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Aramendi J, Mabulla A, Baquedano E, Domínguez-Rodrigo M. Biomechanical and taxonomic diversity in the Early Pleistocene in East Africa: Structural analysis of a recently discovered femur shaft from Olduvai Gorge (bed I). J Hum Evol 2024; 186:103469. [PMID: 38071888 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent Plio-Pleistocene hominin findings have revealed the complexity of human evolutionary history and the difficulties involved in its interpretation. Moreover, the study of hominin long bone remains is particularly problematic, since it commonly depends on the analysis of fragmentary skeletal elements that in many cases are merely represented by small diaphyseal portions and appear in an isolated fashion in the fossil record. Nevertheless, the study of the postcranial skeleton is particularly important to ascertain locomotor patterns. Here we report on the discovery of a robust hominin femoral fragment (OH 84) at the site of Amin Mturi Korongo dated to 1.84 Ma (Olduvai Bed I). External anatomy and internal bone structure of OH 84 were analyzed and compared with previously published data for modern humans and chimpanzees, as well as for Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo specimens ranging from the Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene. Biomechanical analyses based on transverse cross-sections and the comparison of OH 84 with another robust Olduvai specimen (OH 80) suggest that OH 84 might be tentatively allocated to Paranthropus boisei. More importantly, the identification of a unique combination of traits in OH 84 could indicate both terrestrial bipedalism and an arboreal component in the locomotor repertoire of this individual. If interpreted correctly, OH 84 could thus add to the already mounting evidence of substantial locomotor diversity among Early Pleistocene hominins. Likewise, our results also highlight the difficulties in accurately interpreting the link between form and function in the human fossil record based on fragmentary remains, and ultimately in distinguishing between coeval hominin groups due to the heterogeneous pattern of inter- and intraspecific morphological variability detected among fossil femora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Aramendi
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UK.
| | - Audax Mabulla
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Dar Es Salaam, P.O. Box 35050, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Enrique Baquedano
- Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, Plaza de Las Bernardas s/n, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), University of Alcalá and Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, C/Covarrubias 36, 28010, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo
- Institute of Evolution in Africa (IDEA), University of Alcalá and Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid, C/Covarrubias 36, 28010, Madrid, Spain; University of Alcalá, Department of History and Philosophy, Area of Prehistory, C/Colegios 2, 28801, Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Rice University, Department of Anthropology, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX, 77005 1827, USA
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Ward CV, Hammond AS, Grine FE, Mongle CS, Lawrence J, Kimbel WH. Taxonomic attribution of the KNM-ER 1500 partial skeleton from the Burgi Member of the Koobi Fora Formation, Kenya. J Hum Evol 2023; 184:103426. [PMID: 37769373 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103426] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Paranthropus boisei is well represented in the eastern African fossil record by craniodental remains, but very few postcranial fossils can be securely attributed to this taxon. For this reason, KNM-ER 1500 from East Turkana, Kenya, is especially important. KNM-ER 1500 is a badly weathered and fragmented postcranial skeleton associated with a small piece of mandibular corpus. It derives from the Burgi Member, which has yielded diagnostic craniodental fossils attributable to P. boisei, Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis and Homo erectus. Although it has been proposed that KNM-ER 1500 may be attributable to P. boisei based on the small mandibular fragment, this hypothesis remained challenging to test. Here we re-examine the preserved portions of KNM-ER 1500 and reassess support for its taxonomic attribution. There are compelling features of the mandible, proximal femur, and especially the proximal radius that support attribution of KNM-ER 1500 to P. boisei. These features include the absolute width of the mandible and its lack of a lateral intertoral sulcus, an anteroposteriorly compressed femoral neck with a distinctive posteroinferior marginal ridge, the rim of the radial head that is proximodistally uniform in thickness around its circumference, and a long radial neck that is elliptical in cross section. No feature serves to align KNM-ER 1500 with Homo to the exclusion of Paranthropus. KNM-ER 1500 was a small-bodied individual and attributing this specimen to P. boisei confirms that significant postcranial-size dimorphism was present in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol V Ward
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, M263 Medical Sciences Building, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65212, USA; Department of Anthropology, 107 Swallow Hall, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, 79th St. at Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA; New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), American Museum of Natural History, 79th St. at Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, 79th St. at Central Park West, New York, NY 10024, USA; Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Julie Lawrence
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - William H Kimbel
- Institute of Human Origins and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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3
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Antón SC, Middleton ER. Making meaning from fragmentary fossils: Early Homo in the Early to early Middle Pleistocene. J Hum Evol 2023; 179:103307. [PMID: 37030994 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 04/10/2023]
Abstract
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Human Evolution, we re-evaluate the fossil record for early Homo (principally Homo erectus, Homo habilis, and Homo rudolfensis) from early diversification and dispersal in the Early Pleistocene to the ultimate demise of H. erectus in the early Middle Pleistocene. The mid-1990s marked an important historical turning point in our understanding of early Homo with the redating of key H. erectus localities, the discovery of small H. erectus in Asia, and the recovery of an even earlier presence of early Homo in Africa. As such, we compare our understanding of early Homo before and after this time and discuss how the order of fossil discovery and a focus on anchor specimens has shaped, and in many ways biased, our interpretations of early Homo species and the fossils allocated to them. Fragmentary specimens may counter conventional wisdom but are often overlooked in broad narratives. We recognize at least three different cranial and two or three pelvic morphotypes of early Homo. Just one postcranial morph aligns with any certainty to a cranial species, highlighting the importance of explicitly identifying how we link specimens together and to species; we offer two ways of visualizing these connections. Chronologically and morphologically H. erectus is a member of early Homo, not a temporally more recent species necessarily evolved from either H. habilis or H. rudolfensis. Nonetheless, an ancestral-descendant notion of their evolution influences expectations around the anatomy of missing elements, especially the foot. Weak support for long-held notions of postcranial modernity in H. erectus raises the possibility of alternative drivers of dispersal. New observations suggest that the dearth of faces in later H. erectus may mask taxonomic diversity in Asia and suggest various later mid-Pleistocene populations could derive from either Asia or Africa. Future advances will rest on the development of nuanced ways to affiliate fossils, greater transparency of implicit assumptions, and attention to detailed life history information for comparative collections; all critical pursuits for future research given the great potential they have to enrich our evolutionary reconstructions for the next fifty years and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Antón
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, NY, NY 10003, USA.
| | - Emily R Middleton
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA
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Avni HL, Shvalb N, Pokhojaev A, Francis S, Pelleg-Kallevag R, Roul V, Hublin JJ, Rühli F, May H. Evolutionary roots of the risk of hip fracture in humans. Commun Biol 2023; 6:283. [PMID: 36932194 PMCID: PMC10023703 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04633-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition to bipedal locomotion was a fundamental milestone in human evolution. Consequently, the human skeleton underwent substantial morphological adaptations. These adaptations are responsible for many of today's common physical impairments, including hip fractures. This study aims to reveal the morphological changes in the proximal femur, which increase the risk of intracapsular hip fractures in present-day populations. Our sample includes chimpanzees, early hominins, early Homo Neanderthals, as well as prehistoric and recent humans. Using Geometric Morphometric methods, we demonstrate differences in the proximal femur shape between hominids and populations that practiced different lifestyles. We show that the proximal femur morphology is a risk factor for intracapsular hip fracture independent of osteoporosis. Changes in the proximal femur, such as the shortening of the femoral neck and an increased anterolateral expansion of the greater trochanter, are associated with an increased risk for intracapsular hip fractures. We conclude that intracapsular hip fractures are a trade-off for efficient bipedal walking in humans, and their risk is exacerbated by reduced physical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadas Leah Avni
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Nir Shvalb
- Mechanical Engineering Department, Ariel University, Ariel, 40700, Israel
| | - Ariel Pokhojaev
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Department of Oral Biology, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Samuel Francis
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Ruth Pelleg-Kallevag
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- Zefat Academic College, Zefat, Israel
| | - Victoria Roul
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Chaire de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241 - U1050), Collège de France, Paris, 75231, France
- Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Frank Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, CH-8057, Switzerland
| | - Hila May
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
- The Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute, the Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 6997801, Israel.
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Cazenave M, Kivell TL. Challenges and perspectives on functional interpretations of australopith postcrania and the reconstruction of hominin locomotion. J Hum Evol 2023; 175:103304. [PMID: 36563461 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 1994, Hunt published the 'postural feeding hypothesis'-a seminal paper on the origins of hominin bipedalism-founded on the detailed study of chimpanzee positional behavior and the functional inferences derived from the upper and lower limb morphology of the Australopithecus afarensis A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. Hunt proposed a model for understanding the potential selective pressures on hominins, made robust, testable predictions based on Au. afarensis functional morphology, and presented a hypothesis that aimed to explain the dual functional signals of the Au. afarensis and, more generally, early hominin postcranium. Here we synthesize what we have learned about Au. afarensis functional morphology and the dual functional signals of two new australopith discoveries with relatively complete skeletons (Australopithecus sediba and StW 573 'Australopithecus prometheus'). We follow this with a discussion of three research approaches that have been developed for the purpose of drawing behavioral inferences in early hominins: (1) developments in the study of extant apes as models for understanding hominin origins; (2) novel and continued developments to quantify bipedal gait and locomotor economy in extant primates to infer the locomotor costs from the anatomy of fossil taxa; and (3) novel developments in the study of internal bone structure to extract functional signals from fossil remains. In conclusion of this review, we discuss some of the inherent challenges of the approaches and methodologies adopted to reconstruct the locomotor modes and behavioral repertoires in extinct primate taxa, and notably the assessment of habitual terrestrial bipedalism in early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Cazenave
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA; Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK; Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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6
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Grine FE, Mongle CS, Fleagle JG, Hammond AS. The taxonomic attribution of African hominin postcrania from the Miocene through the Pleistocene: Associations and assumptions. J Hum Evol 2022; 173:103255. [PMID: 36375243 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Postcranial bones may provide valuable information about fossil taxa relating to their locomotor habits, manipulative abilities and body sizes. Distinctive features of the postcranial skeleton are sometimes noted in species diagnoses. Although numerous isolated postcranial fossils have become accepted by many workers as belonging to a particular species, it is worthwhile revisiting the evidence for each attribution before including them in comparative samples in relation to the descriptions of new fossils, functional analyses in relation to particular taxa, or in evolutionary contexts. Although some workers eschew the taxonomic attribution of postcranial fossils as being less important (or interesting) than interpreting their functional morphology, it is impossible to consider the evolution of functional anatomy in a taxonomic and phylogenetic vacuum. There are 21 widely recognized hominin taxa that have been described from sites in Africa dated from the Late Miocene to the Middle Pleistocene; postcranial elements have been attributed to 17 of these. The bones that have been thus assigned range from many parts of a skeleton to isolated elements. However, the extent to which postcranial material can be reliably attributed to a specific taxon varies considerably from site to site and species to species, and is often the subject of considerable debate. Here, we review the postcranial remains attributed to African hominin taxa from the Late Miocene to the Middle and Late Pleistocene and place these assignations into categories of reliability. The catalog of attributions presented here may serve as a guide for making taxonomic decisions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederick E Grine
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA.
| | - Carrie S Mongle
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - John G Fleagle
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024-5192, USA; New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, NY 10024, USA
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7
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Chattopadhyay T, Gupta P, Nayak R, Mallick B. Genome-wide profiling of dysregulated piRNAs and their target genes implicated in oncogenicity of Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Gene 2022; 849:146919. [PMID: 36179965 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are single-stranded, 23-36 nucleotide long RNAs that regulate gene expression in the germline but are also detected in some cancers. However, there are no reports yet on piRNA expression in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC), the most common oral cancer (80-90% percent of all oral cancers). We performed small RNA and whole transcriptome sequencing in H357 tongue cancer and HOK cells (GEO database accession numbers: GSE196674 and GSE196688). We also examined nine published sets of gene expression array data of TSCC tissues from the GEO database to decode piRNAs and their putative targets that may be involved in tumorigenesis. We identified a pool of 16058 and 25677 piRNAs in H357 and HOK, respectively, among which 406 are differentially expressed. We also found that 2094 protein-coding genes are differentially expressed in either TSCC tissues or cell lines. We performed target predictions for these piRNA, pathway and disease function (DF) analyses, as well as qRT-PCR validation of piRNA-target pairs. These experiments revealed one up-regulated (FDFT1) and four down-regulated (OGA, BDH1, TAT, HYAL4) target genes that are enriched in 11 canonical pathways (CPs), with postulated roles in the initiation and progression of TSCC. Downregulation of piR-33422 is predicted to upregulate the FDFT1 gene, which encodes a mevalonate/cholesterol-pathway related farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase. The FDFT1 appears to be involved in the largest number of oncogenesis-related processes and is interacting with statins, which is a classical cancer drug. This study provides the first evidence of the piRNome of TSCC, which could be investigated further to decode piRNA-mediated gene regulations in malignancy and potential drug targets, such as FDFT1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trisha Chattopadhyay
- RNAi and Functional Genomics Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Pooja Gupta
- RNAi and Functional Genomics Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Rojalin Nayak
- RNAi and Functional Genomics Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India
| | - Bibekanand Mallick
- RNAi and Functional Genomics Lab, Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India.
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Two Late Pleistocene human femora from Trinil, Indonesia: Implications for body size and behavior in Southeast Asia. J Hum Evol 2022; 172:103252. [PMID: 36162353 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Late Pleistocene hominin postcranial specimens from Southeast Asia are relatively rare. Here we describe and place into temporal and geographic context two partial femora from the site of Trinil, Indonesia, which are dated stratigraphically and via Uranium-series direct dating to ca. 37-32 ka. The specimens, designated Trinil 9 and 10, include most of the diaphysis, with Trinil 9 being much better preserved. Microcomputed tomography is used to determine cross-sectional diaphyseal properties, with an emphasis on midshaft anteroposterior to mediolateral bending rigidity (Ix/Iy), which has been shown to relate to both body shape and activity level in modern humans. The body mass of Trinil 9 is estimated from cortical area and reconstructed length using new equations based on a Pleistocene reference sample. Comparisons are carried out with a large sample of Pleistocene and Holocene East Asian, African, and European/West Asian femora. Our results show that Trinil 9 has a high Ix/Iy ratio, most consistent with a relatively narrow-bodied male from a mobile hunting-gathering population. It has an estimated body mass of 55.4 kg and a stature of 156 cm, which are small relative to Late Pleistocene males worldwide, but larger than the penecontemporaneous Deep Skull femur from Niah Cave, Malaysia, which is very likely female. This suggests the presence of small-bodied active hunter-gatherers in Southeast Asia during the later Late Pleistocene. Trinil 9 also contrasts strongly in morphology with earlier partial femora from Trinil dating to the late Early-early Middle Pleistocene (Femora II-V), and to a lesser extent with the well-known complete Femur I, most likely dating to the terminal Middle-early Late Pleistocene. Temporal changes in morphology among femoral specimens from Trinil parallel those observed in Homo throughout the Old World during the Pleistocene and document these differences within a single site.
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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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10
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Calcar femorale variation in extant and fossil hominids: Implications for identifying bipedal locomotion in fossil hominins. J Hum Evol 2022; 167:103183. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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11
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Moffett EA. Sexual dimorphism in the size and shape of the non-obstetric pelvis across anthropoids. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 176:402-421. [PMID: 34453450 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The presence of sexual dimorphism in the birth canals of anthropoid primates is well documented, and birth canal dimorphism tends to be especially robust among species that give birth to relatively large neonates. However, it is less clear whether birth canal dimorphism is accompanied by dimorphism in parts of the pelvis not directly under selection for birth, particularly including bi-iliac breadth, biactetabular breadth, lengths of the ischium and ilium, and 3D shape. This study investigates the patterns of dimorphism among anthropoid primates in those parts of the pelvis which do not directly contribute to the bony birth canal, here termed the non-obstetric pelvis. METHODS 3D landmark data were collected on the bony pelves of 899 anthropoid primates. Specifically, landmark data were collected on parts of the pelvis not thought to be directly involved in selection for parturition, including portions of the posterior and superior ilium, acetabulum, and lateral ischium. Principal components analysis and Euclidean distance matrix analysis were used to ascertain sexual dimorphism in pelvic sizes and shapes within each species. RESULTS Results show that dimorphism in non-obstetric pelvic size and shape exists across anthropoids, just as is seen in the birth canal. However, the magnitude of dimorphism in non-obstetric pelvic shape tends to be greater among anthropoid species that give birth to relatively large neonates compared with those birthing smaller neonates relative to maternal pelvic size. CONCLUSIONS Though all anthropoids included in the study show some degree of sexual dimorphism in non-obstetric pelvic size and/or shape, species which give birth to large neonates relative to maternal pelvic size have the highest levels of dimorphism in pelvic shape. Moreover, the magnitude of dimorphism in certain parts of the non-obstetric pelvis mirrors patterns seen in the birth canal. The results of this study are promising for ascertaining pelvic dimorphism and relative neonate size in fossil primates, particularly in fragmentary remains which do not preserve a complete bony birth canal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Moffett
- Department of Clinical Anatomy and Osteopathic Principles, Rocky Vista University, Parker, Colorado, USA
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12
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Hammond AS, Mavuso SS, Biernat M, Braun DR, Jinnah Z, Kuo S, Melaku S, Wemanya SN, Ndiema EK, Patterson DB, Uno KT, Palcu DV. New hominin remains and revised context from the earliest Homo erectus locality in East Turkana, Kenya. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1939. [PMID: 33850143 PMCID: PMC8044126 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22208-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The KNM-ER 2598 occipital is among the oldest fossils attributed to Homo erectus but questions have been raised about whether it may derive from a younger horizon. Here we report on efforts to relocate the KNM-ER 2598 locality and investigate its paleontological and geological context. Although located in a different East Turkana collection area (Area 13) than initially reported, the locality is stratigraphically positioned below the KBS Tuff and the outcrops show no evidence of deflation of a younger unit, supporting an age of >1.855 Ma. Newly recovered faunal material consists primarily of C4 grazers, further confirmed by enamel isotope data. A hominin proximal 3rd metatarsal and partial ilium were discovered <50 m from the reconstructed location where KNM-ER 2598 was originally found but these cannot be associated directly with the occipital. The postcrania are consistent with fossil Homo and may represent the earliest postcrania attributable to Homo erectus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA.
- New York Consortium of Evolutionary Primatology (NYCEP), New York, NY, USA.
| | | | - Maryse Biernat
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - David R Braun
- Department of Anthropology and Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zubair Jinnah
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sharon Kuo
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Sahleselasie Melaku
- Authority for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage (ARCCH), National Museum of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Paleoanthropology and Paleoenvironment Program, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Sylvia N Wemanya
- Archaeology Section, Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Archaeology and History, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Emmanuel K Ndiema
- Archaeology Section, Department of Earth Sciences, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David B Patterson
- Department of Biology, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega, GA, USA
| | - Kevin T Uno
- Division of Biology and Paleo Environment, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | - Dan V Palcu
- Paleomagnetic Laboratory 'Fort Hoofddijk', Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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13
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Ragni AJ. Trabecular architecture of the capitate and third metacarpal through ontogeny in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla). J Hum Evol 2019; 138:102702. [PMID: 31805487 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) both knuckle-walk in adulthood but are known to develop their locomotor strategies differently. Using dentally defined age-groups of both Pan and Gorilla and behavioral data from the literature, this study presents an internal trabecular bone approach to better understand the morphological ontogeny of knuckle-walking in these taxa. Capitate and third metacarpal bones were scanned by μCT at 23-43 μm resolution with scaled volumes of interest placed centrally within the head of the capitate and base of the third metacarpal. Trabecular measures related to activity level (size-adjusted bone volume/total volume, trabecular number, and bone surface area/bone volume) met expectations of decreasing through ontogeny in both taxa. Degree of anisotropy did not show statistical support for predicted species differences, but this may be due to the sample size as observed changes through ontogeny reflect expected trends in the capitate. Analyses of principal trabecular orientation corroborated known behavioral differences related to variation of hand use in these taxa, but only Pan showed directional patterning associated with suggested wrist posture. Assessment of allometry showed that the trabecular bone of larger animals is characterized by fewer and thinner trabeculae relative to bone size. In combination, these findings confirm the efficacy of trabecular bone in reflecting locomotor ontogeny differences between closely related taxa. These techniques show promise for use within the hominin fossil record, particularly for taxa hypothesized to be arboreal in some capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J Ragni
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA; Department of Anthropology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA.
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14
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Fatica LM, Almécija S, McFarlin SC, Hammond AS. Pelvic shape variation among gorilla subspecies: Phylogenetic and ecological signals. J Hum Evol 2019; 137:102684. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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15
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Friedl L, Claxton AG, Walker CS, Churchill SE, Holliday TW, Hawks J, Berger LR, DeSilva JM, Marchi D. Femoral neck and shaft structure in Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber (Rising Star System, South Africa). J Hum Evol 2019; 133:61-77. [PMID: 31358184 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The abundant femoral assemblage of Homo naledi found in the Dinaledi Chamber provides a unique opportunity to test hypotheses regarding the taxonomy, locomotion, and loading patterns of this species. Here we describe neck and shaft cross-sectional structure of all the femoral fossils recovered in the Dinaledi Chamber and compare them to a broad sample of fossil hominins, recent humans, and extant apes. Cross-sectional geometric (CSG) properties from the femoral neck (base of neck and midneck) and diaphysis (subtrochanteric region and midshaft) were obtained through CT scans for H. naledi and through CT scans or from the literature for the comparative sample. The comparison of CSG properties of H. naledi and the comparative samples shows that H. naledi femoral neck is quite derived with low superoinferior cortical thickness ratio and high relative cortical area. The neck appears superoinferiorly elongated because of two bony pilasters on its superior surface. Homo naledi femoral shaft shows a relatively thick cortex compared to the other hominins. The subtrochanteric region of the diaphysis is mediolaterally elongated resembling early hominins while the midshaft is anteroposteriorly elongated, indicating high mobility levels. In term of diaphyseal robusticity, the H. naledi femur is more gracile that other hominins and most apes. Homo naledi shows a unique combination of characteristics in its femur that undoubtedly indicate a species committed to terrestrial bipedalism but with a unique loading pattern of the femur possibly consequence of the unique postcranial anatomy of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Friedl
- Department of Anthropology, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic
| | - Alex G Claxton
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, 409 Silsby, HB 6047, Hanover, USA
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 04 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Steven E Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 04 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC, 27708, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Trenton W Holliday
- Department of Anthropology, Tulane University, 417 Dinwiddie Hall, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - John Hawks
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, 5325 Sewell Social Science Building, Madison, WI, 53706, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Lee R Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Jeremy M DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, 409 Silsby, HB 6047, Hanover, USA; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Damiano Marchi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, vis Derna 1, Pisa, 56126, Italy; Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in PalaeoSciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, 2050, South Africa.
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16
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Walker CS, Cofran ZD, Grabowski M, Marchi D, Cook RW, Churchill SE, Tommy KA, Throckmorton Z, Ross AH, Hawks J, Yapuncich GS, Van Arsdale AP, Rentzeperis FI, Berger LR, DeSilva JM. Morphology of the Homo naledi femora from Lesedi. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:5-23. [PMID: 31228254 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The femoral remains recovered from the Lesedi Chamber are among the most complete South African fossil hominin femora discovered to date and offer new and valuable insights into the anatomy and variation of the bone in Homo naledi. While the femur is one of the best represented postcranial elements in the H. naledi assemblage from the Dinaledi Chamber, the fragmentary and commingled nature of the Dinaledi femoral remains has impeded the assessment of this element in its complete state. MATERIALS AND METHODS Here we analyze and provide descriptions of three new relatively well-preserved femoral specimens of H. naledi from the Lesedi Chamber: U.W. 102a-001, U.W. 102a-003, and U.W. 102a-004. These femora are quantitatively and qualitatively compared to multiple extinct hominin femoral specimens, extant hominid taxa, and, where possible, each other. RESULTS The Lesedi femora are morphologically similar to the Dinaledi femora for all overlapping regions, with differences limited to few traits of presently unknown significance. The Lesedi distal femur and mid-diaphysis preserve anatomy previously unidentified or unconfirmed in the species, including an anteroposteriorly expanded midshaft and anteriorly expanded patellar surface. The hypothesis that the Lesedi femoral sample may represent two individuals is supported. DISCUSSION The Lesedi femora increase the range of variation of femoral morphology in H. naledi. Newly described features of the diaphysis and distal femur are either taxonomically uninformative or Homo-like. Overall, these three new femora are consistent with previous functional interpretations of the H. naledi lower limb as belonging to a species adapted for long distance walking and, possibly, running.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Walker
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Zachary D Cofran
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Anthropology Department, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York
| | - Mark Grabowski
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Damiano Marchi
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Rebecca W Cook
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Steven E Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kimberleigh A Tommy
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Human Variation and Identification Research Unit, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Zachary Throckmorton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy, Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Smith, Arkansas
| | - Ann H Ross
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - John Hawks
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Gabriel S Yapuncich
- Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | | | - Lee R Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jeremy M DeSilva
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
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17
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Simpson SW, Levin NE, Quade J, Rogers MJ, Semaw S. Ardipithecus ramidus postcrania from the Gona Project area, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia. J Hum Evol 2019; 129:1-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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VanSickle C, Cofran Z, García-Martínez D, Williams SA, Churchill SE, Berger LR, Hawks J. Homo naledi pelvic remains from the Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa. J Hum Evol 2018; 125:122-136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Hammond AS, Almécija S, Libsekal Y, Rook L, Macchiarelli R. A partial Homo pelvis from the Early Pleistocene of Eritrea. J Hum Evol 2018; 123:109-128. [PMID: 30017175 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Here we analyze 1.07-0.99 million-year-old pelvic remains UA 173/405 from Buia, Eritrea. Based on size metrics, UA 173/405 is likely associated with an already described pubic symphysis (UA 466) found nearby. The morphology of UA 173/405 was quantitatively characterized using three-dimensional landmark-based morphometrics and linear data. The Buia specimen falls within the range of variation of modern humans for all metrics investigated, making it unlikely that the shared last common ancestor of Late Pleistocene Homo species would have had an australopith-like pelvis. The discovery of UA 173/405 adds to the increasing number of fossils suggesting that the postcranial morphology of Homo erectus s.l. was variable and, in some cases, nearly indistinguishable from modern human morphology. This Eritrean fossil demonstrates that modern human-like pelvic morphology may have had origins in the Early Pleistocene, potentially within later African H. erectus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S Hammond
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.
| | - Sergio Almécija
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA; Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola Del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Lorenzo Rook
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Terra, Università di Firenze, Via G. La Pira, 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy
| | - Roberto Macchiarelli
- UMR 7194 CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Palais de Chaillot, 17 Place du Trocadero, 75116 Paris, France; Unité de Formation Géosciences, Université de Poitiers, Bât. B35 Sciences Naturelles, 86073 Poitiers, France.
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20
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Ruff CB, Burgess ML, Squyres N, Junno JA, Trinkaus E. Lower limb articular scaling and body mass estimation in Pliocene and Pleistocene hominins. J Hum Evol 2018; 115:85-111. [PMID: 29331230 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Previous attempts to estimate body mass in pre-Holocene hominins have relied on prediction equations derived from relatively limited extant samples. Here we derive new equations to predict body mass from femoral head breadth and proximal tibial plateau breadth based on a large and diverse sample of modern humans (avoiding the problems associated with using diaphyseal dimensions and/or cadaveric reference samples). In addition, an adjustment for the relatively small femoral heads of non-Homo taxa is developed based on observed differences in hip to knee joint scaling. Body mass is then estimated for 214 terminal Miocene through Pleistocene hominin specimens. Mean body masses for non-Homo taxa range between 39 and 49 kg (39-45 kg if sex-specific means are averaged), with no consistent temporal trend (6-1.85 Ma). Mean body mass increases in early Homo (2.04-1.77 Ma) to 55-59 kg, and then again dramatically in Homo erectus and later archaic middle Pleistocene Homo, to about 70 kg. The same average body mass is maintained in late Pleistocene archaic Homo and early anatomically modern humans through the early/middle Upper Paleolithic (0.024 Ma), only declining in the late Upper Paleolithic, with regional variation. Sexual dimorphism in body mass is greatest in Australopithecus afarensis (log[male/female] = 1.54), declines in Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus (log ratio 1.36), and then again in early Homo and middle and late Pleistocene archaic Homo (log ratio 1.20-1.27), although it remains somewhat elevated above that of living and middle/late Pleistocene anatomically modern humans (log ratio about 1.15).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - M Loring Burgess
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Nicole Squyres
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Juho-Antti Junno
- Department of Archeology, University of Oulu, Oulu 90014, Finland
| | - Erik Trinkaus
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
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21
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Lequin M. Paleoanthropology's uses of the bipedal criterion. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2017; 40:7. [PMID: 29168074 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-017-0172-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Bipedalism is one of the criteria that paleoanthropologists use in order to interpret the fossil record and to determine if a specimen belongs to the human lineage. In the context of such interpretations, bipedalism is considered to be a unique characteristic of this lineage that also marks its origin. This conception has largely remained unchallenged over the last decades, in spite of fossil discoveries that led to the emergence of bipedalism in the human lineage being shifted back by several millions of years. In this paper, I analyze the uses of this criterion in paleoanthropology and demonstrate that interpretative biases (such as underdetermined inferences and circular reasoning) are at play in interpretations of hominin remains. By discussing Darwin's hypotheses about the evolution of bipedalism, I identify major theoretical issues that need to be addressed in the current debates on hominin evolution. First, the assumption that "man alone has become a biped" (Darwin in The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex, John Murray, London, 1871) is analyzed in the light of recent empirical data. Three major issues are discussed: the definition of "man", i.e. "human", the uniqueness of human bipedalism, and the equivocal meaning of being a "biped". Then, I highlight some of Darwin's remarks that may be helpful for current debates in paleoanthropology, regarding natural selection in locomotor evolution, as well as taxonomic and phylogenetic significance of functional features. Finally, I analyze two examples of how fossil discoverers referred to Darwin in the recent years and discuss his role as an intellectual support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Lequin
- Equipe de Recherche sur les Rationalités Philosophiques et les Savoirs, Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, 5, allées Antonio Machado, 31058, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
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22
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Will M, Pablos A, Stock JT. Long-term patterns of body mass and stature evolution within the hominin lineage. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:171339. [PMID: 29291118 PMCID: PMC5717693 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Body size is a central determinant of a species' biology and adaptive strategy, but the number of reliable estimates of hominin body mass and stature have been insufficient to determine long-term patterns and subtle interactions in these size components within our lineage. Here, we analyse 254 body mass and 204 stature estimates from a total of 311 hominin specimens dating from 4.4 Ma to the Holocene using multi-level chronological and taxonomic analytical categories. The results demonstrate complex temporal patterns of body size variation with phases of relative stasis intermitted by periods of rapid increases. The observed trajectories could result from punctuated increases at speciation events, but also differential proliferation of large-bodied taxa or the extinction of small-bodied populations. Combined taxonomic and temporal analyses show that in relation to australopithecines, early Homo is characterized by significantly larger average body mass and stature but retains considerable diversity, including small body sizes. Within later Homo, stature and body mass evolution follow different trajectories: average modern stature is maintained from ca 1.6 Ma, while consistently higher body masses are not established until the Middle Pleistocene at ca 0.5-0.4 Ma, likely caused by directional selection related to colonizing higher latitudes. Selection against small-bodied individuals (less than 40 kg; less than 140 cm) after 1.4 Ma is associated with a decrease in relative size variability in later Homo species compared with earlier Homo and australopithecines. The isolated small-bodied individuals of Homo naledi (ca 0.3 Ma) and Homo floresiensis (ca 100-60 ka) constitute important exceptions to these general patterns, adding further layers of complexity to the evolution of body size within the genus Homo. At the end of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene, body size in Homo sapiens declines on average, but also extends to lower limits not seen in comparable frequency since early Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Will
- Gonville and Caius College, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Schloss Hohentübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adrián Pablos
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
- Grupo de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropolgía (BEP), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, 28871 Madrid, Spain
- Centro Mixto UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, c/Monforte de Lemos, 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jay T. Stock
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3QG, UK
- Department of Anthropology, Western University, London, Ontario, CanadaN6A 3K7
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23
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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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24
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Garvin HM, Elliott MC, Delezene LK, Hawks J, Churchill SE, Berger LR, Holliday TW. Body size, brain size, and sexual dimorphism in Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber. J Hum Evol 2017; 111:119-138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2016] [Revised: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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25
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Lewis JE, Harmand S. An earlier origin for stone tool making: implications for cognitive evolution and the transition to Homo. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0233. [PMID: 27298464 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the earliest known stone tools at Lomekwi 3 (LOM3) from West Turkana, Kenya, dated to 3.3 Ma, raises new questions about the mode and tempo of key adaptations in the hominin lineage. The LOM3 tools date to before the earliest known fossils attributed to Homo at 2.8 Ma. They were made and deposited in a more C3 environment than were the earliest Oldowan tools at 2.6 Ma. Their discovery leads to renewed investigation on the timing of the emergence of human-like manipulative capabilities in early hominins and implications for reconstructing cognition. The LOM3 artefacts form part of an emerging paradigm shift in palaeoanthropology, in which: tool-use and tool-making behaviours are not limited to the genus Homo; cranial, post-cranial and behavioural diversity in early Homo is much wider than previously thought; and these evolutionary changes may not have been direct adaptations to living in savannah grassland environments.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason E Lewis
- Turkana Basin Institute and Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA
| | - Sonia Harmand
- Turkana Basin Institute and Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-4364, USA CNRS, UMR 7055, Préhistoire et Technologie, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, 21 allée de l'Université, Nanterre Cedex 92023, France
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26
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Rosenberg KR, DeSilva JM. Evolution of the Human Pelvis. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:789-797. [PMID: 28406563 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
No bone in the human postcranial skeleton differs more dramatically from its match in an ape skeleton than the pelvis. Humans have evolved a specialized pelvis, well-adapted for the rigors of bipedal locomotion. Precisely how this happened has been the subject of great interest and contention in the paleoanthropological literature. In part, this is because of the fragility of the pelvis and its resulting rarity in the human fossil record. However, new discoveries from Miocene hominoids and Plio-Pleistocene hominins have reenergized debates about human pelvic evolution and shed new light on the competing roles of bipedal locomotion and obstetrics in shaping pelvic anatomy. In this issue, 13 papers address the evolution of the human pelvis. Here, we summarize these new contributions to our understanding of pelvic evolution, and share our own thoughts on the progress the field has made, and the questions that still remain. Anat Rec, 300:789-797, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen R Rosenberg
- Department of Anthropology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Jeremy M DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
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27
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Hammond AS, Almécija S. Lower Ilium Evolution in Apes and Hominins. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:828-844. [PMID: 28406561 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating the pelvic morphology of the Pan-Homo last common ancestor (LCA) is crucial for understanding ape and human evolution. The pelvis of Ardipithecus ramidus has been the basis of controversial interpretations of the LCA pelvis. In particular, it was proposed that the lower ilium became elongate independently in the orangutan and chimpanzee clades, making these taxa poor analogues for the pelvis of the LCA. This study examines the variation in relative lower ilium height between and within living and fossil hominoid species (and other anthropoids), and models its evolution using available fossil hominoids as calibration points. We find nuanced differences in relative lower ilium height among living hominoids, particularly in regards to gorillas, which do not have elongate lower ilia (because they are likely to represent the plesiomorphic hominoid condition for this trait). We also show that differences in relative lower ilium height among hominoid taxa are not readily explained by differences in size between species. Our maximum likelihood ancestral state reconstructions support inferences that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes in particular) and orangutans evolved their elongate lower ilia independently. We also find that the predicted lower ilium height of the Pan-Homo LCA is shorter than all great apes except gorillas. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that finds different regions of the body show different evolutionary histories in different hominoids, and underscores that the unique combinations of morphologies of each modern and fossil hominoid species should be considered when reconstructing the mosaic nature of the Pan-Homo LCA. Anat Rec, 300:828-844, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S Hammond
- Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, 20052
| | - Sergio Almécija
- Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, 20052.,Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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28
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Hammond AS, Royer DF, Fleagle JG. The Omo-Kibish I pelvis. J Hum Evol 2017; 108:199-219. [PMID: 28552208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Omo-Kibish I (Omo I) from southern Ethiopia is the oldest anatomically modern Homo sapiens skeleton currently known (196 ± 5 ka). A partial hipbone (os coxae) of Omo I was recovered more than 30 years after the first portion of the skeleton was recovered, a find which is significant because human pelves can be informative about an individual's sex, age-at-death, body size, obstetrics and parturition, and trunk morphology. Recent human pelves are distinct from earlier Pleistocene Homo spp. pelves because they are mediolaterally narrower in bispinous breadth, have more vertically oriented ilia, lack a well-developed iliac pillar, and have distinct pubic morphology. The pelvis of Omo I provides an opportunity to test whether the earliest modern humans had the pelvic morphology characteristic of modern humans today and to shed light onto the paleobiology of the earliest humans. Here, we formally describe the preservation and morphology of the Omo I hipbone, and quantitatively and qualitatively compare the hipbone to recent humans and relevant fossil Homo. The Omo I hipbone is modern human in appearance, displaying a moderate iliac tubercle (suggesting a reduced iliac pillar) and an ilium that is not as laterally flaring as earlier Homo. Among those examined in this study, the Omo I ischium is most similar in shape to (but substantially larger than) that of recent Sudanese people. Omo I has features that suggest this skeleton belonged to a female. The stature estimates in this study were derived from multiple bones from the upper and lower part of the body, and suggest that there may be differences in the upper and lower limb proportions of the earliest modern humans compared to recent humans. The large size and robusticity of the Omo I pelvis is in agreement with other studies that have found that modern human reduction in postcranial robusticity occurred later in our evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S Hammond
- Center for Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052, USA.
| | - Danielle F Royer
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, 80204, USA
| | - John G Fleagle
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
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29
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Hawks J, Elliott M, Schmid P, Churchill SE, Ruiter DJD, Roberts EM, Hilbert-Wolf H, Garvin HM, Williams SA, Delezene LK, Feuerriegel EM, Randolph-Quinney P, Kivell TL, Laird MF, Tawane G, DeSilva JM, Bailey SE, Brophy JK, Meyer MR, Skinner MM, Tocheri MW, VanSickle C, Walker CS, Campbell TL, Kuhn B, Kruger A, Tucker S, Gurtov A, Hlophe N, Hunter R, Morris H, Peixotto B, Ramalepa M, Rooyen DV, Tsikoane M, Boshoff P, Dirks PH, Berger LR. New fossil remains of Homo naledi from the Lesedi Chamber, South Africa. eLife 2017; 6. [PMID: 28483039 PMCID: PMC5423776 DOI: 10.7554/elife.24232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Rising Star cave system has produced abundant fossil hominin remains within the Dinaledi Chamber, representing a minimum of 15 individuals attributed to Homo naledi. Further exploration led to the discovery of hominin material, now comprising 131 hominin specimens, within a second chamber, the Lesedi Chamber. The Lesedi Chamber is far separated from the Dinaledi Chamber within the Rising Star cave system, and represents a second depositional context for hominin remains. In each of three collection areas within the Lesedi Chamber, diagnostic skeletal material allows a clear attribution to H. naledi. Both adult and immature material is present. The hominin remains represent at least three individuals based upon duplication of elements, but more individuals are likely present based upon the spatial context. The most significant specimen is the near-complete cranium of a large individual, designated LES1, with an endocranial volume of approximately 610 ml and associated postcranial remains. The Lesedi Chamber skeletal sample extends our knowledge of the morphology and variation of H. naledi, and evidence of H. naledi from both recovery localities shows a consistent pattern of differentiation from other hominin species.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Hawks
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States
| | - Marina Elliott
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Peter Schmid
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Steven E Churchill
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, United States
| | - Darryl J de Ruiter
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Eric M Roberts
- Geosciences, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Hannah Hilbert-Wolf
- Geosciences, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Heather M Garvin
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology/Archaeology, Mercyhurst University, Erie, United States.,Department of Applied Forensic Sciences, Mercyhurst University, Erie, United States
| | - Scott A Williams
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, United States
| | - Lucas K Delezene
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, United States
| | - Elen M Feuerriegel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Patrick Randolph-Quinney
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa.,School of Forensic and Applied Sciences, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, United Kingdom
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Myra F Laird
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, United States
| | - Gaokgatlhe Tawane
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Jeremy M DeSilva
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, United States
| | - Shara E Bailey
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, United States.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, United States
| | - Juliet K Brophy
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, United States
| | - Marc R Meyer
- Department of Anthropology, Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, United States
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthew W Tocheri
- Department of Anthropology, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Canada.,Human Origins Program, Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, United States
| | - Caroline VanSickle
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States.,Department of Anthropology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, United States
| | - Christopher S Walker
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, United States.,Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, United States
| | - Timothy L Campbell
- Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
| | - Brian Kuhn
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ashley Kruger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Steven Tucker
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Alia Gurtov
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, United States
| | - Nompumelelo Hlophe
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Rick Hunter
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Hannah Morris
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, United States
| | - Becca Peixotto
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa.,Department of Anthropology, American University, Washington, United States
| | - Maropeng Ramalepa
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Dirk van Rooyen
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Mathabela Tsikoane
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Pedro Boshoff
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
| | - Paul Hgm Dirks
- Geosciences, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Lee R Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits, South Africa
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30
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Churchill SE, Vansickle C. Pelvic Morphology in Homo erectus
and Early Homo. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:964-977. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 01/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Emilio Churchill
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology; Duke University; Durham North Carolina
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand; Wits South Africa
| | - Caroline Vansickle
- Department of Anthropology; Bryn Mawr College; Bryn Mawr Pennsylvania
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand; Wits South Africa
- Department of Anthropology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Wisconsin
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31
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Tardieu C, Hasegawa K, Haeusler M. How Did the Pelvis and Vertebral Column Become a Functional Unit during the Transition from Occasional to Permanent Bipedalism? Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:912-931. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Tardieu
- UMR 7179 “Mécanismes adaptatifs: des organismes aux communautés”, USM 301-Département E.G.B; Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Paris France
| | | | - Martin Haeusler
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
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32
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The thigh and leg of Homo naledi. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:174-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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33
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Claxton AG, Hammond AS, Romano J, Oleinik E, DeSilva JM. Virtual reconstruction of the Australopithecus africanus pelvis Sts 65 with implications for obstetrics and locomotion. J Hum Evol 2016; 99:10-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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34
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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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35
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Hammond AS, Plavcan JM, Ward CV. A validated method for modeling anthropoid hip abduction
in silico. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 160:529-48. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 03/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ashley S. Hammond
- Center for Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyDepartment of AnthropologyGeorge Washington UniversityWashington DC20052
- Department of AnatomyHoward University College of Medicine, Washington DC20059
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical SciencesUniversity of Missouri School of MedicineColumbia MO65212
| | | | - Carol V. Ward
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical SciencesUniversity of Missouri School of MedicineColumbia MO65212
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36
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Harcourt-Smith WEH, Throckmorton Z, Congdon KA, Zipfel B, Deane AS, Drapeau MSM, Churchill SE, Berger LR, DeSilva JM. The foot of Homo naledi. Nat Commun 2015; 6:8432. [PMID: 26439101 PMCID: PMC4600720 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern humans are characterized by a highly specialized foot that reflects our obligate bipedalism. Our understanding of hominin foot evolution is, although, hindered by a paucity of well-associated remains. Here we describe the foot of Homo naledi from Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, using 107 pedal elements, including one nearly-complete adult foot. The H. naledi foot is predominantly modern human-like in morphology and inferred function, with an adducted hallux, an elongated tarsus, and derived ankle and calcaneocuboid joints. In combination, these features indicate a foot well adapted for striding bipedalism. However, the H. naledi foot differs from modern humans in having more curved proximal pedal phalanges, and features suggestive of a reduced medial longitudinal arch. Within the context of primitive features found elsewhere in the skeleton, these findings suggest a unique locomotor repertoire for H. naledi, thus providing further evidence of locomotor diversity within both the hominin clade and the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. E. H. Harcourt-Smith
- Department of Anthropology, Lehman College CUNY, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard W, Bronx, New York 10468, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, CPW @ W. 79th Street, New York, New York 10024, USA
- Department of Anthropology, City University of New York Graduate Center, 365 5th Avenue, New York, New York 10016, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - Z. Throckmorton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Anatomy, DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee 37724, USA
| | - K. A. Congdon
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Biology, Southern Utah University, 351W Center Street, Cedar City, Utah 84720, USA
| | - B. Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - A. S. Deane
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, MN 224 UK Medical Center, Lexington, Kemtucky 40536, USA
| | - M. S. M. Drapeau
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - S. E. Churchill
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences Building, Box 90383, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - L. R. Berger
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
| | - J. M. DeSilva
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and Centre for Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03775, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Boston University, 232 Bay State Road, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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Lague MR. Taxonomic identification of Lower Pleistocene fossil hominins based on distal humeral diaphyseal cross-sectional shape. PeerJ 2015. [PMID: 26213653 PMCID: PMC4512774 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The coexistence of multiple hominin species during the Lower Pleistocene has long presented a challenge for taxonomic attribution of isolated postcrania. Although fossil humeri are well-suited for studies of hominin postcranial variation due to their relative abundance, humeral articular morphology has thus far been of limited value for differentiating Paranthropus from Homo. On the other hand, distal humeral diaphyseal shape has been used to justify such generic distinctions at Swartkrans. The potential utility of humeral diaphyseal shape merits larger-scale quantitative analysis, particularly as it permits the inclusion of fragmentary specimens lacking articular morphology. This study analyzes shape variation of the distal humeral diaphysis among fossil hominins (c. 2-1 Ma) to test the hypothesis that specimens can be divided into distinct morphotypes. Coordinate landmarks were placed on 3D laser scans to quantify cross-sectional shape at a standardized location of the humeral diaphysis (proximal to the olecranon fossa) for a variety of fossil hominins and extant hominids. The fossil sample includes specimens attributed to species based on associated craniodental remains. Mantel tests of matrix correlation were used to assess hypotheses about morphometric relationships among the fossils by comparing empirically-derived Procrustes distance matrices to hypothetical model matrices. Diaphyseal shape variation is consistent with the hypothesis of three distinct morphotypes (Paranthropus, Homo erectus, non-erectus early Homo) in both eastern and southern Africa during the observed time period. Specimens attributed to non-erectus early Homo are unique among hominids with respect to the degree of relative anteroposterior flattening, while H. erectus humeri exhibit morphology more similar to that of modern humans. In both geographic regions, Paranthropus is characterized by a morphology that is intermediate with respect to those morphological features that differentiate the two forms of early Homo. This study demonstrates the utility of the humeral diaphysis for taxonomic identification of isolated postcranial remains and further documents a high degree of postcranial diversity in early Homo.
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