RH. The hominins: a very conservative tribe? Last common ancestors, plasticity and ecomorphology in Hominidae. Or, What's in a name? J Anat 2016; 228:686-99. [PMID: 26729562 PMCID: PMC4804133 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the early 20th century the dominant paradigm for the ecological context of the origins of human bipedalism was arboreal suspension. In the 1960s, however, with recognition of the close genetic relationship of humans, chimpanzees and bonobos, and with the first field studies of mountain gorillas and common chimpanzees, it was assumed that locomotion similar to that of common chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, which appeared to be dominated by terrestrial knuckle-walking, must have given rise to human bipedality. This paradigm has been popular, if not universally dominant, until very recently. However, evidence that neither the knuckle-walking or vertical climbing of these apes is mechanically similar to human bipedalism, as well as the hand-assisted bipedality and orthograde clambering of orang-utans, has cast doubt on this paradigm. It now appears that the dominance of terrestrial knuckle-walking in mountain gorillas is an artefact seen only in the extremes of their range, and that both mountain and lowland gorillas have a generalized orthogrady similar to that seen in orang-utans. These data, together with evidence for continued arboreal competence in humans, mesh well with an increasing weight of fossil evidence suggesting that a mix of orang-utan and gorilla-like arboreal locomotion and upright terrestrial bipedalism characterized most australopiths. The late split date of the panins, corresponding to dates for separation of Homo and Australopithecus, leads to the speculation that competition with chimpanzees, as appears to exist today with gorillas, may have driven ecological changes in hominins and perhaps cladogenesis. However, selection for ecological plasticity and morphological conservatism is a core characteristic of Hominidae as a whole, including Hominini.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Huw Crompton
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Institute of Human Origins, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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27
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Janmaat KR, Boesch C, Byrne R, Chapman CA, Goné Bi ZB, Head JS, Robbins MM, Wrangham RW, Polansky L. Spatio-temporal complexity of chimpanzee food: How cognitive adaptations can counteract the ephemeral nature of ripe fruit. Am J Primatol 2016; 78:626-45. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Karline R.L. Janmaat
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Richard Byrne
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience; University of St Andrews; St Andrews United Kingdom
| | - Colin A. Chapman
- Department of Anthropology and McGill School of Environment; McGill University; Montreal Canada
| | - Zoro B. Goné Bi
- UFR Biosciences; Université Félix Houphouët Boigny; Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Josephine S. Head
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Martha M. Robbins
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Richard W. Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Anthropology; Harvard University; Cambridge Massachusetts
| | - Leo Polansky
- Department of Primatology; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
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28
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Richmond BG, Roach NT, Ostrofsky KR. Evolution of the Early Hominin Hand. DEVELOPMENTS IN PRIMATOLOGY: PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-3646-5_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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29
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Butler EE, Dominy NJ. Architecture and functional ecology of the human gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit. J Anat 2015; 228:561-8. [PMID: 26712532 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The gastrocnemius muscle-tendon unit (MTU) is central to human locomotion. Structural variation in the human gastrocnemius MTU is predicted to affect the efficiency of locomotion, a concept most often explored in the context of performance activities. For example, stiffness of the Achilles tendon varies among individuals with different histories of competitive running. Such a finding highlights the functional variation of individuals and raises the possibility of similar variation between populations, perhaps in response to specific ecological or environmental demands. Researchers often assume minimal variation in human populations, or that industrialized populations represent the human species as well as any other. Yet rainforest hunter-gatherers, which often express the human pygmy phenotype, contradict such assumptions. Indeed, the human pygmy phenotype is a potential model system for exploring the range of ecomorphological variation in the architecture of human hindlimb muscles, a concept we review here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E Butler
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, USA.,William H. Neukom Institute for Computational Science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Dominy
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
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30
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Ashbury AM, Posa MRC, Dunkel LP, Spillmann B, Atmoko SSU, van Schaik CP, van Noordwijk MA. Why do orangutans leave the trees? Terrestrial behavior among wild Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii) at Tuanan, Central Kalimantan. Am J Primatol 2015; 77:1216-29. [PMID: 26317698 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Revised: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Orangutans (genus Pongo) are the largest arboreal mammals, but Bornean orangutans (P. pygmaeus spp.) also spend time on the ground. Here, we investigate ground use among orangutans using 32,000 hr of direct focal animal observations from a well-habituated wild population of Bornean orangutans (P. p. wurmbii) living in a closed-canopy swamp forest at Tuanan, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Ground use did not change with increasing observation time of well-habituated individuals, suggesting it was not an artifact of observer presence. Flanged males spent the most time on the ground (ca. 5% of active time), weaned immatures the least (around 1%). Females and immatures descended mainly to feed, especially on termites, whereas flanged males traveled more while on the ground. Flanged males may travel more inconspicuously, and perhaps also faster, when moving on the ground. In addition, orangutans engaged in ground-specific behavior, including drinking from and bathing in swamp pools. Supplementary records from 20 ground-level camera traps, totaling 3986 trap days, confirmed the observed age-sex biases in ground use at Tuanan. We conclude that ground use is a natural part of the Bornean orangutan behavioral repertoire, however it remains unclear to what extent food scarcity and canopy structure explain population differences in ground use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison M Ashbury
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mary Rose C Posa
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lynda P Dunkel
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Spillmann
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Carel P van Schaik
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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31
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Jolk C, Dalgas U, Osada N, Platen P, Marziniak M. Effects of sports climbing on muscle performance and balance for patients with multiple sclerosis: A case series. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF THERAPY AND REHABILITATION 2015. [DOI: 10.12968/ijtr.2015.22.8.371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Jolk
- Physiotherapist, Centre of Health Care and Physiotherapy, Ahaus-Vreden, Germany
| | - Ulrik Dalgas
- Associate professor, Department of Public Health, Section of Sports Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Nani Osada
- Statistician and medical computer scientist, Department of Medical Informatics, University of Münster, Germany
| | - Petra Platen
- Head of Department, Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, University of Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Marziniak
- Head of Department, Department of Neurology, Isar-Amper-Klinikum, Munich, Germany
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32
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Kraft TS, Venkataraman VV. Could plant extracts have enabled hominins to acquire honey before the control of fire? J Hum Evol 2015; 85:65-74. [PMID: 26145789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 05/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Honey is increasingly recognized as an important food item in human evolution, but it remains unclear whether extinct hominins could have overcome the formidable collective stinging defenses of honey bees during honey acquisition. The utility of smoke for this purpose is widely recognized, but little research has explored alternative methods of sting deterrence such as the use of plant secondary compounds. To consider whether hominins could have used plant extracts as a precursor or alternative to smoke, we review the ethnographic, ethnobotanical, and plant chemical ecology literature to examine how humans use plants in combination with, and independently of, smoke during honey collection. Plant secondary compounds are diverse in their physiological and behavioral effects on bees and differ fundamentally from those of smoke. Plants containing these chemicals are widespread and prove to be remarkably effective in facilitating honey collection by honey hunters and beekeepers worldwide. While smoke may be superior as a deterrent to bees, plant extracts represent a plausible precursor or alternative to the use of smoke during honey collection by hominins. Smoke is a sufficient but not necessary condition for acquiring honey in amounts exceeding those typically obtained by chimpanzees, suggesting that significant honey consumption could have predated the control of fire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas S Kraft
- Department of Biological Sciences, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Vivek V Venkataraman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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Nasir NFM, Kannan TP, Sulaiman SA, Shamsuddin S, Azlina A, Stangaciu S. The relationship between telomere length and beekeeping among Malaysians. AGE (DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS) 2015; 37:9797. [PMID: 26028466 PMCID: PMC4450150 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-015-9797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The belief that beekeepers live longer than anyone else is present since ages. However, no research has been done to explore the longevity of life in beekeepers. Here, we investigated the telomere length in 30 male beekeepers and 30 male non-beekeepers and associated them with the longevity of life using Southern analysis of terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) generated by Hinf I/Rsa I digestion of human genomic DNA using TeloTAGGG Telomere Length Assay. Interestingly, we found that the telomere length of male beekeepers was significantly longer than those of male non-beekeepers with a p value of less than 0.05, suggesting that beekeepers may have longer life compared to non-beekeepers. We further found that the consumption of bee products for a long period and frequent consumption of bee products per day are associated with telomere length. An increase of year in consuming bee products is associated with a mean increase in telomere length of 0.258 kbp. In addition, an increase in frequency of eating bee products per day was also associated with a mean increase of 2.66 kbp in telomere length. These results suggested that bee products might play some roles in telomere length maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thirumulu Ponnuraj Kannan
- />School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 Malaysia
- />Human Genome Centre, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 Malaysia
| | - Siti Amrah Sulaiman
- />Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 Malaysia
| | - Shaharum Shamsuddin
- />School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 Malaysia
| | - Ahmad Azlina
- />School of Dental Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan 16150 Malaysia
| | - Stefan Stangaciu
- />Apitherapy Consulting & Trading International SRL, Sat Mereni, str. Principala nr. 106A, Comuna Contesti, Dambovita 137133 Romania
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Jashashvili T, Dowdeswell MR, Lebrun R, Carlson KJ. Cortical structure of hallucal metatarsals and locomotor adaptations in hominoids. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0117905. [PMID: 25635768 PMCID: PMC4311976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0117905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Diaphyseal morphology of long bones, in part, reflects in vivo loads experienced during the lifetime of an individual. The first metatarsal, as a cornerstone structure of the foot, presumably expresses diaphyseal morphology that reflects loading history of the foot during stance phase of gait. Human feet differ substantially from those of other apes in terms of loading histories when comparing the path of the center of pressure during stance phase, which reflects different weight transfer mechanisms. Here we use a novel approach for quantifying continuous thickness and cross-sectional geometric properties of long bones in order to test explicit hypotheses about loading histories and diaphyseal structure of adult chimpanzee, gorilla, and human first metatarsals. For each hallucal metatarsal, 17 cross sections were extracted at regularly-spaced intervals (2.5% length) between 25% and 65% length. Cortical thickness in cross sections was measured in one degree radially-arranged increments, while second moments of area were measured about neutral axes also in one degree radially-arranged increments. Standardized thicknesses and second moments of area were visualized using false color maps, while penalized discriminant analyses were used to evaluate quantitative species differences. Humans systematically exhibit the thinnest diaphyseal cortices, yet the greatest diaphyseal rigidities, particularly in dorsoplantar regions. Shifts in orientation of maximum second moments of area along the diaphysis also distinguish human hallucal metatarsals from those of chimpanzees and gorillas. Diaphyseal structure reflects different loading regimes, often in predictable ways, with human versus non-human differences probably resulting both from the use of arboreal substrates by non-human apes and by differing spatial relationships between hallux position and orientation of the substrate reaction resultant during stance. The novel morphological approach employed in this study offers the potential for transformative insights into form-function relationships in additional long bones, including those of extinct organisms (e.g., fossils).
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Jashashvili
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
- * E-mail:
| | - Mark R. Dowdeswell
- School of Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Renaud Lebrun
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier—UMR 5554, Montpellier, France
| | - Kristian J. Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
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Marlowe FW, Berbesque JC, Wood B, Crittenden A, Porter C, Mabulla A. Honey, Hadza, hunter-gatherers, and human evolution. J Hum Evol 2014; 71:119-28. [PMID: 24746602 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2012] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Honey is the most energy dense food in nature. It is therefore not surprising that, where it exists, honey is an important food for almost all hunter-gatherers. Here we describe and analyze widespread honey collecting among foragers and show that where it is absent, in arctic and subarctic habitats, honey bees are also rare to absent. Second, we focus on one hunter-gatherer society, the Hadza of Tanzania. Hadza men and women both rank honey as their favorite food. Hadza acquire seven types of honey. Hadza women usually acquire honey that is close to the ground while men often climb tall baobab trees to raid the largest bee hives with stinging bees. Honey accounts for a substantial proportion of the kilocalories in the Hadza diet, especially that of Hadza men. Cross-cultural forager data reveal that in most hunter-gatherers, men acquire more honey than women but often, as with the Hadza, women do acquire some. Virtually all warm-climate foragers consume honey. Our closest living relatives, the great apes, take honey when they can. We suggest that honey has been part of the diet of our ancestors dating back to at least the earliest hominins. The earliest hominins, however, would have surely been less capable of acquiring as much honey as more recent, fully modern human hunter-gatherers. We discuss reasons for thinking our early ancestors would have acquired less honey than foragers ethnographically described, yet still significantly more than our great ape relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank W Marlowe
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Rm. 2.3, Henry Wellcome Building, Cambridge CB2 1QH, UK.
| | - J Colette Berbesque
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Brian Wood
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alyssa Crittenden
- Department of Anthropology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Claire Porter
- Polar Geospatial Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Audax Mabulla
- Department of Archaeology, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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McGrew WC. The 'other faunivory' revisited: Insectivory in human and non-human primates and the evolution of human diet. J Hum Evol 2014; 71:4-11. [PMID: 24560030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2013.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2012] [Revised: 01/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The role of invertebrates in the evolution of human diet has been under-studied by comparison with vertebrates and plants. This persists despite substantial knowledge of the importance of the 'other faunivory', especially insect-eating, in the daily lives of non-human primates and traditional human societies, especially hunters and gatherers. Most primates concentrate on two phyla, Mollusca and Arthropoda, but of the latter's classes, insects (especially five orders: Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera) are paramount. An insect product, bees' honey, is particularly important, and its collection shows a reversal of the usual sexual division of labor. Human entomophagy involves advanced technology (fire, containers) and sometimes domestication. Insectivory provides comparable calorific and nutritional benefits to carnivory, but with different costs. Much insectivory in hominoids entails elementary technology used in extractive foraging, such as termite fishing by chimpanzees. Elucidating insectivory in the fossil and paleontological record is challenging, but at least nine avenues are available: remains, lithics, residues, DNA, coprolites, dental microwear, stable isotopes, osteology, and depictions. All are in play, but some have been more successful so far than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C McGrew
- Division of Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Fitzwilliam St., Cambridge CB21QH, UK.
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