Limb-size proportions in Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus africanus

Journal of Human Evolution

Volumn 52, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 187-200

  Green, David J ^a,b   Gordon, Adam D ^a   Richmond, Brian G ^a  

^a THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Australopithecus; Hominin evolution; Limb proportions; Locomotion; Paleoanthropology; Postcrania

Indexed keywords

ANTHROPOLOGY; FOSSIL; HOMINID; LIMB; LOCOMOTION; MONTE CARLO ANALYSIS; POSTURE;

AUSTRALOPITHECUS; AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFARENSIS; AUSTRALOPITHECUS AFRICANUS; HOMINIDAE;

EID: 33846526004     PISSN: 00472484     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.09.001     Document Type: Article

References (75)

1. Asfaw B., White T., Lovejoy O., Latimer B., Simpson S., and Suwa G. Australopithecus garhi: A new species of early hominid from Ethiopia. Science 284 (1999) 629-635
2. Cole T.M., and Smith F.H. An odontometric assessment of variability in Australopithecus afarensis. Hum. Evol. 2 (1987) 221-234
3. Ciochon R.L., and Corruccini R.S. Shoulder joint of Sterkfontein Australopithecus. S. Afr. J. Sci. 72 (1976) 80-82
4. Collard M., and Lycett S.J. Plio-Pleistocene hominid limb proportions: Evolutionary reversals or estimation errors?. Curr. Anthropol. 46 (2005) 581-582
5. Currey J.D. Bones: Structure and Mechanics (2002), Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J.
6. Day M.H., and Molleson T.I. The puzzle from JK2-a femur and a tibial fragment (O.H. 34) from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. J. Hum. Evol. 5 (1976) 455-465
7. Dobson S.D. Are the differences between Stw 431 (Australopithecus africanus) and A.L. 288-1 (A. afarensis) significant?. J. Hum. Evol. 49 (2005) 143-154
8. Drapeau M.S., Ward C.V., Kimbel W.H., Johanson D.C., and Rak Y. Associated cranial and forelimb remains attributed to Australopithecus afarensis from Hadar, Ethiopia. J. Hum. Evol. 48 (2005) 593-642
9. Duncan A.S., Kappelman J., and Shapiro L.J. Metatarsophalangeal joint function and positional behavior in Australopithecus afarensis. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 93 (1994) 67-81
10. Fleagle J.G. Locomotor behavior and muscular anatomy of sympatric Malaysian leaf monkeys (Presbytis obscura and melalophos). Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 46 (1977) 297-308
11. Fleagle J.G. Locomotor behavior and skeletal anatomy of sympatric Malaysian leaf-monkeys. Yearb. Phys. Anthropol. 20 (1977) 440-453
12. Godfrey L.R., Sutherland M.R., Paine R.R., Williams F.L., Boy D.S., and Vuillaume-Randriamanantena M. Limb joint surface areas and their ratios in Malagasy lemurs and other mammals. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 97 (1995) 11-36
13. Gordon A.D., Green D.J., and Richmond B.G. Size dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis, modern humans, and the great apes: a non-template multivariate comparison. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 42 Suppl. (2006) 94
14. Haeusler M., and McHenry H.M. Body proportions of Homo habilis reviewed. J. Hum. Evol. 46 (2004) 433-465
15. Hamrick M.W. Articular size and curvature as determinants of carpal joint mobility and stability in strepsirhine primates. J. Morphol. 230 (1996) 113-127
16. Hartwig-Scherer S. On body-weight prediction in human evolution. Curr. Anthropol. 37 (1996) 661-663
17. Hartwig-Scherer S., and Martin R.D. Was "Lucy" more human than her "child"? Observations on early hominid postcranial skeletons. J. Hum. Evol. 21 (1991) 439-449
18. Johanson D.C., Taieb M., and Coppens Y. Pliocene hominids from the Hadar formation, Ethiopia (1973-1977): stratigraphic, chronologic, and paleoenvironmental contexts, with notes on hominid morphology and systematics. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 57 (1982) 373-402
19. Johanson D.C., Masao F.T., Eck G.G., White T.D., Walter R.C., Kimbel W.H., Asfaw B., Manega P., Ndessokia P., and Suwa G. New partial skeleton of Homo habilis from Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania. Nature 327 (1987) 205-209
20. Jungers W.L. Lucy's limbs: skeletal allometry and locomotion in Australopithecus afarensis. Nature 297 (1982) 676-678
21. Jungers W.L. Body size and scaling of limb proportions in primates. In: Jungers W.L. (Ed). Size and Scaling in Primate Biology (1985), Plenum, New York 345-381
22. Jungers W.L. Relative joint size and hominoid locomotor adaptations with implications for the evolution of hominid bipedalism. J. Hum. Evol. 17 (1988) 247-265
23. Jungers W.L., Falsetti A.B., and Wall C.E. Shape, relative size, and size-adjustments in morphometrics. Yearb. Phys. Anthropol. 38 (1995) 137-161
24. Korey K.A. Deconstructing reconstruction: the OH 62 humerofemoral index. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 83 (1990) 25-33
25. Latimer B. Locomotor adaptations in Australopithecus afarensis: the issue of arboreality. In: Coppens Y., and Senut B. (Eds). Origine(s) de la bipédie chez les hominidés (1991), CNRS, Paris 169-176
26. Latimer B.M., and Lovejoy C.O. Hallucal tarsometatarsal joint in Australopithecus afarensis. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 82 (1990) 125-133
27. Lockwood C.A. Sexual dimorphism in the face of Australopithecus africanus. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 108 (1999) 97-127
28. Lockwood C.A., Richmond B.G., Jungers W.L., and Kimbel W.H. Randomization procedures and sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis. J. Hum. Evol. 31 (1996) 537-548
29. Lovejoy C.O. Evolution of human walking. Sci. Am. 259 (1988) 118-125
30. Lovejoy C.O., Johanson D.C., and Coppens Y. Hominid upper limb bones recovered from the Hadar formation: 1974-1977 collections. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 57 (1982) 637-649
31. Manly B.F.J. Randomization, Bootstrap, and Monte Carlo Methods in Biology (1997), Chapman & Hall, London
32. McHenry H.M. Fossils and the mosaic nature of human evolution. Science 190 (1975) 425-431
33. McHenry H.M. Size variation in the postcranium of Australopithecus afarensis and extant species of Hominoidea. Hum. Evol. 1 (1986) 149-156
34. McHenry H.M. The first bipeds: a comparison of the A. afarensis and A. africanus postcranium and implications for the evolution of bipedalism. J. Hum. Evol. 15 (1986) 177-191
35. McHenry H.M. Sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis. J. Hum. Evol. 20 (1991) 21-32
36. McHenry H.M. First steps? Analysis of the postcranium of early hominids. In: Coppens Y., and Senut B. (Eds). Origine(s) de la bipédie chez les hominidés (1991), CNRS, Paris 133-141
37. McHenry H.M. Body size and proportions in early hominids. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 87 (1992) 407-431
38. McHenry H.M. Plio-Pleistocene hominid limb proportions: Evolutionary reversals or estimation errors?. Curr. Anthropol. 46 (2005) 583-584
39. McHenry H.M., and Berger L.R. Body proportions in Australopithecus afarensis and A. africanus and the origin of the genus Homo. J. Hum. Evol. 35 (1998) 1-22
40. McHenry H.M., and Berger L.R. Limb lengths in Australopithecus and the origin of the genus Homo. S. Afr. J. Sci. 94 (1998) 447-450
41. McHenry H.M., and Corruccini R.S. The femur in early human evolution. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 49 (1978) 473-488
42. Mosimann J.E. Size allometry: size and shape variables with characteristics of the log normal and generalized gamma distributions. J. Am. Stat. Assoc. 65 (1970) 930-945
43. Pearson O.M., and Peterson T.R. Plio-Pleistocene hominid limb proportions: Evolutionary reversals or estimation errors?. Curr. Anthropol. 46 (2005) 584
44. Plavcan J.M., Lockwood C.A., Kimbel W.H., Lague M.R., and Harmon E.H. Sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis revisited: how strong is the case for a human-like pattern of dimorphism?. J. Hum. Evol. 48 (2005) 313-320
45. Rafferty K.L., and Ruff C.B. Articular structure and function in Hylobates, Colobus, and Papio. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 94 (1994) 395-408
46. Reno P.L., Meindl R.S., McCollum M.A., and Lovejoy C.O. Sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis was similar to that of modern humans. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 100 (2003) 9404-9409
47. Reno P.L., DeGusta D., Serrat M.M., Meindl R.S., White T.D., Eckhardt R.B., Kuperavage A.J., Galik K., and Lovejoy C.O. Plio-Pleistocene hominid limb proportions: Evolutionary reversals or estimation errors?. Curr. Anthropol. 64 (2005) 575-588
48. Reno P.L., Meindl R.S., McCollum M.A., and Lovejoy C.O. The case is unchanged and remains robust: Australopithecus afarensis exhibits only moderate skeletal dimorphism. A reply to Plavcan et al. (2005). J. Hum. Evol. 49 (2005) 279-288
49. Richmond B.G., Aiello L.C., and Wood B.A. Early hominin limb proportions. J. Hum. Evol. 43 (2002) 529-548
50. Richmond B.G., and Jungers W.L. Size variation and sexual dimorphism in Australopithecus afarensis and living hominoids. J. Hum. Evol. 29 (1995) 229-245
51. Ricklan D.E. Functional anatomy of the hand of Australopithecus africanus. J. Hum. Evol. 16 (1987) 643-664
52. Robinson J.T. Early Hominid Posture and Locomotion (1972), University of Chicago Press, Chicago
53. Rose M.D. The process of bipedalization in hominids. In: Coppens Y., and Senut B. (Eds). Origine(s) de la bipédie chez les hominidés (1991), CNRS, Paris 37-48
54. Ruff C. Hindlimb articular surface allometry in Hominoidea and Macaca, with comparison to diasphyseal scaling. J. Hum. Evol. 17 (1988) 687-714
55. Ruff C.B. Biomechanics of the hip and birth in early Homo. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 98 (1995) 527-574
56. Sanders W.J. Comparative morphometric study of the australopithecine vertebral series Stw-H8/H41. J. Hum. Evol. 34 (1998) 249-302
57. Schultz A.H. Proportions, variability and asymmetries of the long bones of the limbs and the clavicles in man and apes. Hum. Biol. 9 (1937) 281-328
58. Skelton R.R., and McHenry H.M. Evolutionary relationships among early hominids. J. Hum. Evol. 23 (1992) 309-349
59. Smith R.J. Biology and body size in human evolution. Curr. Anthropol. 37 (1996) 451-481
60. Smith R.J. Reply to Hartwig-Scherer. Curr. Anthropol. 37 (1996) 663-664
61. Smith R.J. Statistics of sexual size dimorphism. J. Hum. Evol. 36 (1999) 423-459
62. Spoor F., Wood B.A., and Zonneveld F. Implications of early hominid labyrinthine morphology for evolution of human bipedal locomotion. Nature 369 (1994) 645-648
63. Stern J.T. Climbing to the top: a personal memoir of Australopithecus afarensis. Evol. Anthropol. 9 (2000) 113-133
64. Stern J.T., and Susman R.L. The locomotor anatomy of Australopithecus afarensis. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 60 (1983) 279-317
65. Strait D.S., and Grine F.E. Inferring hominoid and early hominid phylogeny using craniodental characters: the role of fossil taxa. J. Hum. Evol. 47 (2004) 399-452
66. Strait D.S., Grine F.E., and Moniz M.A. A reappraisal of early hominid phylogeny. J. Hum. Evol. 32 (1997) 17-82
67. Susman R.L. New postcranial remains from Swartkrans and their bearing on the functional morphology and behavior of Paranthropus robustus. In: Grine F.E. (Ed). Evolutionary History of the "Robust" Australopithecines (1988), Aldine de Gruyter, New York 149-172
68. Susman R.L., and Stern J.T. Locomotor behavior of early hominids: Epistemology and fossil evidence. In: Coppens Y., and Senut B. (Eds). Origine(s) de la bipédie chez les hominidés (1991), CNRS, Paris 121-131
69. Susman R.L., Stern J.T., and Jungers W.L. Arboreality and bipedality in the Hadar hominids. Folia Primatol. 43 (1984) 113-156
70. Vrba E.S. A new study of the scapula of Australopithecus africanus from Sterkfontein. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 51 (1979) 117-130
71. Ward C.V. Interpreting the posture and locomotion of Australopithecus afarensis: where do we stand?. Yearb. Phys. Anthropol. 35 (2002) 185-215
72. White T.D., Johanson D.C., and Kimbel W.H. Australopithecus africanus: its phyletic position reconsidered. S. Afr. J. Sci. 77 (1981) 445-470
73. White T.D., Suwa G., Hart W.K., Walter R.C., WoldeGabriel G., de Heinzelin J., Clark J.D., Asfaw B., and Vrba E. New discoveries of Australopithecus at Maka in Ethiopia. Nature 366 (1993) 261-265
74. Wood B.A., and Collard M. The human genus. Science 284 (1999) 65-71
75. Wood B.A., and Richmond B.G. Human evolution: taxonomy and paleobiology. J. Anat. 196 (2000) 19-60