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Gómez-Olivencia A, Arsuaga JL. The Sima de los Huesos cervical spine. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:2451-2464. [PMID: 37070424 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25224] [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: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Information regarding the evolution of the neck in genus Homo is hampered owing to a limited fossil record. Neandertals display significant metric and/or morphological differences in all the cervical vertebrae, when compared to Homo sapiens. Thus, the important fossil record from the Middle Pleistocene site of Sima de los Huesos (SH) not only offers important information about the evolution of this anatomical region within the Neandertal lineage, but also provides important clues to understand the evolution of this region at the genus level. We present the current knowledge of the anatomy of the cervical spine of the hominins found in SH compared to that of Neandertals and modern humans, and, when possible, to Homo erectus and Homo antecessor. The current SH fossil record comprises 172 cervical specimens (after refittings) belonging to a minimum of 11 atlases, 13 axes, and 52 subaxial cervical vertebrae. The SH hominins exhibit a morphological pattern in their cervical spine more similar to that of Neandertals than that of H. sapiens, which is consistent with the phylogenetic position of these hominins. However, there are some differences between the SH hominins and Neandertals in this anatomical region, primarily in the length and robusticity, and to a lesser extent in the orientation of the spinous processes of the lowermost cervical vertebrae. We hypothesize that these differences in the lowermost subaxial cervical vertebrae could be related to the increase in the brain size and/or changes in the morphology of the skull that occurred in the Neandertal lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Leioa, Spain
- Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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2
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Palancar CA, Bastir M, Rosas A, Dugailly PM, Schlager S, Beyer B. Modern human atlas ranges of motion and Neanderthal estimations. J Hum Evol 2024; 187:103482. [PMID: 38113553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos A Palancar
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Markus Bastir
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Antonio Rosas
- Group of Paleoanthropology, Department of Paleobiology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pierre-Michel Dugailly
- Department of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Technologies CESPU - Escola Superior de Saùde Do Vale Do Ave, Famalicao, Portugal
| | - Stefan Schlager
- Biological Anthropology, University Medical Center. Freiburg, Germany
| | - Benoit Beyer
- Universit>é Libre de Bruxelles, Laboratory for Functional Anatomy. Brussels, Belgium
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Generational Changes in Lumbar Spinal Canal Dimensions: Findings from a Sample U.S. Population. World Neurosurg 2020; 146:e902-e916. [PMID: 33212280 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evaluation of lumbar canal dimensions in a Chicago population born in 2 different decades. METHODS This is a retrospective chart review analyzing computed tomography reconstruction from patients born between 1940 and 1949 (older group) and 1970 and 1979 (younger group). The cross-sectional area (CSA) and anterior-posterior diameter (APD) of the lumbar bony canal was measured at each lumbar level at the level of the pedicle. RESULTS Our study includes 918 patients, 372 in the young group and 546 in the older group. Older patients have significantly larger CSA and APD at all lumbar levels compared with younger patients. Further, CSA and APD comparisons between ethnicities demonstrate significant differences between individuals of Caucasian, Asian, Hispanic, African American, and Other ethnicities. Lastly, there were no differences in CSA or APD compared with factors known to affect bone health (smoking, steroid use, osteoporosis, cancer history). CONCLUSIONS As seen in European cohorts, our data suggest that patients born in the 1940s have both larger canal area and larger anterior-posterior diameter compared with the younger generation. These data suggest that significant differences exist between ethnicities. These differences highlight the importance of studying normal anatomical dimensions within different geographical populations and the importance of studying non-modifiable factors as they relate to spinal dimensions and spine patients. Furthermore, spinal canal growth seems to be negatively influenced in younger generations, a rather unexpected but worrying finding.
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Comparative anatomy and 3D geometric morphometrics of the El Sidrón atlases (C1). J Hum Evol 2020; 149:102897. [PMID: 33137550 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The first cervical vertebra (atlas, C1) is an important element of the vertebral column because it connects the cranial base with the cervical column, thus helping to maintain head posture and contributing to neck mobility. However, few atlases are preserved in the fossil record because of the fragility of this vertebra. Consequently, only eight well-preserved atlases from adult Neandertals have been recovered and described. Here, we present nine new atlas remains from the El Sidrón Neandertal site (Asturias, Spain), two of which (SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595) are sufficiently well preserved to allow for a detailed comparative and three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis. We compared standard linear measurements of SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595 with those of other Neandertal atlases and carried out three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses to compare size and shape of SD-1643 and SD-1605/1595 with those of 28 Pan (Pan troglodytes and Pan paniscus), a broad comparative sample of 55 anatomically modern humans from African and European populations, and other fossil hominins (Neandertals, Homo antecessor, Paranthropus boisei). The El Sidrón atlas fossils show typical features of the Neandertal atlas morphology, such as caudal projection of the anterior tubercle, gracility of both the posterior tubercle and the tuberosity for the insertion of the transverse ligament, and an anteroposteriorly elongated neural canal. Furthermore, when compared with atlases from the other taxa, Neandertals exhibit species-specific features of atlas morphology including a relatively lower lateral mass height, relatively narrower transverse foramina, and flatter and more horizontally oriented articular facets. Some of these features fit with previous suggestions of shorter overall length of the cervical spine and potential differences in craniocervical posture and mobility. Our results may support a different spinopelvic alignment in this species, as the atlas morphology suggests reduced cervical lordosis.
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Beaudet A, Clarke RJ, Heaton JL, Pickering TR, Carlson KJ, Crompton RH, Jashashvili T, Bruxelles L, Jakata K, Bam L, Van Hoorebeke L, Kuman K, Stratford D. The atlas of StW 573 and the late emergence of human-like head mobility and brain metabolism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4285. [PMID: 32179760 PMCID: PMC7075956 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60837-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional morphology of the atlas reflects multiple aspects of an organism’s biology. More specifically, its shape indicates patterns of head mobility, while the size of its vascular foramina reflects blood flow to the brain. Anatomy and function of the early hominin atlas, and thus, its evolutionary history, are poorly documented because of a paucity of fossilized material. Meticulous excavation, cleaning and high-resolution micro-CT scanning of the StW 573 (‘Little Foot’) skull has revealed the most complete early hominin atlas yet found, having been cemented by breccia in its displaced and flipped over position on the cranial base anterolateral to the foramen magnum. Description and landmark-free morphometric analyses of the StW 573 atlas, along with other less complete hominin atlases from Sterkfontein (StW 679) and Hadar (AL 333-83), confirm the presence of an arboreal component in the positional repertoire of Australopithecus. Finally, assessment of the cross-sectional areas of the transverse foramina of the atlas and the left carotid canal in StW 573 further suggests there may have been lower metabolic costs for cerebral tissues in this hominin than have been attributed to extant humans and may support the idea that blood perfusion of these tissues increased over the course of hominin evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa. .,Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, PO Box 2034, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Ronald J Clarke
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Jason L Heaton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL, 35254, United States.,Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology Section, Department of Vertebrates, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (Transvaal Museum), 432 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Travis R Pickering
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL, 35254, United States.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Kristian J Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States
| | - Robin H Crompton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, W Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
| | - Tea Jashashvili
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States.,Department of Geology and Paleontology, Georgian National Museum, 3 Shota Rustaveli Ave, T'bilisi, 0105, Georgia
| | - Laurent Bruxelles
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Researches (INRAP), 561 rue Etienne Lenoir, 30900, Nîmes, France.,French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), USR 3336 CNRS, 62 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | - Kudakwashe Jakata
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Lunga Bam
- South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC Ltd. (Necsa), Elias Motsoaledi Street Ext. (Church Street West), R104, Pelindaba, North West Province, South Africa
| | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Kuman
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Dominic Stratford
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
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Plomp K, Viðarsdóttir US, Dobney K, Weston D, Collard M. Potential adaptations for bipedalism in the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of Homo sapiens: A 3D comparative analysis. J Hum Evol 2019; 137:102693. [PMID: 31711026 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A number of putative adaptations for bipedalism have been identified in the hominin spine. However, it is possible that some have been overlooked because only a few studies have used 3D and these studies have focused on cervical vertebrae. With this in mind, we used geometric morphometric techniques to compare the 3D shapes of three thoracic and two lumbar vertebrae of Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla, and Pongo pygmaeus. The study had two goals. One was to confirm the existence of traits previously reported to distinguish the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of H. sapiens from those of the great apes. The other was to, if possible, identify hitherto undescribed traits that differentiate H. sapiens thoracic and lumbar vertebrae from those of the great apes. Both goals were accomplished. Our analyses not only substantiated a number of traits that have previously been discussed in the literature but also identified four traits that have not been described before: (1) dorsoventrally shorter pedicles in the upper thoracic vertebrae; (2) dorsoventrally longer laminae in all five of the vertebrae examined; (3) longer transverse processes in the upper thoracic vertebrae; and (4) craniocaudally 'pinched' spinous process tips in all of the vertebrae examined. A review of the biomechanical literature suggests that most of the traits highlighted in our analyses can be plausibly linked to bipedalism, including three of the four new ones. As such, the present study not only sheds further light on the differences between the spines of H. sapiens and great apes but also enhances our understanding of how the shift to bipedalism affected the hominin vertebral column.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Plomp
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada; Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, 14 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7WZ, UK.
| | - Una Strand Viðarsdóttir
- Biomedical Center, University of Iceland, Læknagarður, Vatnsmýrarvegi 16, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Keith Dobney
- Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, 14 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7WZ, UK
| | - Darlene Weston
- Department of Anthropology, University of British Columbia, 6303 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Mark Collard
- Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
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7
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Meyer MR, Williams SA. Earliest axial fossils from the genus Australopithecus. J Hum Evol 2019; 132:189-214. [PMID: 31203847 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Australopitheus anamensis fossils demonstrate that craniodentally and postcranially the taxon was more primitive than its evolutionary successor Australopithecus afarensis. Postcranial evidence suggests habitual bipedality combined with primitive upper limbs and an inferred significant arboreal adaptation. Here we report on A. anamensis fossils from the Assa Issie locality in Ethiopia's Middle Awash area dated to ∼4.2 Ma, constituting the oldest known Australopithecus axial remains. Because the spine is the interface between major body segments, these fossils can be informative on the adaptation, behavior and our evolutionary understanding of A. anamensis. The atlas, or first cervical vertebra (C1), is similar in size to Homo sapiens, with synapomorphies in the articular facets and transverse processes. Absence of a retroglenoid tubercle suggests that, like humans, A. anamensis lacked the atlantoclavicularis muscle, resulting in reduced capacity for climbing relative to the great apes. The retroflexed C2 odontoid process and long C6 spinous process are reciprocates of facial prognathism, a long clivus and retroflexed foramen magnum, rather than indications of locomotor or postural behaviors. The T1 is derived in shape and size as in Homo with an enlarged vertebral body epiphyseal surfaces for mitigating the high-magnitude compressive loads of full-time bipedality. The full costal facet is unlike the extant great ape demifacet pattern and represents the oldest evidence for the derived univertebral pattern in hominins. These fossils augment other lines of evidence in A. anamensis indicating habitual bipedality despite some plesiomorphic vertebral traits related to craniofacial morphology independent of locomotor or postural behaviors (i.e., a long clivus and a retroflexed foramen magnum). Yet in contrast to craniodental lines of evidence, some aspects of vertebral morphology in A. anamensis appear more derived than its descendant A. afarensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc R Meyer
- Department of Anthropology, Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, 91737, USA.
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, 10003, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10024, USA
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Meyer MR, Woodward C, Tims A, Bastir M. Neck function in early hominins and suspensory primates: Insights from the uncinate process. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:613-637. [PMID: 29492962 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Uncinate processes are protuberances on the cranial surface of subaxial cervical vertebrae that assist in stabilizing and guiding spinal motion. Shallow uncinate processes reduce cervical stability but confer an increased range of motion in clinical studies. Here we assess uncinate processes among extant primates and model cervical kinematics in early fossil hominins. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compare six fossil hominin vertebrae with 48 Homo sapiens and 99 nonhuman primates across 20 genera. We quantify uncinate morphology via geometric morphometric methods to understand how uncinate process shape relates to allometry, taxonomy, and mode of locomotion. RESULTS Across primates, allometry explains roughly 50% of shape variation, as small, narrow vertebrae feature the relatively tallest, most pronounced uncinate processes, whereas larger, wider vertebrae typically feature reduced uncinates. Taxonomy only weakly explains the residual variation, however, the association between Uncinate Shape and mode of locomotion is robust, as bipeds and suspensory primates occupy opposite extremes of the morphological continuum and are distinguished from arboreal generalists. Like humans, Australopithecus afarensis and Homo erectus exhibit shallow uncinate processes, whereas A. sediba resembles more arboreal taxa, but not fully suspensory primates. DISCUSSION Suspensory primates exhibit the most pronounced uncinates, likely to maintain visual field stabilization. East African hominins exhibit reduced uncinate processes compared with African apes and A. sediba, likely signaling different degrees of neck motility and modes of locomotion. Although soft tissues constrain neck flexibility beyond limits suggested by osteology alone, this study may assist in modeling cervical kinematics and positional behaviors in extinct taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc R Meyer
- Department of Anthropology, Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga, California 91737
| | - Charles Woodward
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Amy Tims
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid 28006, Spain
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Piguet F, Alves S, Cartier N. Clinical Gene Therapy for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Past, Present, and Future. Hum Gene Ther 2017; 28:988-1003. [DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Piguet
- Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics Department, Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, Strasbourg, France
- Inserm U596, Illkirch, France; CNRS, UMR7104, Illkirch, France
- Faculte des Sciences de la Vie, Universite de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Nathalie Cartier
- INSERM/CEA UMR1169, MIRCen Fontenay aux Roses, France
- Universite Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
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10
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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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Arlegi M, Gómez-Olivencia A, Albessard L, Martínez I, Balzeau A, Arsuaga JL, Been E. The role of allometry and posture in the evolution of the hominin subaxial cervical spine. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:80-99. [PMID: 28317557 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Cervical vertebrae not only protect the spinal cord but also are the insertion and origin points for muscles related to the movement of the head, upper limb, and trunk, among others, and are thus important elements in primate evolution. While previous work has been undertaken on the first two cervical vertebrae, there is a dearth of studies on the subaxial cervical spine in hominines. In this paper, we provide detailed morphological information on two important aspects of the subaxial cervical vertebrae (C3 - C7): mid-sagittal morphology and superior facet orientation. We studied large samples of African apes including modern humans and the most complete fossil hominin subaxial cervical vertebrae using both traditional and geometric morphometrics. There are significant differences between extant hominoids related to the relative length and orientation of the spinous process as well as to the orientation of the articular facets, which are related to size, locomotion, and neck posture. In fact, fossil hominins do not completely conform to any of the extant groups. Our assessment of mid-sagittal morphology and superior articular facet orientation shows that australopiths have more Homo-like upper subaxial cervical vertebrae coupled with more "primitive" lower cervical vertebrae. Based on these results, we hypothesize that those changes, maybe related to postural changes derived from bipedalism, did not affect the entire subaxial cervical spine at once. From a methodological point of view, the combination of traditional and geometric morphometric data provides a more integrative perspective of morphological change and evolution, which is certainly useful in human evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- Dept. Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV-EHU. Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain.
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Dept. Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, UPV-EHU. Apdo. 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Spain; Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194, CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17, Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Lou Albessard
- Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194, CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17, Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Área de Antropología Física, Depto. de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares 28871, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Antoine Balzeau
- Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194, CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17, Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France; Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Dpto. de Paleontología, Fac. Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avda. Complutense s/n, Madrid 28040, Spain; Équipe de Paléontologie Humaine, UMR 7194, CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Musée de l'Homme, 17, Place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Ella Been
- Physical Therapy Department, Faculty of Health Professions, Ono Academic College, Kiryat Ono 5545173, Israel; Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 39040 Tel Aviv, Israel
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12
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The cervical spine of Australopithecus sediba. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:32-49. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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13
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Williams SA, García-Martínez D, Bastir M, Meyer MR, Nalla S, Hawks J, Schmid P, Churchill SE, Berger LR. The vertebrae and ribs of Homo naledi. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:136-154. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Rühli FJ, Galassi FM, Haeusler M. Palaeopathology: Current challenges and medical impact. Clin Anat 2016; 29:816-22. [PMID: 26940256 DOI: 10.1002/ca.22709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Palaeopathology is the science which studies ancient human diseases. Throughout its relatively young history it underwent tremendous technological and methodological improvements (from pure morphology and histology to CT scanning) that have constantly reshaped its scientific rationale. Among other achievements, the study of mummies and fossilized hominids has allowed to effectively extract ancient DNA, prove the existence of atherosclerosis in ancient times, demonstrate the presence of disease vectors, better clarify the etiology of infectious diseases otherwise only postulated on the basis of ancient accounts as well as to show the presence of spine pathology in our hominid ancestors. The research levels in this discipline are three: basic research, individual cases, population. The first and the third levels contribute most to the discipline, while the second is the one more appealing to the general public on account of its description of important cases reports. In addition, a recently introduced sub-specialty of palaeopathology, pathography is aiming to use an interdisciplinary approach to find traces of diseases in ancient literary sources and artistic representations. In spite of its discoveries, palaeopathology is not always viewed positively by clinicians because certain old-fashioned techniques are still due to technical restrictions. The authors provide a set of suggestions on how to strengthen the scientific recognition of this subject and explain at length how it could contribute to the progress of medical research. Clin. Anat. 29:816-822, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank J Rühli
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Francesco M Galassi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Haeusler
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine (IEM), University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland.,Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland
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