A new early hominin calcaneus from Kromdraai (South Africa)

Harper, Christine M.; Zipfel, Bernhard; DeSilva, Jeremy M.; McNutt, Ellison J.; Thackeray, Francis; Braga, José

doi:10.1111/joa.13660

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 82 publications

(244 reference statements)

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“…Changes in physical loadings and reduced mobility were previously reported for the populations inhabiting the Levant throughout the "Agriculture Revolution" (Eshed et al, 2004;May and Ruff, 2016). Hence, we hypothesized that calcaneal morphology would react to the changes in physical loadings applied to the bone, i.e., hunter-gatherers will have taller (MaxH) calcaneal tuber, taller (MinH) and wider (MinB) calcaneal body, wider distal calcaneus (LAW), and wider and longer dorsal articular surface (DAFB and DAFL) than later sedentary populations (Gierse, 1976;Su et al, 1999;Pablos et al, 2014;Harper et al, 2022b). However, the results only partially corresponded with our hypothesis (Figure 7).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…Previous studies have also demonstrated differences in calcaneal morphology between populations having different lifestyles. Accordingly, hunter-gatherers or non-sedentary populations had taller and wider posterior calcaneus, wider anterior and middle talar facets, a protuberance on the dorsal aspect of the bone, and their internal structure included higher bone volume fraction than sedentary groups (Raichlen et al, 2011;Weiss, 2012;Hoover and Colette Berbesque, 2018;DeMars et al, 2021;Harper et al, 2022b;Harper, 2023). Furthermore, it has been suggested that additional factors affected calcaneal morphology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Changes in human calcaneal morphology throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Dann,

Pokhojaev,

Anton

et al. 2024

Front. Earth Sci.

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The calcaneal morphology changed considerably during human evolution to enable efficient bipedal locomotion. However, little information exists regarding its adaptation to changes in habitual activities following the transition to a sedentary lifestyle. We aimed to examine changes in calcaneal morphology during the Pleistocene-Holocene Levant in light of sexual dimorphism. We studied three archaic Homo sapiens calcanei dated to the Middle and Upper Paleolithic, 23 Natufian hunter-gatherers, 12 Pre-Pottery Neolithic early farmers, and 31 Chalcolithic farmers. The calcanei were scanned via a surface scanner and measured, and bone proportions were calculated. Measurements included the height, length, and width of various calcaneal elements. The sex of each individual was determined using methods based on calcaneal morphology. The validity of these methods was tested in those individuals who had the pelvis (92.3% agreement rate). Accordingly, the sample included 59.4% males and 40.6% females. Most calcaneal indices were sex-independent, except for the relative width, relative anterior length, and the cuboid index. Temporal trends between the Natufian and Chalcolithic periods were more pronounced among males than females. While in the proximal calcaneus, the temporal trend was similar between males and females, it differed in the distal part and articular facets. The calcanei of archaic H. sapiens exceeded the average of the Natufian hunter-gatherer for most variables, though the trend varied. To conclude, males and females were affected differently by the changing environment. The calcanei of archaic H. sapiens were better adapted for activity involving high mobility, independent of sex. During the transition to a sedentary way of life, different factors probably designed the male and female calcaneus. These could include factors related to the sexual division of labor, adaptation to lengthy standing, and changes in footwear.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in human calcaneal morphology throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Dann,

Pokhojaev,

Anton

et al. 2024

Front. Earth Sci.

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“…The renewed excavations at Kromdraai since 2014 resulted in the in situ recovery of a new fossil hominin assemblage from Unit P [Braga et al, 2017[Braga et al, , 2021[Braga et al, , 2022a[Braga et al, ,b, 2023Harper et al, 2022]. The well preserved, though incomplete P. robustus infant mandible (KW 6420) (fig.…”

Section: A New P Robustus Juvenile Mandible From Kromdraai Unit Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting mandibular symphyseal shape in juvenile early hominins and modern humans using a deformation-based approach

Zimmer

Oettlé

Hoffmann

et al. 2023

Preprint

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The juvenile mandible is important in the investigation of ontogenetic and evolutionary changes among early hominins. We revisit the mandibular symphysis in juvenile specimens of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus with two main contributions. First, we employ, for the first time, methods of computational anatomy to model complex symphyseal shape differences. Second, we present new fossil evidence from Kromdraai to improve our knowledge of symphyseal morphology. We describe differences between shapes by landmark-free diffeomorphism needed to align them. We assess which features of the mandibular symphysis best discriminate the juvenile symphysis in these fossil species, relative to the intraspecific variation observed among modern humans. Our approach eliminates potential methodological inconsistencies with traditional approaches (i.e., the need for homologous anatomical landmarks, assumption of linearity). By enabling detailed comparisons of complex shapes in juvenile mandibles, our proposed approach offers new perspectives for more detailed comparisons among Australopithecus, Paranthropus and early Homo.

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“…The renewed excavations at Kromdraai since 2014 resulted in the in situ recovery of a new fossil hominin assemblage from Unit P [Braga et al, 2017[Braga et al, , 2021Harper et al, 2022]. The well preserved, though incomplete P. robustus infant mandible (KW 6420) (fig.…”

Section: A New P Robustus Juvenile Mandible From Kromdraai Unit Pmentioning

confidence: 99%

Revisiting mandibular symphyseal shape in juvenile early hominins and modern humans using a deformation-based approach

Zimmer

Oettlé

Hoffmann

et al. 2022

Preprint

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The juvenile mandible is important in the investigation of ontogenetic and evolutionary changes among early hominins. To more accurately describe complex shape variations, for the first time advanced methods from computational anatomy, and new fossil evidence are used to revisit the ontogeny of the mandibular symphysis in Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. We assess which features of the mandibular symphysis best discriminate the growing symphysis in these fossil species, relative to the intraspecific variation observed among modern humans. When compared with more traditional approaches, our results are in line with previous studies and confirm that our approach eliminates potential methodological inconsistencies with the a priori definition of homologous landmarks and the tacit assumption that anatomical shapes are linear. By enabling detailed comparisons of complex shapes in juvenile mandibles, our proposed approach offers new perspectives for more detailed comparisons among Australopithecus, Paranthropus and early Homo in both southern and eastern Africa.

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A new early hominin calcaneus from Kromdraai (South Africa)

Cited by 8 publications

References 82 publications

Changes in human calcaneal morphology throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Changes in human calcaneal morphology throughout the Pleistocene-Holocene Levant

Revisiting mandibular symphyseal shape in juvenile early hominins and modern humans using a deformation-based approach

Revisiting mandibular symphyseal shape in juvenile early hominins and modern humans using a deformation-based approach

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