Calcar femorale variation in extant and fossil hominids : implications for identifying bipedal locomotion in fossil hominins

dc.contributor.authorCazenave, Marine
dc.contributor.authorKivell, Tracy L.
dc.contributor.authorPina, Marta
dc.contributor.authorBegun, David R.
dc.contributor.authorSkinner, Matthew M.
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-07T06:19:05Z
dc.date.issued2022-06
dc.description.abstractThe calcar femorale is an internal bony structure of the proximal femur considered to be functionally related to bipedal locomotion. Among extant primates, the presence of a calcar femorale has been so far documented in extant humans and Pan and, among extinct hominins, in the Late Miocene Orrorin, in a Pliocene Australopithecus, and in a Middle Pleistocene Homo specimen. Using high-resolution microcomputed tomography, we investigated the occurrence and morphology (i.e., shape, location, and size) of the calcar femorale in an adult sample of extant humans, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla, Pongo sp., and Papio ursinus. We also investigated for the first time the occurrence and morphology of a calcar femorale in the adult proximal femoral remains of a Late Miocene great ape (Rudapithecus) and five Plio-Pleistocene hominins from Southern and Eastern Africa (Australopithecus and Paranthropus). We took four measurements: periosteal-to-tip maximum length, maximum length excluding cortical thickness, maximum vertical height, and the distance between the most anterior and posterior limits of the root. To allow for intergeneric comparisons, estimated body size was used to standardize all measurements. Nine of 10 extant humans have a well-developed calcar femorale. Among the African apes, 6 of 10 Pan and 6 of 10 Gorilla also show a distinct calcar femorale. In Pongo (n = 9), it is only present in one captive individual. None of the five investigated Papio specimens show any trace of this structure. Only calcar femorale height, which is systematically taller and extends into the lower part of the lesser trochanter, discriminates humans from extant great apes, except for one Gorilla. The calcar femorale was absent in one Paranthropus robustus and variably developed in all other investigated fossils. These results indicate that this structure cannot be considered as a diagnostic feature of habitual bipedal locomotion and emphasize the need for further investigations of its functional role.en_US
dc.description.departmentAnatomyen_US
dc.description.embargo2023-04-21
dc.description.librarianhj2023en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe DST-NRF for financial support to establish the MIXRAD microfocus X-ray tomography facility at Necsa. The Fyssen Foundation, European Commission under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship Programme and the European Research Council.en_US
dc.description.urihttp://www.elsevier.com/locate/jhevolen_US
dc.identifier.citationCazenave, M., Kivell, T.L., Pina, M. et al. 2022, 'Calcar femorale variation in extant and fossil hominids : implications for identifying bipedal locomotion in fossil hominins', Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 167, art. 103183, pp. 1-15, doi : 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103183.en_US
dc.identifier.issn0047-2484 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1095-8606 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103183
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/89996
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.rights© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Notice : this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Journal of Human Evolution. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. A definitive version was subsequently published in Journal of Human Evolution, vol. 167, art. 103183, pp. 1-15, 2022. doi : 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103183.en_US
dc.subjectCalcar femorale morphologyen_US
dc.subjectCalcar femorale occurrenceen_US
dc.subjectInternal bone structureen_US
dc.subjectX-ray microtomographyen_US
dc.subjectExtant great apesen_US
dc.subjectProximal femuren_US
dc.subject.otherHealth sciences articles SDG-03
dc.subject.otherSDG-03: Good health and well-being
dc.titleCalcar femorale variation in extant and fossil hominids : implications for identifying bipedal locomotion in fossil homininsen_US
dc.typePostprint Articleen_US

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