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Hatala KG, Gatesy SM, Manafzadeh AR, Lusardi EM, Falkingham PL. Technical note: A volumetric method for measuring the longitudinal arch of human tracks and feet. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24897. [PMID: 38173148 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Fossil footprints (i.e., tracks) were believed to document arch anatomical evolution, although our recent work has shown that track arches record foot kinematics instead. Analyses of track arches can thereby inform the evolution of human locomotion, although quantifying this 3-D aspect of track morphology is difficult. Here, we present a volumetric method for measuring the arches of 3-D models of human tracks and feet, using both Autodesk Maya and Blender software. The method involves generation of a 3-D object that represents the space beneath the longitudinal arch, and measurement of that arch object's geometry and spatial orientation. We provide relevant tools and guidance for users to apply this technique to their own data. We present three case studies to demonstrate potential applications. These include, (1) measuring the arches of static and dynamic human feet, (2) comparing the arches of human tracks with the arches of the feet that made them, and (3) direct comparisons of human track and foot arch morphology throughout simulated track formation. The volumetric measurement tool proved robust for measuring 3-D models of human tracks and feet, in static and dynamic contexts. This tool enables researchers to quantitatively compare arches of fossil hominin tracks, in order to derive biomechanical interpretations from them, and/or offers a different approach for quantifying foot morphology in living humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G Hatala
- Department of Biology, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Stephen M Gatesy
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Armita R Manafzadeh
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | | | - Peter L Falkingham
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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2
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O'Neill MC, Nagano A, Umberger BR. A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the pelvis and lower limb of Australopithecus afarensis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24845. [PMID: 37671481 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Musculoskeletal modeling is a powerful approach for studying the biomechanics and energetics of locomotion. Australopithecus (A.) afarensis is among the best represented fossil hominins and provides critical information about the evolution of musculoskeletal design and locomotion in the hominin lineage. Here, we develop and evaluate a three-dimensional (3-D) musculoskeletal model of the pelvis and lower limb of A. afarensis for predicting muscle-tendon moment arms and moment-generating capacities across lower limb joint positions encompassing a range of locomotor behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 3-D musculoskeletal model of an adult A. afarensis pelvis and lower limb was developed based primarily on the A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. The model includes geometric representations of bones, joints and 35 muscle-tendon units represented using 43 Hill-type muscle models. Two muscle parameter datasets were created from human and chimpanzee sources. 3-D muscle-tendon moment arms and isometric joint moments were predicted over a wide range of joint positions. RESULTS Predicted muscle-tendon moment arms generally agreed with skeletal metrics, and corresponded with human and chimpanzee models. Human and chimpanzee-based muscle parameterizations were similar, with some differences in maximum isometric force-producing capabilities. The model is amenable to size scaling from A.L. 288-1 to the larger KSD-VP-1/1, which subsumes a wide range of size variation in A. afarensis. DISCUSSION This model represents an important tool for studying the integrated function of the neuromusculoskeletal systems in A. afarensis. It is similar to current human and chimpanzee models in musculoskeletal detail, and will permit direct, comparative 3-D simulation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C O'Neill
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - Akinori Nagano
- Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Brian R Umberger
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Sorrentino R, Carlson KJ, Orr CM, Pietrobelli A, Figus C, Li S, Conconi M, Sancisi N, Belvedere C, Zhu M, Fiorenza L, Hublin JJ, Jashashvili T, Novak M, Patel BA, Prang TC, Williams SA, Saers JPP, Stock JT, Ryan T, Myerson M, Leardini A, DeSilva J, Marchi D, Belcastro MG, Benazzi S. Morphological and evolutionary insights into the keystone element of the human foot's medial longitudinal arch. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1061. [PMID: 37857853 PMCID: PMC10587292 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05431-8] [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: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of the medial longitudinal arch (MLA) is one of the most impactful adaptations in the hominin foot that emerged with bipedalism. When and how it evolved in the human lineage is still unresolved. Complicating the issue, clinical definitions of flatfoot in living Homo sapiens have not reached a consensus. Here we digitally investigate the navicular morphology of H. sapiens (living, archaeological, and fossil), great apes, and fossil hominins and its correlation with the MLA. A distinctive navicular shape characterises living H. sapiens with adult acquired flexible flatfoot, while the congenital flexible flatfoot exhibits a 'normal' navicular shape. All H. sapiens groups differentiate from great apes independently from variations in the MLA, likely because of bipedalism. Most australopith, H. naledi, and H. floresiensis navicular shapes are closer to those of great apes, which is inconsistent with a human-like MLA and instead might suggest a certain degree of arboreality. Navicular shape of OH 8 and fossil H. sapiens falls within the normal living H. sapiens spectrum of variation of the MLA (including congenital flexible flatfoot and individuals with a well-developed MLA). At the same time, H. neanderthalensis seem to be characterised by a different expression of the MLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Sorrentino
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40126, Italy.
| | - Kristian J Carlson
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, USA
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, WITS 2050, South Africa
| | - Caley M Orr
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, 80217, USA
| | - Annalisa Pietrobelli
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40126, Italy
| | - Carla Figus
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, 48121, Italy
| | - Shuyuan Li
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Michele Conconi
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Health Sciences and Technologies, Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research (HST-ICIR), University of Bologna, Bologna, 40136, Italy
| | - Nicola Sancisi
- Department of Industrial Engineering, Health Sciences and Technologies, Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research (HST-ICIR), University of Bologna, Bologna, 40136, Italy
| | - Claudio Belvedere
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Functional Evaluation of Prostheses, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Mingjie Zhu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Luca Fiorenza
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Chaire Internationale de Paléoanthropologie, CIRB (UMR 7241-U1050), Collège de France, Paris, France
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Tea Jashashvili
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, USA
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, Georgian National Museum, Tbilisi, 0105, Georgia
| | - Mario Novak
- Centre for Applied Bioanthropology, Institute for Anthropological Research, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Biren A Patel
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90033, USA
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 90089, USA
| | - Thomas C Prang
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Scott A Williams
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, WITS 2050, South Africa
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, 10003, USA
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits, 2050, South Africa
| | - Jaap P P Saers
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, 2333, CR, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Jay T Stock
- Department of Anthropology, Western University, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Timothy Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Mark Myerson
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Alberto Leardini
- Laboratory of Movement Analysis and Functional Evaluation of Prostheses, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | - Jeremy DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Damiano Marchi
- Centre for the Exploration of the Deep Human Journey, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Wits, 2050, South Africa
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, 56126, Italy
| | - Maria Giovanna Belcastro
- Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, 40126, Italy
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, 48121, Italy
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Kramer PA, Lautzenheiser SG. Foot morphology influences the change in arch index between standing and walking conditions. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2022; 305:3254-3262. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.24890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Harper CM, Ruff CB, Sylvester AD. Gorilla calcaneal morphological variation and ecological divergence. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 174:49-65. [PMID: 32871028 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The primate foot has been extensively investigated because of its role in weight-bearing; however, the calcaneus has been relatively understudied. Here we examine entire gorilla calcaneal external shape to understand its relationship with locomotor behavior. MATERIALS AND METHODS Calcanei of Gorilla gorilla gorilla (n = 43), Gorilla beringei graueri (n = 20), and Gorilla beringei beringei (n = 15) were surface or micro-CT scanned. External shape was analyzed through a three-dimensional geometric morphometric sliding semilandmark analysis. Semilandmarks were slid relative to an updated Procrustes average in order to minimize the bending energy of the thin plate spline interpolation function. Shape variation was summarized using principal components analysis of shape coordinates. Procrustes distances between taxa averages were calculated and resampling statistics run to test pairwise differences. Linear measures were collected and regressed against estimated body mass. RESULTS All three taxa exhibit statistically different morphologies (p < .001 for pairwise comparisons). G. g. gorilla demonstrates an anteroposteriorly elongated calcaneus with a deeper cuboid pivot region and mediolaterally flatter posterior talar facet. G. b. beringei possesses the flattest cuboid and most medially-angled posterior talar facets. G. b. graueri demonstrates intermediate articular facet morphology, a medially-angled tuberosity, and an elongated peroneal trochlea. DISCUSSION Articular facet differences separate gorillas along a locomotor gradient. G. g. gorilla is adapted for arboreality with greater joint mobility, while G. b. beringei is adapted for more stereotypical loads associated with terrestriality. G. b. graueri's unique posterolateral morphology may be due to a secondary transition to greater arboreality from a more terrestrial ancestor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Harper
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher B Ruff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Adam D Sylvester
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Morphometric analysis of the hominin talus: Evolutionary and functional implications. J Hum Evol 2020; 142:102747. [PMID: 32240884 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The adoption of bipedalism is a key benchmark in human evolution that has impacted talar morphology. Here, we investigate talar morphological variability in extinct and extant hominins using a 3D geometric morphometric approach. The evolutionary timing and appearance of modern human-like features and their contributions to bipedal locomotion were evaluated on the talus as a whole, each articular facet separately, and multiple combinations of facets. Distinctive suites of features are consistently present in all fossil hominins, despite the presence of substantial interspecific variation, suggesting a potential connection of these suites to bipedal gait. A modern human-like condition evolved in navicular and lateral malleolar facets early in the hominin lineage compared with other facets, which demonstrate more complex morphological variation within Homininae. Interestingly, navicular facet morphology of Australopithecus afarensis is derived in the direction of Homo, whereas more recent hominin species such as Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus sediba retain more primitive states in this facet. Combining the navicular facet with the trochlea and the posterior calcaneal facet as a functional suite, however, distinguishes Australopithecus from Homo in that the medial longitudinal arch had not fully developed in the former. Our results suggest that a more everted foot and stiffer medial midtarsal region are adaptations that coincide with the emergence of bipedalism, whereas a high medial longitudinal arch emerges later in time, within Homo. This study provides novel insights into the emergence of talar morphological traits linked to bipedalism and its transition from a facultative to an obligate condition.
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7
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Agoada D, Kramer PA. Radiographic measurements of the talus and calcaneus in the adult pes planus foot type. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 171:613-627. [PMID: 31930491 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A distinctive feature of the modern human foot is the presence of a medial longitudinal arch when weight-bearing. Although the talus and calcaneus play a major role in the structure and function of the human foot, the association between the morphology of these bones and longitudinal arch height has not been fully investigated. A better understanding of this relationship may assist in the interpretation of pedal remains of fossil hominins, where features of the foot and ankle morphology have been described as providing evidence for the presence of a longitudinal arch. METHODS For this study, weight-bearing radiographs of 103 patients from an urban US Level 1 trauma center, taken as part of a clinical examination for medical evaluation, were selected. These radiographs were classified as to foot type by arch height as defined using the calcaneal inclination angle. From this group, 68 radiographs were suitable for linear and angular measurements of the talus and 74 of the calcaneus. The relationships between these measurements and arch height were explored using least squared linear regression analysis. RESULTS The results demonstrate that angular measurements of the calcaneus (particularly those that reflect the relationship of the talar articular facets to each other and the tilt of the calcaneocuboid joint to the longitudinal axis of the calcaneus) are predictive of arch height (r2 = .29-.44 p ≤ .001). All angular measurements of the talus and all examined linear measurements of both the talus and calcaneus were not predictive of arch height. DISCUSSION These results suggest that certain angular measurements of the calcaneus are associated with arch height in the modern human foot. While this information is useful in the interpretation of hominin pedal remains, the relationship of the morphology of these bones, as well as other bones of the foot, to arch height is complex, requiring further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Agoada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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8
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Agoada D, Kramer PA. The Relationship Between Angular Osteologic and Radiographic Measurements of the Human Talus and Calcaneus. J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 2019; 109:327-344. [PMID: 31599668 DOI: 10.7547/17-200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Radiographic imaging of the foot is commonly performed when medical evaluation is indicated. Angular measurements between bones may be assessed as part of the examination for trauma and foot biomechanics. However, angular relationships between surfaces of the physical bone as they compare with the bone's radiographic image has had limited investigation. METHODS For this study, 54 human feet from amputated limbs were imaged in standard radiographic views and skeletonized. Selected angular measurements were taken on each skeletonized talus and calcaneus and were compared with those taken from radiographic images using paired Student t tests and linear regression analysis. RESULTS Transverse plane measurements of the talus were not significantly different (P ≥ .05), associating strongly (r2 = 0.67-0.75; all P < .001). Most transverse and sagittal plane measurements of the calcaneus were not significantly different (P ≥ .05), with transverse plane measurements more strongly associated (r2 = 0.70-0.77; all P < .001) than sagittal plane measurements (r2 = 0.35-0.78; all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS Selected angular measurements of the talus and calcaneus taken from radiographic images can be compared quantitatively with the physical bone, demonstrating that angular measurements from radiographic images provide useful information concerning both of these bones. This knowledge can be applied to the understanding of the morphology of the calcaneus and talus as it relates to human foot biomechanics and should also be of use in the interpretation of the human fossil pedal record.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Agoada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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9
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Heaton JL, Pickering TR, Carlson KJ, Crompton RH, Jashashvili T, Beaudet A, Bruxelles L, Kuman K, Heile AJ, Stratford D, Clarke RJ. The long limb bones of the StW 573 Australopithecus skeleton from Sterkfontein Member 2: Descriptions and proportions. J Hum Evol 2019; 133:167-197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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DeSilva J, McNutt E, Benoit J, Zipfel B. One small step: A review of Plio‐Pleistocene hominin foot evolution. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168 Suppl 67:63-140. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy DeSilva
- Department of AnthropologyDartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Ellison McNutt
- Department of AnthropologyDartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire
| | - Julien Benoit
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of GeosciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
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11
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McNutt EJ, Zipfel B, DeSilva JM. The evolution of the human foot. Evol Anthropol 2018; 27:197-217. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ellison J. McNutt
- Department of Anthropology; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire
- Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems, and Society; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Jeremy M. DeSilva
- Department of Anthropology; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire
- Evolutionary Studies Institute and School of Geosciences; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
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12
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Agoada D. The Relationship Between Linear Osteological and Radiographic Measurements of the Human Calcaneus and Talus. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 301:21-33. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Agoada
- University of Washington, 314 Denny Hall; Seattle Washington
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13
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Tsegai ZJ, Skinner MM, Gee AH, Pahr DH, Treece GM, Hublin JJ, Kivell TL. Trabecular and cortical bone structure of the talus and distal tibia in Pan and Homo. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 163:784-805. [PMID: 28542704 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Internal bone structure, both cortical and trabecular bone, remodels in response to loading and may provide important information regarding behavior. The foot is well suited to analysis of internal bone structure because it experiences the initial substrate reaction forces, due to its proximity to the substrate. Moreover, as humans and apes differ in loading of the foot, this region is relevant to questions concerning arboreal locomotion and bipedality in the hominoid fossil record. MATERIALS AND METHODS We apply a whole-bone/epiphysis approach to analyze trabecular and cortical bone in the distal tibia and talus of Pan troglodytes and Homo sapiens. We quantify bone volume fraction (BV/TV), degree of anisotropy (DA), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), bone surface to volume ratio (BS/BV), and cortical thickness and investigate the distribution of BV/TV and cortical thickness throughout the bone/epiphysis. RESULTS We find that Pan has a greater BV/TV, a lower BS/BV and thicker cortices than Homo in both the talus and distal tibia. The trabecular structure of the talus is more divergent than the tibia, having thicker, less uniformly aligned trabeculae in Pan compared to Homo. Differences in dorsiflexion at the talocrural joint and in degree of mobility at the talonavicular joint are reflected in the distribution of cortical and trabecular bone. DISCUSSION Overall, quantified trabecular parameters represent overall differences in bone strength between the two species, however, DA may be directly related to joint loading. Cortical and trabecular bone distributions correlate with habitual joint positions adopted by each species, and thus have potential for interpreting joint position in fossil hominoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zewdi J Tsegai
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew H Gee
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dieter H Pahr
- Institute for Lightweight Design and Structural Biomechanics, Vienna University of Technology, Wien, Austria
| | - Graham M Treece
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tracy L Kivell
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Skeletal Biology Research Centre, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom
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Abstract
The dispersal of the genus Homo out of Africa approximately 1.8 million years ago (Ma) has been understood within the context of changes in diet, behavior, and bipedal locomotor efficiency. While various morphological characteristics of the knee and ankle joints are considered part of a suite of traits indicative of, and functionally related to, habitual bipedal walking, the timing and phylogenetic details of these morphological changes remain unclear. To evaluate the timing of knee and ankle joint evolution, we apply geometric morphometric methods to three-dimensional digital models of the proximal and distal tibiae of fossil hominins, Holocene Homo sapiens, and extant great apes. Two sets of landmarks and curve semilandmarks were defined on each specimen. Because some fossils were incomplete, digital reconstructions were carried out independently to estimate missing landmarks and semilandmarks. Group shape variation was evaluated through shape-and form-space principal component analysis and fossil specimens were projected to assess variation in the morphological space computed from the extant comparative sample. We show that a derived proximal tibia (knee) similar to that seen in living H. sapiens evolved with early Homo at ∼2 Ma. In contrast, derived characteristics in the distal tibia appear later, probably with the arrival of Homo erectus. These results suggest a dissociation of the morphologies of the proximal and distal tibia, perhaps indicative of divergent functional demands and, consequently, selective pressures at these joints. It appears that longer distance dispersals that delivered the Dmanisi hominins to Georgia by 1.8 Ma and H. erectus to east-southeast Asia by 1.6 Ma were facilitated by the evolution of a morphologically derived knee complex comparable to that of recent humans and an ankle that was morphologically primitive. This research sets the foundation for additional paleontological, developmental, and functional research to better understand the mechanisms underlying the evolution of bipedalism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie A Frelat
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy; UMR 7268 ADES, Aix-Marseille Université/EFS/CNRS, Marseille, France.
| | - Colin N Shaw
- PAVE Research Group, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Cambridge BioTomography Centre, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simone Sukhdeo
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefano Benazzi
- Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Timothy M Ryan
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Quantitative Imaging, EMS Energy Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Holowka NB, O'Neill MC, Thompson NE, Demes B. Chimpanzee and human midfoot motion during bipedal walking and the evolution of the longitudinal arch of the foot. J Hum Evol 2017; 104:23-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Prang TC. Reevaluating the functional implications of Australopithecus afarensis navicular morphology. J Hum Evol 2016; 97:73-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Revised: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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17
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Rearfoot posture of Australopithecus sediba and the evolution of the hominin longitudinal arch. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17677. [PMID: 26628197 PMCID: PMC4667273 DOI: 10.1038/srep17677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The longitudinal arch is one of the hallmarks of the human foot but its evolutionary history remains controversial due to the fragmentary nature of the fossil record. In modern humans, the presence of a longitudinal arch is reflected in the angular relationships among the major surfaces of the human talus and calcaneus complex, which is also known as the rearfoot. A complete talus and calcaneus of Australopithecus sediba provide the opportunity to evaluate rearfoot posture in an early hominin for the first time. Here I show that A. sediba is indistinguishable from extant African apes in the angular configuration of its rearfoot, which strongly suggests that it lacked a longitudinal arch. Inferences made from isolated fossils support the hypothesis that Australopithecus afarensis possessed an arched foot. However, tali attributed to temporally younger taxa like Australopithecus africanus and Homo floresiensis are more similar to those of A. sediba. The inferred absence of a longitudinal arch in A. sediba would be biomechanically consistent with prior suggestions of increased midtarsal mobility in this taxon. The morphological patterns in talus and calcaneus angular relationships among fossil hominins suggest that there was diversity in traits associated with the longitudinal arch in the Plio-Pleistocene.
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18
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Griffin NL, Miller CE, Schmitt D, D'Août K. Understanding the evolution of the windlass mechanism of the human foot from comparative anatomy: Insights, obstacles, and future directions. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2014; 156:1-10. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 09/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Griffin
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology; Temple University School of Medicine; Philadelphia PA 19140
| | | | - Daniel Schmitt
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology; Duke University; NC
| | - Kristiaan D'Août
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology; Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool; Liverpool UK
- Department of Biology; University of Antwerp, Antwerp; Belgium
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19
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Parr WCH, Soligo C, Smaers J, Chatterjee HJ, Ruto A, Cornish L, Wroe S. Three-dimensional shape variation of talar surface morphology in hominoid primates. J Anat 2014; 225:42-59. [PMID: 24842795 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The hominoid foot is of particular interest to biological anthropologists, as changes in its anatomy through time reflect the adoption of terrestrial locomotion, particularly in species of Australopithecus and Homo. Understanding the osteological morphology associated with changes in whole foot function and the development of the plantar medial longitudinal foot arch are key to understanding the transition through habitual bipedalism in australopithecines to obligate bipedalism and long-distance running in Homo. The talus is ideal for studying relationships between morphology and function in this context, as it is a major contributor to the adduction-abduction, plantar-dorsal flexion and inversion-eversion of the foot, and transmits all forces encountered from the foot to the leg. The talar surface is predominantly covered by articular facets, which have different quantifiable morphological characters, including surface area, surface curvature and orientation. The talus also presents challenges to the investigator, as its globular shape is very difficult to quantify accurately and reproducibly. Here we apply a three-dimensional approach using type 3 landmarks (slid semilandmarks) that are geometrically homologous to determine overall talar shape variations in a range of living and fossil hominoid taxa. Additionally, we use novel approaches to quantify the relative orientations and curvatures of talar articular facets by determining the principal vectors of facet orientation and fitting spheres to articular facets. The resulting metrics are analysed using phylogenetic regressions and principal components analyses. Our results suggest that articular surface curvatures reflect locomotor specialisations with, in particular, orangutans having more highly curved facets in all but the calcaneal facet. Similarly, our approach to quantifying articular facet orientation appears to be effective in discriminating between extant hominoid species, and may therefore provide a sound basis for the study of fossil taxa and evolution of bipedalism in Australopithecus and Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- W C H Parr
- Surgical and Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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20
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Sutou S. The Hairless Mutation Hypothesis: a Driving Force of Humanization by Enforcing Bipedalism to Hold a Baby, by Allowing Immature Baby Delivery to Enlarge the Brain after Birth, and by Making Use of Fire to Get Meat and to Cook Foods. Genes Environ 2014. [DOI: 10.3123/jemsge.2014.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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21
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Barak MM, Lieberman DE, Raichlen D, Pontzer H, Warrener AG, Hublin JJ. Trabecular evidence for a human-like gait in Australopithecus africanus. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77687. [PMID: 24223719 PMCID: PMC3818375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the earliest known hominins were apparently upright bipeds, there has been mixed evidence whether particular species of hominins including those in the genus Australopithecus walked with relatively extended hips, knees and ankles like modern humans, or with more flexed lower limb joints like apes when bipedal. Here we demonstrate in chimpanzees and humans a highly predictable and sensitive relationship between the orientation of the ankle joint during loading and the principal orientation of trabecular bone struts in the distal tibia that function to withstand compressive forces within the joint. Analyses of the orientation of these struts using microCT scans in a sample of fossil tibiae from the site of Sterkfontein, of which two are assigned to Australopithecus africanus, indicate that these hominins primarily loaded their ankles in a relatively extended posture like modern humans and unlike chimpanzees. In other respects, however, trabecular properties in Au africanus are distinctive, with values that mostly fall between those of chimpanzees and humans. These results indicate that Au. africanus, like Homo, walked with an efficient, extended lower limb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meir M. Barak
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MMB); (DEL)
| | - Daniel E. Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail: (MMB); (DEL)
| | - David Raichlen
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna G. Warrener
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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22
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Bates KT, Collins D, Savage R, McClymont J, Webster E, Pataky TC, D'Aout K, Sellers WI, Bennett MR, Crompton RH. The evolution of compliance in the human lateral mid-foot. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20131818. [PMID: 23966646 PMCID: PMC3768320 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.1818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil evidence for longitudinal arches in the foot is frequently used to constrain the origins of terrestrial bipedality in human ancestors. This approach rests on the prevailing concept that human feet are unique in functioning with a relatively stiff lateral mid-foot, lacking the significant flexion and high plantar pressures present in non-human apes. This paradigm has stood for more than 70 years but has yet to be tested objectively with quantitative data. Herein, we show that plantar pressure records with elevated lateral mid-foot pressures occur frequently in healthy, habitually shod humans, with magnitudes in some individuals approaching absolute maxima across the foot. Furthermore, the same astonishing pressure range is present in bonobos and the orangutan (the most arboreal great ape), yielding overlap with human pressures. Thus, while the mean tendency of habitual mechanics of the mid-foot in healthy humans is indeed consistent with the traditional concept of the lateral mid-foot as a relatively rigid or stabilized structure, it is clear that lateral arch stabilization in humans is not obligate and is often transient. These findings suggest a level of detachment between foot stiffness during gait and osteological structure, hence fossilized bone morphology by itself may only provide a crude indication of mid-foot function in extinct hominins. Evidence for thick plantar tissues in Ardipithecus ramidus suggests that a human-like combination of active and passive modulation of foot compliance by soft tissues extends back into an arboreal context, supporting an arboreal origin of hominin bipedalism in compressive orthogrady. We propose that the musculoskeletal conformation of the modern human mid-foot evolved under selection for a functionally tuneable, rather than obligatory stiff structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl T Bates
- Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Buildings, Ashton St, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.
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23
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Lautzenheiser SG, Kramer PA. Linear and Angular Measurements of the Foot of Modern Humans: A Test of Morton'S Foot Types. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2013; 296:1526-33. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.22764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Revised: 04/25/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patricia Ann Kramer
- Department of Anthropology; University of Washington; Seattle Washington
- Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine; University of Washington; Seattle Washington
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24
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Abstract
Paleoanthropologists have long argued--often contentiously--about the climbing abilities of early hominins and whether a foot adapted to terrestrial bipedalism constrained regular access to trees. However, some modern humans climb tall trees routinely in pursuit of honey, fruit, and game, often without the aid of tools or support systems. Mortality and morbidity associated with facultative arboreality is expected to favor behaviors and anatomies that facilitate safe and efficient climbing. Here we show that Twa hunter-gatherers use extraordinary ankle dorsiflexion (>45°) during climbing, similar to the degree observed in wild chimpanzees. Although we did not detect a skeletal signature of dorsiflexion in museum specimens of climbing hunter-gatherers from the Ituri forest, we did find that climbing by the Twa is associated with longer fibers in the gastrocnemius muscle relative to those of neighboring, nonclimbing agriculturalists. This result suggests that a more excursive calf muscle facilitates climbing with a bipedally adapted ankle and foot by positioning the climber closer to the tree, and it might be among the mechanisms that allow hunter-gatherers to access the canopy safely. Given that we did not find a skeletal correlate for this observed behavior, our results imply that derived aspects of the hominin ankle associated with bipedalism remain compatible with vertical climbing and arboreal resource acquisition. Our findings challenge the persistent arboreal-terrestrial dichotomy that has informed behavioral reconstructions of fossil hominins and highlight the value of using modern humans as models for inferring the limits of hominin arboreality.
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25
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Metatarsal torsion in monkeys, apes, humans and australopiths. J Hum Evol 2012; 64:93-108. [PMID: 23219163 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2012] [Revised: 10/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents an analysis of metatarsal torsion in apes, cercopithecoids and humans, compares australopiths with these species, and discusses their inferred foot morphology and function relative to prehensility, arboreality and the presence or absence of a longitudinal arch. Our results show that locomotor modes are reflected in metatarsal torsion values. Apes, which climb vertically with their foot inverted, have hallucal metatarsal heads that are turned toward the other toes and lateral toes that are inverted. Cercopithecoids, which tend to orient their feet in an axis more parallel to the line of motion, present signs of prehensility by having inverted 2nd metatarsals that oppose the hallux, while their two lateral-most metatarsals are strongly everted. Humans, with their rigid feet and longitudinal arches, have all toes that present their plantar surface toward the ground, resulting in hallucal and 2nd metatarsals that are relatively untwisted and the others that are strongly everted. Humans are different from all taxa only for the 2nd and 3rd metatarsal. It is hypothesized that the untwisted 2nd metatarsal reflects the lack of digit opposability of the medial foot and the strongly everted 3rd metatarsal reflects the longitudinal arch. Australopithecus afarensis was characterized by an everted lateral foot, the prerequisite for the development, but not necessarily an indicator, of a longitudinal arch. In Australopithecus africanus, torsion of fragmentary and complete 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th metatarsals suggest that the species did not have a foot with monkey- or ape-like prehensile capabilities and did not have a human-like longitudinal arch. In the Swartkrans remains, torsion is consistent with an unprehensile foot. The morphology of the fossils indicates that there was strong selection to orient the plantar surface of the toes facing the ground at the expense of a grasping foot and inversion ability.
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26
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Mitchell P, Sarmiento E, Meldrum D. The AL 333-160 fourth metatarsal from Hadar compared to that of humans, great apes, baboons and proboscis monkeys: Non-conclusive evidence for pedal arches or obligate bipedality in Hadar hominins. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2012; 63:336-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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27
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DeSilva JM, Proctor DJ, Zipfel B. A complete second metatarsal (StW 89) from Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa. J Hum Evol 2012; 63:487-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2012.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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28
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Abstract
Bone shape is an important factor to determine the bone's structural function. For the asymmetrically shaped and anisotropically distributed bone in vivo, a surface mapping method is proposed on the bases of its geometric transformation invariance and its uniqueness of the principal axes of inertia. Using spiral CT scanning, we can make precise measurements to bone in vivo. The coordinate transformations lead to the principal axes of inertia, with which the prime meridian and the contour can be set. Methods such as tomographic reconstruction and boundary development are employed so that the surface of bone in vivo can be mapped. Experimental results show that the surface mapping method can reflect the shape features and help study the surface changes of bone in vivo. This method can be applied to research into the surface characteristics and changes of organ, tissue or cell whenever its digitalized surface is obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifang Fan
- Center for Scientific Research, Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (Yifang Fan); (Yubo Fan)
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- * E-mail: (Yifang Fan); (Yubo Fan)
| | - Zhiyu Li
- College of Foreign Studies, Jinan University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Changsheng Lv
- Center for Scientific Research, Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Center for Scientific Research, Guangzhou Institute of Physical Education, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
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29
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Lu Z, Meldrum D, Huang Y, He J, Sarmiento E. The Jinniushan hominin pedal skeleton from the late Middle Pleistocene of China. HOMO-JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE HUMAN BIOLOGY 2011; 62:389-401. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchb.2011.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2011] [Accepted: 08/25/2011] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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30
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Zipfel B, DeSilva JM, Kidd RS, Carlson KJ, Churchill SE, Berger LR. The foot and ankle of Australopithecus sediba. Science 2011; 333:1417-20. [PMID: 21903807 DOI: 10.1126/science.1202703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A well-preserved and articulated partial foot and ankle of Australopithecus sediba, including an associated complete adult distal tibia, talus, and calcaneus, have been discovered at the Malapa site, South Africa, and reported in direct association with the female paratype Malapa Hominin 2. These fossils reveal a mosaic of primitive and derived features that are distinct from those seen in other hominins. The ankle (talocrural) joint is mostly humanlike in form and inferred function, and there is some evidence for a humanlike arch and Achilles tendon. However, Au. sediba is apelike in possessing a more gracile calcaneal body and a more robust medial malleolus than expected. These observations suggest, if present models of foot function are correct, that Au. sediba may have practiced a unique form of bipedalism and some degree of arboreality. Given the combination of features in the Au. sediba foot, as well as comparisons between Au. sediba and older hominins, homoplasy is implied in the acquisition of bipedal adaptations in the hominin foot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Zipfel
- Institute for Human Evolution, University of the Witwatersrand, Post Office Wits, 2050 Wits, South Africa.
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31
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Crompton RH, Pataky TC, Savage R, D'Août K, Bennett MR, Day MH, Bates K, Morse S, Sellers WI. Human-like external function of the foot, and fully upright gait, confirmed in the 3.66 million year old Laetoli hominin footprints by topographic statistics, experimental footprint-formation and computer simulation. J R Soc Interface 2011; 9:707-19. [PMID: 21775326 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2011.0258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is commonly held that the major functional features of the human foot (e.g. a functional longitudinal medial arch, lateral to medial force transfer and hallucal (big-toe) push-off) appear only in the last 2 Myr, but functional interpretations of footbones and footprints of early human ancestors (hominins) prior to 2 million years ago (Mya) remain contradictory. Pixel-wise topographical statistical analysis of Laetoli footprint morphology, compared with results from experimental studies of footprint formation; foot-pressure measurements in bipedalism of humans and non-human great apes; and computer simulation techniques, indicate that most of these functional features were already present, albeit less strongly expressed than in ourselves, in the maker of the Laetoli G-1 footprint trail, 3.66 Mya. This finding provides strong support to those previous studies which have interpreted the G-1 prints as generally modern in aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin H Crompton
- Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Buildings, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK.
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