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Cosnefroy Q, Berillon G, Gilissen E, Brige P, Chaumoître K, Lamberton F, Marchal F. New insights into patterns of integration in the femur and pelvis among catarrhines. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e24931. [PMID: 38491922 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Integration reflects the level of coordinated variation of the phenotype. The integration of postcranial elements can be studied from a functional perspective, especially with regards to locomotion. This study investigates the link between locomotion, femoral structural properties, and femur-pelvis complex morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured (1) morphological integration between femoral and pelvic morphologies using geometric morphometrics, and (2) covariation between femoral/pelvic morphologies and femoral diaphyseal cross-sectional properties, which we defined as morpho-structural integration. Morphological and morpho-structural integration patterns were measured among humans (n = 19), chimpanzees and bonobos (n = 16), and baboons (n = 14), whose locomotion are distinct. RESULTS Baboons show the highest magnitude of morphological integration and the lowest of morpho-structural integration. Chimpanzees and bonobos show intermediate magnitude of morphological and morpho-structural integration. Yet, body size seems to have a considerable influence on both integration patterns, limiting the interpretations. Finally, humans present the lowest morphological integration and the highest morpho-structural integration between femoral morphology and structural properties but not between pelvic morphology and femur. DISCUSSION Morphological and morpho-structural integration depict distinct strategies among the samples. A strong morphological integration among baboon's femur-pelvis module might highlight evidence for long-term adaptation to quadrupedalism. In humans, it is likely that distinct selective pressures associated with the respective function of the pelvis and the femur tend to decrease morphological integration. Conversely, high mechanical loading on the hindlimbs during bipedal locomotion might result in specific combination of structural and morphological features within the femur.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Emmanuel Gilissen
- Department of African Zoology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
- Laboratory of Histology and Neuropathology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pauline Brige
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CERIMED, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Marseille, Pôle Pharmacie, Radiopharmacie, Marseille, France
| | - Kathia Chaumoître
- UMR 7268 ADES, Aix-Marseille Univ-CNRS-EFS, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital Nord, Aix-Marseille Univ, Service d'Imagerie Médicale, Marseille, France
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Turcotte CM, Choi AM, Spear JK, Hernandez-Janer EM, Dickinson E, Taboada HG, Stock MK, Villamil CI, Bauman SE, Martinez MI, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Montague MJ, Platt ML, Williams SA, Antón SC, Higham JP. Mechanical and morphometric approaches to body mass estimation in rhesus macaques: A test of skeletal variables. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024:e24901. [PMID: 38445298 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Estimation of body mass from skeletal metrics can reveal important insights into the paleobiology of archeological or fossil remains. The standard approach constructs predictive equations from postcrania, but studies have questioned the reliability of traditional measures. Here, we examine several skeletal features to assess their accuracy in predicting body mass. MATERIALS AND METHODS Antemortem mass measurements were compared with common skeletal dimensions from the same animals postmortem, using 115 rhesus macaques (male: n = 43; female: n = 72). Individuals were divided into training (n = 58) and test samples (n = 57) to build and assess Ordinary Least Squares or multivariate regressions by residual sum of squares (RSS) and AIC weights. A leave-one-out approach was implemented to formulate the best fit multivariate models, which were compared against a univariate and a previously published catarrhine body-mass estimation model. RESULTS Femur circumference represented the best univariate model. The best model overall was composed of four variables (femur, tibia and fibula circumference and humerus length). By RSS and AICw, models built from rhesus macaque data (RSS = 26.91, AIC = -20.66) better predicted body mass than did the catarrhine model (RSS = 65.47, AIC = 20.24). CONCLUSION Body mass in rhesus macaques is best predicted by a 4-variable equation composed of humerus length and hind limb midshaft circumferences. Comparison of models built from the macaque versus the catarrhine data highlight the importance of taxonomic specificity in predicting body mass. This paper provides a valuable dataset of combined somatic and skeletal data in a primate, which can be used to build body mass equations for fragmentary fossil evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra M Turcotte
- 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
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Audrey M Choi
- 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
| | - Jeffrey K Spear
- 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
| | - Eva M Hernandez-Janer
- 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
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah G Taboada
- 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
| | - Michala K Stock
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Catalina I Villamil
- School of Chiropractic, Universidad Central del Caribe, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Samuel E Bauman
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | - Melween I Martinez
- Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, USA
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- School for Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
- Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Michael J Montague
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Michael L Platt
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- 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
| | - Susan C Antón
- 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
| | - James P Higham
- 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
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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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Polvadore T, McGraw WS, Daegling DJ. Limb and hip morphology of two African colobine monkeys and its relationship to the mechanics of leaping and bounding locomotion. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:92-106. [PMID: 37649439 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Although a bounding gait is practiced by a diversity of animals, the morphological characteristics, kinematics, and energetics associated with this locomotor form remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the locomotor anatomy of two species of African colobine monkeys (Piliocolobus badius, a leaper, and Colobus polykomos, a leaper-bounder) in an effort to assess if bounding should be considered a unique primate locomotor category or is better viewed as a behavior on a leaping continuum. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 53 femora, 28 humeri, and 45 ossa coxae from the two species provide comparative morphological data. Free-body models of bounding and leaping are presented to characterize loading conditions. Species differences in morphometric traits are evaluated via parametric and nonparametric tests (i.e., analysis of variance, resampling). RESULTS C. polykomos exhibits traits that align more closely with putative leaping specializations when compared to P. badius (e.g., large femoral head, long femur, low femoral neck angle), while also possessing certain traits that are not (e.g., long femoral neck and reduced relative femoral robusticity). Consequently, C. polykomos likely experiences absolutely greater joint forces at the hip and higher bending at the femoral neck both when it leaps and bounds, given equivalent accelerations in bounding and leaping. DISCUSSION Bounding is best described as a form of low-acceleration leaping. If bounding has lower acceleration requirements relative to leaping, C. polykomos achieves locomotor competence with less energy, relatively smaller bending moments, and reduced joint forces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Polvadore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - W Scott McGraw
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - David J Daegling
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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Horbaly H, Hubbe M, Sylvester AD, Steadman DW, Auerbach BM. Variation in human limb joint articular morphology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:388-400. [PMID: 37702986 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Synovial joints in human limbs strike a balance between mobility, stability, and articular fit, yet little is known about how these conflicting demands pattern intraspecific variation in articular shape. In this study, we use geometric morphometrics to establish the apportionment and magnitude of morphological variance of the articular surfaces of the human shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee. We hypothesize that variances will be comparable between articulating surfaces within a joint and will be larger in joints with smaller ranges of motion, given their plurality of functional demands. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-dimensional landmarks were taken on the articular surfaces of the glenohumeral, humeroulnar, acetabulofemoral, and tibiofemoral joints from CT scans of 200 skeletons from the University of Tennessee Donated Skeletal Collection (84 females, 116 males). Root mean-squared distances between articulations calculated from Procrustes shape coordinates were used to determine variance distributions. RESULTS We found no difference in variances for each articular surface between the sexes or between left and right articular surfaces. A high range of motion is associated with greater morphological variance; however, this pattern is largely driven by the concave articular surfaces of each joint, which consistently exhibit statistically greater variance than their convex counterparts. DISCUSSION The striking pattern of differential variance between articulating morphologies points to potential disparities in development between them. Consistently higher variance in concave surfaces may relate to chondral modeling theory for the formation of joints. Establishing intraspecific morphological variance patterns is a first step in understanding coordinated evolution among articular features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Horbaly
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Congdon School of Health Sciences, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, Congdon School of Health Sciences, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
| | - Mark Hubbe
- Department of Anthropology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Benjamin M Auerbach
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Horbaly H. Covariance in human limb joint articular morphology. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 182:401-411. [PMID: 37702982 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2022] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Limb synovial joints exhibit complex shapes that must accommodate often-antagonistic demands of function, mobility, and stability. These demands presumably dictate coordination among joint articular shapes, but the structure of morphological covariance within and among joints is unknown. This study analyzes the human shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee to determine how articular covariance is structured in relation to joint structure, accessory cartilage, and function. MATERIALS AND METHODS Surface models were created from the CT scans of 200 modern skeletons from the University of Tennessee Donated Skeletal Collection. Three-dimensional landmarks were collected on the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee joints. Two-block partial least squares were conducted to determine associations between surfaces of conarticular shapes, functionally analogous articulations, and articulations belonging to the same bone. RESULTS Except for the components of the shoulder, all conarticular pairs exhibit covariance, though the strength of these relationships appears unrelated to the amount of accessory cartilage in the joint. Only the analogous articulations of the humerus and femur exhibit significant covariance, but it is unlikely that this pattern is due to function alone. Stronger covariance within the lower limb than the upper limb is consistent broader primate patterns of within-limb integration. DISCUSSION With the exception of the elbow, complementary joint function does not appear to promote strong covariance between articulations. Analogous humeral and femoral surfaces are also serially homologous, which may result in the articular associations observed between these bones. Broadly, these patterns highlight the indirect relationship between joint congruence and covariance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Horbaly
- Department of Health and Human Performance, Congdon School of Health Sciences, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Physician Assistant Studies, Congdon School of Health Sciences, High Point University, High Point, North Carolina, USA
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Wimberly AN. Predicting body mass in Ruminantia using postcranial measurements. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21636. [PMID: 37708510 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21636] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Size plays an important role in mammalian ecology. Accurate prediction of body mass is therefore critical for inferring aspects of ecology in extinct mammals. The unique digestive physiology of extant ruminant artiodactyls, in particular, is suggested to place constraints on their body mass depending on the type of food resources available. Therefore, reliable body mass estimates could provide insight into the habitat preferences of extinct ruminants. While most regression equations proposed thus far have used craniodental predictors, which for ungulates may produce misleading estimates based on indirect relationships between tooth dimensions and size, postcranial bones support the body and may be more accurate predictors of body mass. Here, I use phylogenetically informed bivariate and multiple regression techniques to establish predictive equations for body mass in 101 species of extant ruminant artiodactyls based on 56 postcranial measurements. Within limb elements, stepwise multiple regression models were typically preferred, though bivariate models often received comparable support based on Akaike's information criterion scores. The globally preferred model for predicting mass is a model including both proximal and distal width of the humerus, though several models from the radioulna received comparable support. In general, widths of long bones were good predictors, while lengths and midshaft circumferences were not. Finally, I show that where the best elements for prediction are unavailable for fossil taxa, selection of the model with lowest percent prediction error for the lowest level clade to which the fossil can be assigned could be a productive and novel way forward for predicting mass and subsequently aspects of ecology in fossil mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa N Wimberly
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Kikuchi Y. Body mass estimates from postcranial skeletons and implication for positional behavior in Nacholapithecus kerioi: Evolutionary scenarios of modern apes. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2466-2483. [PMID: 36753432 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25173] [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: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
This study reported the body mass (BM) estimates of the Middle Miocene fossil hominoid Nacholapithecus kerioi from Africa. The average BM estimates from all forelimb and hindlimb skeletal elements was 22.7 kg, which is slightly higher than the previously reported estimate of ~22 kg. This study revealed that Nacholapithecus has a unique body proportion with an enlarged forelimb relative to a smaller hindlimb, suggesting an antipronograde posture/locomotion, which may be related to the long clavicle, robust ribs, and some hominoid-like vertebral morphology. Because the BM of Nacholapithecus in this study was estimated to be below 30 kg, Nacholapithecus probably did not have relatively shorter and robust femora, which may result from other mechanical constraints, as seen in extant African hominoids. The BM estimate of Nacholapithecus suggests that full substantial modifications of the trunk and forelimb anatomy for risk avoidance and foraging efficiency, as seen in extant great apes, would not be expected in Nacholapithecus. Because larger monkeys are less arboreal (e.g., Mandrillus sphinx or Papio spp.), and the maximum BM among extant constant arboreal cercopithecoids is ~24 kg (male Nasalis larvatus), Nacholapithecus would be a constant arboreal primate. Although caution should be applied because of targeting only males in this study, arboreal quadrupedalism with upright posture and occasional antipronograde locomotion (e.g., climbing, chambering, descending, arm-swing, and sway) using the powerful grasping capacity of the hand and foot may be assumed for positional behavior of Nacholapithecus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Kikuchi
- Division of Human Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
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Ruff CB, Wood BA. The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass. Evol Anthropol 2023; 32:223-237. [PMID: 37335778 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21988] [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: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Body mass is a critical variable in many hominin evolutionary studies, with implications for reconstructing relative brain size, diet, locomotion, subsistence strategy, and social organization. We review methods that have been proposed for estimating body mass from true and trace fossils, consider their applicability in different contexts, and the appropriateness of different modern reference samples. Recently developed techniques based on a wider range of modern populations hold promise for providing more accurate estimates in earlier hominins, although uncertainties remain, particularly in non-Homo taxa. When these methods are applied to almost 300 Late Miocene through Late Pleistocene specimens, the resulting body mass estimates fall within a 25-60 kg range for early non-Homo taxa, increase in early Homo to about 50-90 kg, then remain constant until the Terminal Pleistocene, when they decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Bernard A Wood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Auerbach BM, Savell KRR, Agosto ER. Morphology, evolution, and the whole organism imperative: Why evolutionary questions need multi-trait evolutionary quantitative genetics. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023. [PMID: 37060292 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Since Washburn's New Physical Anthropology, researchers have sought to understand the complexities of morphological evolution among anatomical regions in human and non-human primates. Researchers continue, however, to preferentially use comparative and functional approaches to examine complex traits, but these methods cannot address questions about evolutionary process and often conflate function with fitness. Moreover, researchers also tend to examine anatomical elements in isolation, which implicitly assumes independent evolution among different body regions. In this paper, we argue that questions asked in primate evolution are best examined using multiple anatomical regions subjected to model-bound methods built from an understanding of evolutionary quantitative genetics. A nascent but expanding number of studies over the last two decades use this approach, examining morphological integration, evolvability, and selection modeling. To help readers learn how to use these methods, we review fundamentals of evolutionary processes within a quantitative genetic framework, explore the importance of neutral evolutionary theory, and explain the basics of evolutionary quantitative genetics, namely the calculation of evolutionary potential for multiple traits in response to selection. Leveraging these methods, we demonstrate their use to understand non-independence in possible evolutionary responses across the limbs, limb girdles, and basicranium of humans. Our results show that model-bound quantitative genetic methods can reveal unexpected genetic covariances among traits that create a novel but measurable understanding of evolutionary complexity among multiple traits. We advocate for evolutionary quantitative genetic methods to be a standard whenever appropriate to keep studies of primate morphological evolution relevant for the next seventy years and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Auerbach
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Kristen R R Savell
- Department of Biology, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Agosto
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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MacLatchy LM, Cote SM, Deino AL, Kityo RM, Mugume AAT, Rossie JB, Sanders WJ, Cosman MN, Driese SG, Fox DL, Freeman AJ, Jansma RJW, Jenkins KEH, Kinyanjui RN, Lukens WE, McNulty KP, Novello A, Peppe DJ, Strömberg CAE, Uno KT, Winkler AJ, Kingston JD. The evolution of hominoid locomotor versatility: Evidence from Moroto, a 21 Ma site in Uganda. Science 2023; 380:eabq2835. [PMID: 37053310 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq2835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Living hominoids are distinguished by upright torsos and versatile locomotion. It is hypothesized that these features evolved for feeding on fruit from terminal branches in forests. To investigate the evolutionary context of hominoid adaptive origins, we analyzed multiple paleoenvironmental proxies in conjunction with hominoid fossils from the Moroto II site in Uganda. The data indicate seasonally dry woodlands with the earliest evidence of abundant C4 grasses in Africa based on a confirmed age of 21 million years ago (Ma). We demonstrate that the leaf-eating hominoid Morotopithecus consumed water-stressed vegetation, and postcrania from the site indicate ape-like locomotor adaptations. These findings suggest that the origin of hominoid locomotor versatility is associated with foraging on leaves in heterogeneous, open woodlands rather than forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura M MacLatchy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Susanne M Cote
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alan L Deino
- Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Robert M Kityo
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Amon A T Mugume
- Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
- Uganda National Museum, Department of Museums and Monuments, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities, Kampala, Uganda
| | - James B Rossie
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - William J Sanders
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Miranda N Cosman
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Steven G Driese
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - David L Fox
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - April J Freeman
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Rutger J W Jansma
- Institute of Human Origins, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Kirsten E H Jenkins
- Department of Social Sciences, Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA 98466, USA
| | - Rahab N Kinyanjui
- Earth Sciences Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
- Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, Jena D-07743, Germany
- Human Origins Program, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - William E Lukens
- Department of Geology & Environmental Science, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807, USA
| | - Kieran P McNulty
- Department of Anthropology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Alice Novello
- CEREGE, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IRD, Collège de France, INRAE, Aix en Provence, France
- Department of Biology & Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel J Peppe
- Department of Geosciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
| | - Caroline A E Strömberg
- Department of Biology & Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kevin T Uno
- Division of Biology and Paleo Environment, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Alisa J Winkler
- Roy M. Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275, USA
- Section of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - John D Kingston
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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12
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Goldstein DM, Sylvester AD. Carpal allometry of African apes among mammals. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2023; 181:10-28. [PMID: 36808858 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Morphological variation in African ape carpals has been used to support the idea that Pan and Gorilla evolved knuckle-walking independently. Little work, however, has focused on the effect of body mass on carpal morphology. Here, we compare carpal allometry in Pan and Gorilla to that of other quadrupedal mammals with similar body mass differences. If allometric trends in Pan and Gorilla carpals mirror those of other mammals with similar body mass variation, then body mass differences may provide a more parsimonious explanation for African ape carpal variation than the independent evolution of knuckle-walking. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three linear measurements were collected on the capitate, hamate, lunate, and scaphoid (or scapholunate) of 39 quadrupedal species from six mammalian families/subfamilies. Relationships between linear measurements and estimated body mass were analyzed using reduced major axis regression. Slopes were compared to 0.33 for isometry. RESULTS Within Hominidae, higher body mass taxa (Gorilla) have relatively anteroposteriorly wider, mediolaterally wider, and/or proximodistally shorter capitates, hamates, and scaphoids than low body mass taxa (Pan). These allometric relationships are mirrored in most, but not all, mammalian families/subfamilies included in the analysis. CONCLUSIONS Within most mammalian families/subfamilies, carpals of high body mass taxa are proximodistally shorter, anteroposteriorly wider, and mediolaterally wider than those of low body mass taxa. These distinctions may be caused by the need to accommodate relatively higher forelimb loading associated with greater body mass. Because these trends occur within multiple mammalian families/subfamilies, some carpal variation in Pan and Gorilla is consistent with body mass differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna M Goldstein
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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13
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Agosto ER, Auerbach BM. Morphological integration and evolutionary potential of the primate shoulder: Variation among taxa and implications for genetic covariances with the basicranium, pelvis, and arm. J Hum Evol 2022; 169:103221. [PMID: 35772227 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Within the primate order, the morphology of the shoulder girdle is immensely variable and has been shown to reflect the functional demands of the upper limb. The observed morphological variation among extant primate taxa consequently has been hypothesized to be driven by selection for different functional demands. Evolutionary analyses of the shoulder girdle often assess this anatomical region, and its traits, individually, therefore implicitly assuming independent evolution of the shoulder girdle. However, the primate shoulder girdle has developmental and functional covariances with the basicranium and pelvic girdle that have been shown to potentially influence its evolution. It is unknown whether these relationships are similar or even present across primate taxa, and how they may affect morphological variation among primates. This study evaluates the strength of covariance and evolutionary potential across four anatomical regions: shoulder girdle, basicranium, pelvis, and distal humerus. Measures of morphological integration and evolutionary potential (conditioned covariance and evolutionary flexibility) are assessed across eight anthropoid primate taxa. Results demonstrate a consistent pattern of morphological constraint within paired anatomical regions across primates. Differences in evolutionary flexibility are observed among primate genera, with humans having the highest evolutionary potential overall. This pattern does not follow functional differences, but rather a separation between monkeys and apes. Therefore, evolutionary hypotheses of primate shoulder girdle morphological variation that evaluate functional demands alone may not account for the effect of these relationships. Collectively, our findings suggest differences in genetic covariance among anatomical regions may have contributed to the observable morphological variation among taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Agosto
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Drive, MS 5035, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Benjamin M Auerbach
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Tennessee, 1621 Cumberland Ave., Room 502A, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Tennessee, Dabney Hall, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
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14
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Engelman RK. Resizing the largest known extinct rodents (Caviomorpha: Dinomyidae, Neoepiblemidae) using occipital condyle width. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220370. [PMID: 35719882 PMCID: PMC9198521 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Several extinct chinchilloid rodents in the clades Dinomyidae and Neoepiblemidae grew to sizes much larger than any living rodent species. However, the exact size of these rodents is a matter of controversy, with authors disagreeing due to issues over extrapolation and model selection. Prior estimates for the two largest extinct rodents, Phoberomys pattersoni and Josephoartigasia monesi, range from 230 to 700 kg for P. pattersoni and 350 to 2600 kg for J. monesi. Here, I estimate body mass in large, extinct rodents using occipital condyle width (OCW), a strong predictor of body size in mammals, using a dataset that circumvents many of the issues faced by previous studies of species. Body masses under shape-corrected OCW are much lower than previous studies: 108-200 kg for P. pattersoni and 480 kg for J. monesi. Mass estimates for other rodent taxa (Neoepiblema, Telicomys, Dinomys) agree with previous studies. Estimates using skull length, corrected condyle width and head-body length are similar, suggesting estimates of 150 kg for Phoberomys and 480 kg for Josephoartigasia, and that larger estimates of 700 and 1200 kg are unlikely. High estimates in previous studies appear to be due to the unrecognized, nonlinear relationship between certain skeletal measurements (skull size) and body mass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell K. Engelman
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Euclid Avenue, 10900 Cleveland, OH, USA
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15
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Variation in cross-sectional indicator of femoral robusticity in Homo sapiens and Neandertals. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4739. [PMID: 35304879 PMCID: PMC8933494 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08405-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Variations in the cross-sectional properties of long bones are used to reconstruct the activity of human groups and differences in their respective habitual behaviors. Knowledge of what factors influence bone structure in Homo sapiens and Neandertals is still insufficient thus, this study investigated which biological and environmental variables influence variations in the femoral robusticity indicator of these two species. The sample consisted of 13 adult Neandertals from the Middle Paleolithic and 1959 adult individuals of H. sapiens ranging chronologically from the Upper Paleolithic to recent times. The femoral biomechanical properties were derived from the European data set, the subject literature, and new CT scans. The material was tested using a Mantel test and statistical models. In the models, the polar moment of area (J) was the dependent variable; sex, age, chronological period, type of lifestyle, percentage of the cortical area (%CA), the ratio of second moment areas of inertia about the X and Y axes (Ix/Iy), and maximum slope of the terrain were independent covariates. The Mantel tests revealed spatial autocorrelation of the femoral index in H. sapiens but not in Neandertals. A generalized additive mixed model showed that sex, %CA, Ix/Iy, chronological period, and terrain significantly influenced variation in the robusticity indicator of H. sapiens femora. A linear mixed model revealed that none of the analyzed variables correlated with the femoral robusticity indicator of Neandertals. We did not confirm that the gradual decline in the femoral robusticity indicator of H. sapiens from the Middle Paleolithic to recent times is related to the type of lifestyle; however, it may be associated with lower levels of mechanical loading during adolescence. The lack of correlation between the analysed variables and the indicator of femoral robusticity in Neandertals may suggest that they needed a different level of mechanical stimulus to produce a morphological response in the long bone than H. sapiens.
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16
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Relationship between the lumbosacral plexus deviation and 12th rib length in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Anat Sci Int 2022; 97:391-398. [PMID: 35303248 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-022-00657-8] [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: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between the lumbosacral plexus (LSP) origin and the 12th rib length was recently determined in humans; cranial and caudal deviations of the plexus origin are related to shortening and elongation of the 12th rib, respectively. However, it remains unclear whether such anatomical correlations are also observed in non-human mammals. To address this issue, in the present study, we evaluated the LSP origin and the 12th rib length in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). In typical cases, the femoral and obturator nerves were derived from both the 4th and 5th lumbar nerves, and the lumbosacral trunk was from the 5th to 7th lumbar nerves. Some of the LSPs exhibited a caudal deviation of their origins; the femoral and obturator nerves were also derived from the 6th lumbar nerve, in addition to the 4th and 5th lumbar nerves; the lumbosacral trunk lost the 5th lumbar nerve origin and arose from the 6th and 7th lumbar nerves. Individuals with the caudal deviation of LSP origin exhibited significant elongation of the 12th ribs, in comparison with individuals with the typical plexus. The present findings indicate that the caudal deviation of LSP origin was correlated to the 12th rib elongation in Japanese macaques, similar to humans. As a future studies, we need to clarify which mammalian groups exhibit such correlation between the deviation of the LSP origin and the lowest rib length, and further to provide evolutionary implications of this correlation.
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Ruff CB, Junno JA, Burgess ML, Canington SL, Harper C, Mudakikwa A, McFarlin SC. Body proportions and environmental adaptation in gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2022; 177:501-529. [PMID: 36787793 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Limb length and trunk proportions are determined in a large, taxonomically and environmentally diverse sample of gorillas and related to variation in locomotion, climate, altitude, and diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS The sample includes 299 gorilla skeletons, 115 of which are infants and juveniles, distributed between western lowland (G. gorilla gorilla), low and high elevation grauer (G. beringei graueri), and Virunga mountain gorillas (G. b. beringei). Limb bone and vertebral column lengths scaled to body mass are compared between subgroups by age group. RESULTS All G. beringei have relatively short 3rd metapodials and manual proximal phalanges compared to G. gorilla, and this difference is apparent in infancy. All G. beringei also have shortened total limb lengths relative to either body mass or vertebral column length, although patterns of variation in individual skeletal elements are more complex, and infants do not display the same patterns as adults. Mountain gorillas have relatively long clavicles, present in infancy, and a relatively long thoracic (but not lumbosacral) vertebral column. DISCUSSION A variety of environmental factors likely contributed to observed patterns of morphological variation among extant gorillas. We interpret the short hand and foot bones of all G. beringei as genetic adaptations to greater terrestriality in the last common ancestor of G. beringei; variation in other limb lengths to climatic adaptation, both genetic and developmental; and the larger thorax of G. b. beringei to adaptation to reduced oxygen pressure at high altitudes, again as a product of both genetic differences and environmental influences during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - M Loring Burgess
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephanie L Canington
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christine Harper
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, New Jersey, USA
| | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Rwanda Development Board, Department of Tourism and Conservation, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Shannon C McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Human Origins Program, Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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18
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Engelman RK. Occipital condyle width (OCW) is a highly accurate predictor of body mass in therian mammals. BMC Biol 2022; 20:37. [PMID: 35130893 PMCID: PMC8883515 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Body mass estimation is of paramount importance for paleobiological studies, as body size influences numerous other biological parameters. In mammals, body mass has been traditionally estimated using regression equations based on measurements of the dentition or limb bones, but for many species teeth are unreliable estimators of body mass and postcranial elements are unknown. This issue is exemplified in several groups of extinct mammals that have disproportionately large heads relative to their body size and for which postcranial remains are rare. In these taxa, previous authors have noted that the occiput is unusually small relative to the skull, suggesting that occiput dimensions may be a more accurate predictor of body mass. RESULTS The relationship between occipital condyle width (OCW) and body mass was tested using a large dataset (2127 specimens and 404 species) of mammals with associated in vivo body mass. OCW was found to be a strong predictor of body mass across therian mammals, with regression models of Mammalia as a whole producing error values (~ 31.1% error) comparable to within-order regression equations of other skeletal variables in previous studies. Some clades (e.g., monotremes, lagomorphs) exhibited specialized occiput morphology but followed the same allometric relationship as the majority of mammals. Compared to two traditional metrics of body mass estimation, skull length, and head-body length, OCW outperformed both in terms of model accuracy. CONCLUSIONS OCW-based regression models provide an alternative method of estimating body mass to traditional craniodental and postcranial metrics and are highly accurate despite the broad taxonomic scope of the dataset. Because OCW accurately predicts body mass in most therian mammals, it can be used to estimate body mass in taxa with no close living analogues without concerns of insufficient phylogenetic bracketing or extrapolating beyond the bounds of the data. This, in turn, provides a robust method for estimating body mass in groups for which body mass estimation has previously been problematic (e.g., "creodonts" and other extinct Paleogene mammals).
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell K Engelman
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
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19
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Pampush JD, Fuselier EJ, Yapuncich GS. Using BayesModelS to provide Bayesian- and phylogenetically-informed primate body mass predictions. J Hum Evol 2021; 161:103077. [PMID: 34688978 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103077] [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: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
An accurate prediction of the body mass of an extinct species can greatly inform the reconstruction of that species' ecology. Therefore, paleontologists frequently predict the body mass of extinct taxa from fossilized materials, particularly dental dimensions. Body mass prediction has traditionally been performed in a frequentist statistical framework, and accounting for phylogenetic relationships while calibrating prediction models has only recently become more commonplace. In this article, we apply BayesModelS-a phylogenetically informed Bayesian prediction method-to predict body mass in a sample of 49 euarchontan species (24 strepsirrhines, 20 platyrrhines, 3 tarsiids, 1 dermopteran, and 1 scandentian) and compare this approach's body mass prediction accuracy with other commonly used techniques, namely ordinary least squares, phylogenetic generalized least squares, and phylogenetic independent contrasts (PICs). When predicting the body masses of extant euarchontans from dental and postcranial variables, BayesModelS and PICs have substantially higher predictive accuracy than ordinary least squares and phylogenetic generalized least squares. The improved performances of BayesModelS and PIC are most evident for dentally derived body mass proxies or when body mass proxies have high degrees of phylogenetic covariance. Predicted values generated by BayesModelS and PIC methods also show less variance across body mass proxies when applied to the Eocene adapiform Notharctus tenebrosus. These more explicitly phylogenetically based methods should prove useful for predicting body mass in a paleontological context, and we provide executive scripts for both BayesModelS and PIC to increase ease of application.
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Affiliation(s)
- James D Pampush
- Department of Exercise Science, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA; Department of Physician Assistant Studies, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA.
| | - Edward J Fuselier
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, High Point University, High Point, NC 27260, USA
| | - Gabriel S Yapuncich
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Medical Education Administration, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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20
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Harper CM, Ruff CB, Sylvester AD. Calcaneal shape variation in humans, nonhuman primates, and early hominins. J Hum Evol 2021; 159:103050. [PMID: 34438297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The foot has played a prominent role in evaluating early hominin locomotion. The calcaneus, in particular, plays an important role in weight-bearing. Although the calcanei of early hominins have been previously scrutinized, a three-dimensional analysis of the entire calcaneal shape has not been conducted. Here, we investigate the relationship between external calcaneal shape and locomotion in modern Homo sapiens (n = 130), Gorilla (n = 86), Pan (n = 112), Pongo (n = 31), Papio (n = 28), and hylobatids (Hylobates, Symphalangus; n = 32). We use these results to place the calcanei attributed to Australopithecus sediba, A. africanus, A. afarensis, H. naledi, and Homo habilis/Paranthropus boisei into a locomotor context. Calcanei were scanned using either surface scanning or micro-CT and their external shape analyzed using a three-dimensional geometric morphometric sliding semilandmark analysis. Blomberg's K statistic was used to estimate phylogenetic signal in the shape data. Shape variation was summarized using a principal components analysis. Procrustes distances between all taxa as well as distances between each fossil and the average of each taxon were calculated. Blomberg's K statistic was small (K = 0.1651), indicating weak phylogenetic effects, suggesting variation is driven by factors other than phylogeny (e.g., locomotion or body size). Modern humans have a large calcaneus relative to body size and display a uniquely convex cuboid facet, facilitating a rigid midfoot for bipedalism. More arboreal great apes display relatively deeper cuboid facet pivot regions for increased midfoot mobility. Australopithecus afarensis demonstrates the most human-like calcaneus, consistent with obligate bipedalism. Homo naledi is primarily modern human-like, but with some intermediate traits, suggesting a different form of bipedalism than modern humans. Australopithecus africanus, A. sediba, and H. habilis/P. boisei calcanei all possess unique combinations of human and nonhuman ape-like morphologies, suggesting a combination of bipedal and arboreal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Harper
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 East Monument Street, Room 302, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States; Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Department of Biomedical Sciences, 401 S Broadway, Room 453, Camden, NJ 08103, United States.
| | - Christopher B Ruff
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 East Monument Street, Room 302, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 East Monument Street, Room 302, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States
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21
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Functional anatomy and adaptation of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae in primates using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics. Primates 2021; 62:845-855. [PMID: 34245393 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00929-3] [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: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The morphology of the cranial thoracic vertebrae has long been neglected in the study of primate skeletal functional morphology. This study explored the characteristics of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae among various positional behavioural primates. A total of 67 skeletal samples from four species of hominoids, four of cercopithecoids, and two of platyrrhines were used. Computed tomography images of the thoracic vertebrae were converted to a three-dimensional (3D) bone surface, and 104 landmarks were obtained on the 3D surface. For size-independent shape analysis, the vertebrae were scaled to the same centroid size, and the normalised landmarks were registered using the generalised Procrustes method. Principle components of shape variation among samples were clarified using the variance-covariance matrix of the Procrustes residuals. The present study revealed that the transverse processes were more dorsally positioned in hominoids compared to non-hominoids. The results showed that not only a dorsolaterally oriented but also a dorsally positioned transverse process in relation to the vertebral arch contribute to the greater dorsal depth in hominoids than in monkeys. The thoracic vertebrae of Ateles and Nasalis show relatively dorsoventrally low and craniocaudally long vertebrae with craniocaudally long zygapophyses and craniocaudally long base/short tip of the caudally oriented spinous process, accompanied by a laterally oriented and craniocaudally long base of the transverse process. Despite being phylogenetically separated, the vertebral features of Ateles (suspensory platyrrhine with its prehensile tail's aid) are similar to those of Nasalis (arboreal quadrupedal/jumping/arm-swing colobine). The morphology of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae tends to reflect the functional adaptation in relation to positional behaviour rather than the phylogenetic characteristics of hominoids, cercopithecoids, and platyrrhines.
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Arias-Martorell J, Almécija S, Urciuoli A, Nakatsukasa M, Moyà-Solà S, Alba DM. A proximal radius of Barberapithecus huerzeleri from Castell de Barberà: Implications for locomotor diversity among pliopithecoids. J Hum Evol 2021; 157:103032. [PMID: 34233242 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103032] [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: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Pliopithecoids are a diverse group of Miocene catarrhine primates from Eurasia. Their positional behavior is still unknown, and many species are known exclusively from dentognathic remains. Here, we describe a proximal radius (IPS66267) from the late Miocene of Castell de Barberà (Vallès-Penedès Basin, NE Iberian Peninsula) that represents the first postcranial specimen of the pliopithecoid Barberapithecus huerzeleri. A body mass estimate based on the radius is compared with dental estimates, and its morphology is compared with that of extant and fossil anthropoids by qualitative means as well as by landmark-based three-dimensional geometric morphometrics. The estimated body mass of ∼5 kg for IPS66267 closely matches the dental estimates for the (female) holotype, thereby discounting an alternative attribution to the large-bodied hominoid recorded at Castell de Barberà. In multiple features (oval and moderately tilted head with a pronounced lateral lip and a restricted articular area for the capitulum; proximodistally expanded proximal radioulnar joint; and short, robust, and anteroposteriorly compressed neck), the specimen differs from hominoids and resembles instead extant nonateline monkeys and stem catarrhines. The results of the morphometric analysis further indicate that the Barberapithecus proximal radius shows closer similarities with nonsuspensory arboreal cercopithecoids and the dendropithecid Simiolus. From a locomotor viewpoint, the radius of Barberapithecus lacks most of the features functionally related to climbing and/or suspensory behaviors and displays instead a proximal radioulnar joint that would have been particularly stable under pronation. On the other hand, the Barberapithecus radius differs from other stem catarrhines in the less anteroposteriorly compressed and less tilted radial head with a deeper capitular fovea, suggesting a somewhat enhanced mobility at the elbow joint. We conclude that pronograde arboreal quadrupedalism was the main component of the locomotor repertoire of Barberapithecus but that, similar to other crouzeliids, it might have displayed better climbing abilities than pliopithecids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Arias-Martorell
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; School of Anthropology and Conservation, Marlowe Building University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NR, UK.
| | - Sergio Almécija
- Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 10024, USA; Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessandro Urciuoli
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Masato Nakatsukasa
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, 606-8502 Kyoto, Japan
| | - Salvador Moyà-Solà
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig de Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain; Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica (Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David M Alba
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Barcelona, Spain.
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Bucchi A, Luengo J, Del Bove A, Lorenzo C. Insertion sites in manual proximal phalanges of African apes and modern humans. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 173:556-567. [PMID: 33460049 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this study was to describe the insertion sites of the ligaments holding the flexor digitorum profundus and superficialis muscles (flexor ridges) in proximal phalanges 2-5 of African apes and modern humans. To interpret differences in flexor ridge size based on general behavioral differences among taxa. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyzed 3D models of manual proximal phalanges 2-5 from 29 gorillas (Gorilla beringei and Gorilla gorilla), 30 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and 36 recent modern humans. Flexor ridges (mm2) were compared within and across genera. RESULTS Gorillas and chimpanzees had larger flexor ridges for phalanges 2-4 than humans and this difference subsists when controlling for body size. Each genus had a unique insertion size pattern across the digits, with the most heterogeneous pattern found in chimpanzees, followed by humans, and lastly gorillas. These patterns corresponded strongly to the differences in the size of the phalanges within each genus, except for phalanx 5 in humans, which had a larger flexor ridge than expected. DISCUSSION When comparing these genera, the flexor ridges signal differences between taxa that use their hands for manipulation and locomotion (gorillas and chimpanzees) and taxa that use them exclusively for manipulation (humans). This functional signal was also apparent in the PP5 of humans, whose larger FR may be indicating the high recruitment of this digit during forceful precision grip characteristic of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Bucchi
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 35 Avinguda de Catalunya, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), 4 Zona Educacional, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Javier Luengo
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 35 Avinguda de Catalunya, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), 4 Zona Educacional, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Antonietta Del Bove
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 35 Avinguda de Catalunya, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), 4 Zona Educacional, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 35 Avinguda de Catalunya, Tarragona, Spain.,Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES), 4 Zona Educacional, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), Tarragona, Spain
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Alfieri F, Nyakatura JA, Amson E. Evolution of bone cortical compactness in slow arboreal mammals. Evolution 2020; 75:542-554. [PMID: 33314086 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Convergent evolution is a major topic in evolutionary biology. Low bone cortical compactness (CC, a measure of porosity of cortical bone) in the extant genera of "tree sloths," has been linked to their convergent slow arboreal ecology. This proposed relationship of low CC with a slow arboreal lifestyle suggests potential convergent evolution of this trait in other slow arboreal mammals. Femoral and humeral CC were analyzed in "tree sloths," lorisids, koala, and extinct palaeopropithecids and Megaladapis, in comparison to closely related but ecologically distinct taxa, in a phylogenetic framework. Low CC in "tree sloths" is unparalleled by any analyzed clade and the high CC in extinct sloths suggests the recent convergence of low CC in "tree sloths." A tendency for low CC was found in Palaeopropithecus and Megaladapis. However, lorisids and the koala yielded unexpected CC patterns, preventing the recognition of a straightforward convergence of low CC in slow arboreal mammals. This study uncovers a complex relationship between CC and convergent evolution of slow arboreality, highlighting the multifactorial specificity of bone microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Alfieri
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - John A Nyakatura
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Eli Amson
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
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25
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Locomotor Behavior and Body Mass of Paramys delicatus (Ischyromyidae, Rodentia) and Commentary on Other Early North American Paramyines. J MAMM EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-020-09523-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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26
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Tavares WC, Pessôa LM. Effects of size, phylogeny and locomotor habits on the pelvic and femoral morphology of South American spiny rats (Rodentia: Echimyidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The rodent family Echimyidae (spiny rats, hutias and coypu) is notable for its high phylogenetic and ecological diversity, encompassing ~100 living species with body mass ranging from 70 to 4500 g, including arboreal, epigean (non-arboreal or scansorial), fossorial and semi-aquatic taxa. In view of this diversity, it was hypothesized that echimyid morphological variation in the pelvis and femur should reflect: (1) allometric association with body mass; (2) morphofunctional specializations for the different locomotor habits; and (3) phylogenetic history. To test these propositions, we examined 30 echimyid species, in addition to eight species of two other octodontoid families, Abrocomidae and Octodontidae. Pelvic and femoral variation was assessed with linear morphometry, using bivariate and multivariate statistical methods, part of which was phylogenetically informed. Approximately 80% of the total variation among echimyids was explained by body mass, and some univariate measurements were found potentially to be effective as body mass estimators after simple allometric procedures, notably in the pelvis. Even considering the significant phylogenetic signal, variation in shape was largely structured by locomotor habits, mainly in the pelvis, suggesting that the echimyid hindlimb diversification was driven, in part, by selective pressures related to locomotor habits. Finally, echimyid femoral disparity was considerably greater than in other octodontoids, contrasting with their relatively modest cranial variation. Thus, this study suggests that hindlimb diversity constitutes a key factor for the exceptional echimyid ecological and phyletic diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Corrêa Tavares
- Campus Duque de Caxias Professor Geraldo Cidade, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Leila Maria Pessôa
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Ruff CB, Squyres N, Junno J. Body mass estimation in hominins from humeral articular dimensions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:480-499. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
| | - Nicole Squyres
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA
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Rein TR. Comparative analysis of femoral biomechanical neck length in primates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:2330-2343. [PMID: 31961484 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24377] [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: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The unique abductor capability of the human lesser gluteal muscles among extant hominoids has been suggested to be associated, in part, with biomechanical neck length of the femur. Beyond the hominin lineage, the relationship between biomechanical neck length and locomotor performance remains unclear due, in part, to the limited number of primate taxa directly compared and the need to examine species characterized by a wider range of locomotor diversity. Measurements were taken on the proximal femora of 28 extant taxa, with each species being assigned to a locomotor and phylogenetic category. Pairwise comparisons and phylogenetic generalized least-squares analysis were performed to examine the impact of phylogeny and locomotor adaptation on relative biomechanical neck length. Arboreal quadrupeds that perform varying proportions of climbing/clambering versus leaping were characterized by different biomechanical neck lengths, whereas semi-terrestrial anthropoids that perform either knuckle-walking or palmigrade/digitigrade quadrupedalism were found to have similar relative neck lengths. Samples categorized as either orthograde clamberers or bipeds were distinct from all other anthropoid samples and characterized by the relatively shortest and longest biomechanical neck lengths, respectively. Results of additional analyses that included prosimian primates suggest that relatively long biomechanical necks characterize species adapted to hind limb-dominated forms of locomotion (e.g., vertical clinging and leaping and bipedalism). Thus, biomechanical neck length is useful for signaling reliance on bipedalism (as performed by humans) or leaping, including subtle variation in leaping performance among arboreal quadrupeds. Furthermore, this trait is informative regarding reliance on irregular gait clambering as performed by orangutans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R Rein
- Department of Anthropology, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut
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29
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Gunz P, Kozakowski S, Neubauer S, Le Cabec A, Kullmer O, Benazzi S, Hublin JJ, Begun DR. Skull reconstruction of the late Miocene ape Rudapithecus hungaricus from Rudabánya, Hungary. J Hum Evol 2020; 138:102687. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 10/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Early anthropoid femora reveal divergent adaptive trajectories in catarrhine hind-limb evolution. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4778. [PMID: 31699998 PMCID: PMC6838095 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12742-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The divergence of crown catarrhines—i.e., the split of cercopithecoids (Old World monkeys) from hominoids (apes and humans)—is a poorly understood phase in our shared evolutionary history with other primates. The two groups differ in the anatomy of the hip joint, a pattern that has been linked to their locomotor strategies: relatively restricted motion in cercopithecoids vs. more eclectic movements in hominoids. Here we take advantage of the first well-preserved proximal femur of the early Oligocene stem catarrhine Aegyptopithecus to investigate the evolution of this anatomical region using 3D morphometric and phylogenetically-informed evolutionary analyses. Our analyses reveal that cercopithecoids and hominoids have undergone divergent evolutionary transformations of the proximal femur from a similar ancestral morphology that is not seen in any living anthropoid, but is preserved in Aegyptopithecus, stem platyrrhines, and stem cercopithecoids. These results highlight the relevance of fossil evidence for illuminating key adaptive shifts in primate evolution. The proximal femur is key for understanding locomotion in primates. Here, the authors analyze the evolution of the proximal femur in catarrhines, including a new Aegyptopithecus fossil, and suggest that Old World monkeys and hominoids diverged from an ancestral state similar to Aegyptopithecus.
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31
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Böhme M, Spassov N, Fuss J, Tröscher A, Deane AS, Prieto J, Kirscher U, Lechner T, Begun DR. A new Miocene ape and locomotion in the ancestor of great apes and humans. Nature 2019; 575:489-493. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1731-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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32
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A late Miocene hominid partial pelvis from Hungary. J Hum Evol 2019; 136:102645. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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33
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Pina M, Alba DM, Moyà-Solà S, Almécija S. Femoral neck cortical bone distribution of dryopithecin apes and the evolution of hominid locomotion. J Hum Evol 2019; 136:102651. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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34
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Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the first metacarpal distal articular surface in humans, great apes and fossil hominins. J Hum Evol 2019; 132:119-136. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Revised: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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35
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Ruff CB, Harper CM, Goldstein DM, Daegling DJ, McGraw WS. Long bone structural proportions and locomotor behavior in Cercopithecidae. J Hum Evol 2019; 132:47-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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36
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MacLatchy L, Rossie J, Houssaye A, Olejniczak AJ, Smith TM. New hominoid fossils from Moroto II, Uganda and their bearing on the taxonomic and adaptive status of Morotopithecus bishopi. J Hum Evol 2019; 132:227-246. [PMID: 31203849 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2018] [Revised: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The early Miocene site of Moroto II, Uganda has yielded some of the oldest known hominoid fossils. A new partial mandible (UMP MORII 03'551) is notable for its long tooth row and large, narrow M2 with well-developed cristids - a morphological combination previously unknown for large bodied catarrhines of the Early Miocene and suggesting folivory. The tooth proportions are compatible with belonging to the same taxon as the maxilla UMP 62-11, the holotype of Morotopithecus bishopi; likewise, the long tooth row and vertical planum of UMP MORII 03'551 suggest that it may represent the same taxon as mandible(s) UMP 66-01 and UMP 62-10. Canine size strongly suggests UMP MORII 03'551 is a female. Comparisons of the tooth crown morphology and tooth row proportions, relative enamel thickness, enamel-dentine junction morphology, long-period line periodicity, and dental wear patterns support significant morphological, developmental, and inferred dietary differentiation, and therefore generic-level distinctiveness, among Afropithecus, Morotopithecus and the Proconsul clade. An isolated M1 (UMP MORII 03'559) is morphologically dissimilar, and much smaller than the actual or inferred size of molars in UMP MORII 03'551, UMP 66-01 and UMP 62-10, supporting the presence of two hominoid taxa at Moroto II, M. bishopi and a smaller bodied proconsulid. Given the high level of body mass dimorphism inferred for Morotopithecus and other early Miocene catarrhines, the known postcrania from Moroto II could be attributable to either taxon. However, UMP MORII 03'551 and the femora UMP MORII 94'80 derive from the same stratigraphic interval, while the isolated M1 was deposited later, increasing the likelihood that the mandible and femora are from the same individual. These new fossils expand our understanding of the taxonomic and adaptive diversity of early Miocene catarrhines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura MacLatchy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA.
| | - James Rossie
- Department of Anthropology, S.U.N.Y. Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Alexandra Houssaye
- UMR 7179 CNRS/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, 57 Rue Cuvier CP-55, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Tanya M Smith
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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37
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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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Wuthrich C, MacLatchy LM, Nengo IO. Wrist morphology reveals substantial locomotor diversity among early catarrhines: an analysis of capitates from the early Miocene of Tinderet (Kenya). Sci Rep 2019; 9:3728. [PMID: 30842461 PMCID: PMC6403298 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39800-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Considerable taxonomic diversity has been recognised among early Miocene catarrhines (apes, Old World monkeys, and their extinct relatives). However, locomotor diversity within this group has eluded characterization, bolstering a narrative that nearly all early catarrhines shared a primitive locomotor repertoire resembling that of the well-described arboreal quadruped Ekembo heseloni. Here we describe and analyse seven catarrhine capitates from the Tinderet Miocene sequence of Kenya, dated to ~20 Ma. 3D morphometrics derived from these specimens and a sample of extant and fossil capitates are subjected to a series of multivariate comparisons, with results suggesting a variety of locomotor repertoires were present in this early Miocene setting. One of the fossil specimens is uniquely derived among early and middle Miocene capitates, representing the earliest known instance of great ape-like wrist morphology and supporting the presence of a behaviourally advanced ape at Songhor. We suggest Rangwapithecus as this catarrhine’s identity, and posit expression of derived, ape-like features as a criterion for distinguishing this taxon from Proconsul africanus. We also introduce a procedure for quantitative estimation of locomotor diversity and find the Tinderet sample to equal or exceed large extant catarrhine groups in this metric, demonstrating greater functional diversity among early catarrhines than previously recognised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig Wuthrich
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA. .,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Laura M MacLatchy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Isaiah O Nengo
- Turkana Basin Institute, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA.,Turkana University College, P.O. Box 69-30500, Lodwar, Kenya
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Lewton KL, Ritzman T, Copes LE, Garland T, Capellini TD. Exercise‐induced loading increases ilium cortical area in a selectively bred mouse model. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 168:543-551. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristi L. Lewton
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Biological Sciences Human & Evolutionary Biology Section, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
| | - Terrence Ritzman
- Department of Neuroscience Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO
- Department of Anthropology Washington University St. Louis, MO
- Human Evolution Research Institute University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Lynn E. Copes
- Department of Medical Sciences, Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA
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40
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TSUBAMOTO TAKEHISA. Relationship between the calcaneal size and body mass in primates and land mammals. ANTHROPOL SCI 2019. [DOI: 10.1537/ase.190221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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41
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42
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Casanovas-Vilar I, Garcia-Porta J, Fortuny J, Sanisidro Ó, Prieto J, Querejeta M, Llácer S, Robles JM, Bernardini F, Alba DM. Oldest skeleton of a fossil flying squirrel casts new light on the phylogeny of the group. eLife 2018; 7:39270. [PMID: 30296996 PMCID: PMC6177260 DOI: 10.7554/elife.39270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Flying squirrels are the only group of gliding mammals with a remarkable diversity and wide geographical range. However, their evolutionary story is not well known. Thus far, identification of extinct flying squirrels has been exclusively based on dental features, which, contrary to certain postcranial characters, are not unique to them. Therefore, fossils attributed to this clade may indeed belong to other squirrel groups. Here we report the oldest fossil skeleton of a flying squirrel (11.6 Ma) that displays the gliding-related diagnostic features shared by extant forms and allows for a recalibration of the divergence time between tree and flying squirrels. Our phylogenetic analyses combining morphological and molecular data generally support older dates than previous molecular estimates (~23 Ma), being congruent with the inclusion of some of the earliest fossils (~36 Ma) into this clade. They also show that flying squirrels experienced little morphological change for almost 12 million years. Mammals can walk, hop, swim and fly; a few, like marsupial sugar gliders or colugos, can even glide. With 52 species scattered across the Northern hemisphere, flying squirrels are by far the most successful group that adopted this way of going airborne. To drift from tree to tree, these small animals pack their own ‘parachute’: a membrane draping between their lower limbs and the long cartilage rods that extend from their wrists. Tiny specialized wrist bones, which are unique to flying squirrels, help to support the cartilaginous extensions. The origin of flying squirrels is a point of contention: while most genetic studies point towards the group splitting from tree squirrels about 23 million years ago, the oldest remains – mostly cheek teeth – suggest the animals were already soaring through forests 36 million years ago. However, recent studies show that the dental features used to distinguish between gliding and non-gliding squirrels may actually be shared by the two groups. In 2002, the digging of a dump site in Barcelona unearthed a peculiar skeleton: first a tail and two thigh bones, big enough that the researchers thought it could be the fossil of a small primate. In fact, and much to the disappointment of paleoprimatologists, further excavating revealed that it was a rodent. As the specimen – nearly an entire skeleton – was being prepared, paleontologists insisted that all the ‘dirt’ attached to the bones had to be carefully screen-washed. From the mud emerged the minuscule specialized wrist bones: the primate-turned-rodent was in fact Miopetaurista neogrivensis, an extinct flying squirrel. Here, Casanovas-Vilar et al. describe the 11.6 million years old fossil, the oldest ever found. The wrist bones reveal that the animal belongs to the group of flying squirrels that have large sizes. Evolutionary analyses that combined molecular and paleontological data demonstrated that flying squirrels evolved from tree squirrels as far back as 31 to 25 million years ago, and possibly even earlier. In addition, the results show that Miopetaurista is closely related to Petaurista, a modern group of giant flying squirrels. In fact, their skeletons are so similar that the large species that currently inhabit the tropical and subtropical forests of Asia could be considered living fossils. Molecular and paleontological data are often at odds, but this fossil shows that they can be reconciled and combined to retrace history. Discovering older fossils, or even transitional forms, could help to retrace how flying squirrels took a leap from the rest of their evolutionary tree.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Casanovas-Vilar
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Garcia-Porta
- Centre de Recerca Ecològica i Aplicacions Forestals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Fortuny
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centre de Recherches sur les Paléoenvironnements et la Paléobiodiversité, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Óscar Sanisidro
- Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, United States
| | - Jérôme Prieto
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.,Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Sergio Llácer
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Robles
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Federico Bernardini
- Centro Fermi, Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, Roma, Italy.,Multidisciplinary Laboratory, The 'Abdus Salam' International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy
| | - David M Alba
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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43
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Sexual dimorphism of body size in an African fossil ape, Nacholapithecus kerioi. J Hum Evol 2018; 123:129-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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44
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McRae R, Aronsen GP. Inventory and Assessment of theGorilla gorilla(Savage, 1847) Skeletal Collection Housed at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. BULLETIN OF THE PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2018. [DOI: 10.3374/014.059.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan McRae
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven CT 06520-8277 USA
| | - Gary P. Aronsen
- Biological Anthropology Laboratories, Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven CT 06520-8277 USA
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45
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Grabowski M, Hatala KG, Jungers WL. Body mass estimates of the earliest possible hominins and implications for the last common ancestor. J Hum Evol 2018; 122:84-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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46
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Tsegai ZJ, Skinner MM, Pahr DH, Hublin JJ, Kivell TL. Ontogeny and variability of trabecular bone in the chimpanzee humerus, femur and tibia. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:713-736. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zewdi J. Tsegai
- Department of Human Evolution; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Matthew M. Skinner
- Skeletal Biology Research Center; School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent; Canterbury United Kingdom
- Department of Human Evolution; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Dieter H. Pahr
- Institute for Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics; Vienna University of Technology; Wien Austria
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
| | - Tracy L. Kivell
- Skeletal Biology Research Center; School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent; Canterbury United Kingdom
- Department of Human Evolution; Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology; Leipzig Germany
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47
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Spear JK, Williams SA. Scapular breadth is associated with forelimb-dominated suspensory behavior in Atelidae: Comments on Selby and Lovejoy (2017). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:194-196. [PMID: 29756202 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey K Spear
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York 10003.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York 10024
| | - Scott A Williams
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York 10003.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York 10024
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48
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Laird MF, Kozma EE, Kwekason A, Harrison T. A new fossil cercopithecid tibia from Laetoli and its implications for positional behavior and paleoecology. J Hum Evol 2018; 118:27-42. [PMID: 29606201 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Detailed analyses and comparisons of postcranial specimens of Plio-Pleistocene cercopithecids provide an opportunity to examine the recent evolutionary history and locomotor diversity in Old World monkeys. Studies examining the positional behavior and substrate preferences of fossil cercopithecids are also important for reconstructing the paleoenvironments of Plio-Pleistocene hominin sites. Here we describe a new fossil cercopithecid tibia (EP 1100/12) from the Australopithecus afarensis-bearing Upper Laetolil Beds (∼3.7 Ma) of Laetoli in northern Tanzania. The fossil tibia is attributed to cf. Rhinocolobus sp., which is the most common colobine at Laetoli. In addition to qualitative comparisons, the tibial shape of EP 1100/12 was compared to that of 190 extant cercopithecids using three-dimensional landmarks. Discriminant function analyses of the shape data were used to assess taxonomic affinity and shape variation relating to positional behavior. EP 1100/12 clustered with extant colobines, particularly the large-bodied genera Nasalis and Rhinopithecus. Comparisons reveal that EP 1100/12 belongs to a large-bodied monkey that engaged in arboreal pronograde quadrupedalism. These findings add further support to previous inferences that woodland and forest environments dominated the paleoenvironment of the Upper Laetolil Beds, which supported the diverse community of cercopithecids at Laetoli. The inferred paleoecology and the presence of large-bodied arboreally-adapted monkeys at Laetoli show that A. afarensis had access to a range of diverse habitats, including woodlands and forests. This supports the possibility that A. afarensis, with its potential range of positional capabilities, was able to utilize arboreal settings for food acquisition and refuge from predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myra F Laird
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Elaine E Kozma
- Department of Anthropology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY 10016, USA; New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Terry Harrison
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA; Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, NY 10003, USA
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49
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Ruff CB. Functional morphology in the pages of the AJPA. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165:688-704. [PMID: 29574828 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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50
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Ruff CB, Burgess ML, Junno J, Mudakikwa A, Zollikofer CPE, Ponce de León MS, McFarlin SC. Phylogenetic and environmental effects on limb bone structure in gorillas. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:353-372. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 01/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher B. Ruff
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineCenter for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 E. Monument StBaltimore Maryland 21205
| | - M. Loring Burgess
- Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineCenter for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, 1830 E. Monument StBaltimore Maryland 21205
| | | | - Antoine Mudakikwa
- Department of Tourism and ConservationRwanda Development BoardKigali Rwanda
| | | | | | - Shannon C. McFarlin
- Department of Anthropology, Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington UniversityWashington DC
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