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Crompton R, Elton S, Heaton J, Pickering T, Carlson K, Jashashvili T, Beaudet A, Bruxelles L, Kuman K, Thorpe SK, Hirasaki E, Scott C, Sellers W, Pataky T, Clarke R, McClymont J. Bipedalism or bipedalisms: The os coxae of StW 573. J Anat 2024. [PMID: 39036860 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
There has been a long debate about the possibility of multiple contemporaneous species of Australopithecus in both eastern and southern Africa, potentially exhibiting different forms of bipedal locomotion. Here, we describe the previously unreported morphology of the os coxae in the 3.67 Ma Australopithecus prometheus StW 573 from Sterkfontein Member 2, comparing it with variation in ossa coxae in living humans and apes as well as other Plio-Pleistocene hominins. Statistical comparisons indicate that StW 573 and 431 resemble humans in their anteroposteriorly great iliac crest breadth compared with many other early australopiths, whereas Homo ergaster KNM WT 15000 surprisingly also has a relatively anterioposteriorly short iliac crest. StW 573 and StW 431 appear to resemble humans in having a long ischium compared with Sts 14 and KNM WT 15000. A Quadratic Discriminant Function Analysis of morphology compared with other Plio-Pleistocene hominins and a dataset of modern humans and hominoids shows that, while Lovejoy's heuristic model of the Ardipithecus ramidus os coxae falls with Pongo or in an indeterminate group, StW 573 and StW 431 from Sterkfontein Member 4 are consistently classified together with modern humans. Although clearly exhibiting the classic "basin shaped" bipedal pelvis, Sts 14 (also from Sterkfontein), AL 288-1 Australopithecus afarensis, MH2 Australopithecus sediba and KNM-WT 15000 occupy a position more peripheral to modern humans, and in some analyses are assigned to an indeterminate outlying group. Our findings strongly support the existence of two species of Australopithecus at Sterkfontein and the variation we observe in os coxae morphology in early hominins is also likely to reflect multiple forms of bipedality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Crompton
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Institute of Life Course & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, the W.H. Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sarah Elton
- Department of Anthropology, Dawson Building, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Jason Heaton
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Travis Pickering
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Kristian Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Tea Jashashvili
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Department of Geology and Palaeontology, Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, Georgia
| | - Amelie Beaudet
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laurent Bruxelles
- TRACES, UMR 5608 CNRS, Jean Jaurès University, Toulouse, France
- French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), Nîmes, France
| | - Kathleen Kuman
- School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Eishi Hirasaki
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, University of Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Christopher Scott
- School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - William Sellers
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Todd Pataky
- Department of Human and Health Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ronald Clarke
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Juliet McClymont
- Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Institute of Life Course & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, the W.H. Duncan Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Buchmann A, Wenzler S, Welte L, Renjewski D. The effect of including a mobile arch, toe joint, and joint coupling on predictive neuromuscular simulations of human walking. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14879. [PMID: 38937584 PMCID: PMC11211509 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65258-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Predictive neuromuscular simulations are a powerful tool for studying the biomechanics of human walking, and deriving design criteria for technical devices like prostheses or biorobots. Good agreement between simulation and human data is essential for transferability to the real world. The human foot is often modeled with a single rigid element, but knowledge of how the foot model affects gait prediction is limited. Standardized procedures for selecting appropriate foot models are lacking. We performed 2D predictive neuromuscular simulations with six different foot models of increasing complexity to answer two questions: What is the effect of a mobile arch, a toe joint, and the coupling of toe and arch motion through the plantar fascia on gait prediction? and How much of the foot's anatomy do we need to model to predict sagittal plane walking kinematics and kinetics in good agreement with human data? We found that the foot model had a significant impact on ankle kinematics during terminal stance, push-off, and toe and arch kinematics. When focusing only on hip and knee kinematics, rigid foot models are sufficient. We hope our findings will help guide the community in modeling the human foot according to specific research goals and improve neuromuscular simulation accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Buchmann
- Chair of Applied Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany.
| | - Simon Wenzler
- Chair of Applied Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany
| | - Lauren Welte
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Daniel Renjewski
- Chair of Applied Mechanics, Technical University of Munich, 85748, Garching, Germany
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Behling AV, Welte L, Kelly L, Rainbow MJ. Human in vivo midtarsal and subtalar joint kinematics during walking, running and hopping. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240074. [PMID: 38807524 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The interaction among joints of the midtarsal complex and subtalar joint is important for locomotor function; however, its complexity poses substantial challenges in quantifying the joints' motions. We determine the mobility of these joints across locomotion tasks and investigate the influence of individual talus morphology on their motion. Using highly accurate biplanar videoradiography, three-dimensional bone kinematics were captured during walking, running and hopping. We calculated the axis of rotation of the midtarsal complex and subtalar joint for the landing and push-off phases. A comparison was made between these rotation axes and the morphological subtalar axis. Measurement included total rotation about and the orientation of the rotation axes in the direction of the subtalar joint and its deviation via spatial angles for both phases. The rotation axes of all three bones relative to the talus closely align with the morphological subtalar axis. This suggests that the midtarsal and subtalar joints' motions might be described by one commonly oriented axis. Despite having such an axis, the location of the axes and ranges of motion differed among the bones. Our results provide a novel perspective of healthy foot function across different sagittal plane-dominant locomotion tasks underscoring the importance of quantifying midtarsal complex and subtalar motion while accounting for an individual's talus morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja-Verena Behling
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Science, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University , Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Welte
- Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Luke Kelly
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Science, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Griffith Centre of Biomedical & Rehabilitation Engineering, Griffith University , Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
- School of Health Sciences & Social Work, Griffith University , Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael J Rainbow
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University , Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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Matsumoto Y, Ogihara N. Direct visualization and measurement of the plantar aponeurosis behavior in foot arch deformation via the windlass mechanism. Clin Anat 2024. [PMID: 38642017 DOI: 10.1002/ca.24171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
The plantar aponeurosis (PA) is an elastic longitudinal band that contributes to the generation of a propulsive force in the push-off phase during walking and running through the windlass mechanism. However, the dynamic behavior of the PA remains unclear owing to the lack of direct measurement of the strain it generates. Therefore, this study aimed to visualize and quantify the PA behavior during two distinct foot postures: (i) neutral posture and (ii) windlass posture with midtarsal joint plantarflexion and metatarsophalangeal joint dorsiflexion, using computed tomography scans. Six healthy adult males participated in the experiment, and three-dimensional reconstruction of the PA was conducted to calculate its path length, width, thickness, and cross-sectional area. This study successfully visualized and quantified the morphological changes in the PA induced by the windlass mechanism, providing a precise reference for biomechanical modeling. This study also highlighted the interindividual variability in the PA morphology and stretching patterns. Although the windlass posture was not identical to that observed in the push-off phase during walking, the observed PA behavior provides valuable insights into its mechanics and potential implications for foot disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Matsumoto
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Course of Health and Social Services, Graduate School of Saitama Prefectural University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Naomichi Ogihara
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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Schuster RW, Cresswell AG, Kelly LA. Human foot form and function: variable and versatile, yet sufficiently related to predict function from form. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232543. [PMID: 38196364 PMCID: PMC10777145 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The human foot is a complex structure that plays an important role in our capacity for upright locomotion. Comparisons of our feet with those of our closest extinct and extant relatives have linked shape features (e.g. the longitudinal and transverse arches, heel size and toe length) to specific mechanical functions. However, foot shape varies widely across the human population, so it remains unclear if and how specific shape variants are related to locomotor mechanics. Here we constructed a statistical shape-function model (SFM) from 100 healthy participants to directly explore the relationship between the shape and function of our feet. We also examined if we could predict the joint motion and moments occurring within a person's foot during locomotion based purely on shape features. The SFM revealed that the longitudinal and transverse arches, relative foot proportions and toe shape along with their associated joint mechanics were most variable. However, each of these only accounted for small proportions of the overall variation in shape, deformation and joint mechanics, most likely owing to the high structural complexity of the foot. Nevertheless, a leave-one-out analysis showed that the SFM can accurately predict joint mechanics of a novel foot, based on its shape and deformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W. Schuster
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
- Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
| | - Andrew G. Cresswell
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
| | - Luke A. Kelly
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, 4067, Australia
- Griffith Centre of Biomedical and Rehabilitation Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
- School of Health Sciences and Social Work, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, 4215, Australia
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