Reconstructing birth in Australopithecus sediba
PLoS ONE, 2019 Hominin birth mechanics have been examined and debated from limited and often fragmentary fossil pelvic material. Some have proposed that birth in the early hominin genus Australopithecus was relatively easy and ape-like, while others have argued for a ...
Jeremy M DeSilva, Natalie M Laudicina
exaly +3 more sources
Environmental Context of Hominin Foot Evolution. [PDF]
Am J Biol AnthropolABSTRACT Objectives This study investigates the environmental contexts that influenced the evolution of hominin foot morphology, focusing on when, where, and under what conditions key synapomorphies evolved. We test whether shifts in ecological conditions are associated with changes in locomotor function.
Sekhavati Y, Prang TC, Strait D.
europepmc +2 more sources
Clades, Grades, and the Genus Problem: A Case for Revising Hominin Taxonomy. [PDF]
Am J Biol AnthropolABSTRACT Taxonomic practice in evolutionary biology increasingly prioritizes the recognition of monophyletic groups (clades), yet paleoanthropology still applies this principle inconsistently. Here, I outline these inconsistencies and broader challenges in hominin taxonomy and propose a potential solution.
Towle I.
europepmc +2 more sources
Comparative Morphometric Analysis of the Pelvis of LB 1 (Homo floresiensis). [PDF]
Am J Biol AnthropolABSTRACT Objectives Although there has been copious research on the postcranial functional morphology of Homo floresiensis, there has been relatively little study of its pelvis and its implications for interpretations of H. floresiensis locomotion. Here we present the first comparative morphometric analysis of the pelvis of LB 1, the holotype of H ...
Lewton KL +6 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Unfused transverse foramen of the atlas vertebra in the Neandertal lineage fossils. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract In anatomically modern humans, the atlas can display an unfused transverse foramen (UTF) but currently the presence of UTF in the Neandertal lineage is uncertain due to a scarcity of prevalence studies and no exhaustive record of its presence throughout the entire hominin fossil record.
Gómez-Olivencia A +5 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Inferences about fossil hominin locomotion through 3D morphometric analysis of wrist ligament insertion sites [PDF]
Scientific ReportsUnderstanding the evolution of wrist anatomy in fossil hominins is essential for reconstructing their locomotor behavior and manipulative capabilities. Traditionally, most studies have focused on bone morphology, overlooking the informative potential of ...
Aroa Casado +9 more
doaj +2 more sources
What the eastern African stone tool evidence tells us about Plio-Pleistocene hominin extinctions [PDF]
Cambridge Prisms: ExtinctionThis paper examines the stone tool evidence associated with extinctions among Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo in Eastern Africa between 0.8 and 3.5 Ma.
John J. Shea
doaj +2 more sources
Complex and diverse patterns of neurocranial development in Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo [PDF]
Scientific ReportsEven though poorly understood, early ontogeny may have influenced the distinct morphologies and behaviors of Homo sapiens, fossil hominins and extant African apes.
José Braga, Z. Alemseged, E. Gilissen
doaj +2 more sources
Integrating mandibular evidence to assess morphological variation of the Australopithecus afarensis maxilla. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract Geometric morphometric analyses are used to explore variation of maxillary dental arcades of Australopithecus afarensis, expanding on the work of Hanegraef and Spoor, 2025 (Morphological variation of the Australopithecus afarensis maxilla.
Hanegraef H, David R, Spoor F.
europepmc +2 more sources
Rib Cross-Sectional Mineralized Area in Early Pleistocene Hominins: Insights From the Homo antecessor and H. erectus s. l. Fossil Record. [PDF]
Am J Biol AnthropolABSTRACT Objectives Rib cross‐sectional mineralized area provides valuable insights into mechanical loading and bone growth and remodeling. Given the scarcity of Early Pleistocene costal remains in the context of human evolution, we aimed to study the cross‐sectional anatomy of fossil ribs from that period and compare them to a modern human ontogenetic
López-Rey JM +6 more
europepmc +2 more sources