Inter-ray variation in metatarsal strength properties in humans and African apes: Implications for inferring bipedal biomechanics in the Olduvai Hominid 8 foot

Patel, Biren A.; Jashashvili, Tea; Bui, Stephanie; Carlson, Kristian J.; Griffin, Nicole L.; Wallace, Ian J.; Orr, Caley M.

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.02.013

Cited by 18 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…Research on loading of the forefoot during walking has highlighted the role of the metatarsophalangeal joints as a stiff propulsive lever at the end of stance phase (Griffin, Gordon, Richmond, & Antón, 2008;Griffin & Richmond, 2005;Jashashvili, Dowdeswell, Lebrun, & Carlson, 2015;Marchi, 2005;Patel et al, 2018). The metatarsal heads are in contact with the ground for at least 50% of stance phase and form part of this weight-bearing fulcrum (Jacob, 2001).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Wilson

Groote

Humphrey

2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives Age‐degenerative features of the metatarsals are poorly known despite the importance of metatarsal bone properties for investigating mobility patterns. We assessed the role of habitual activity in shaping the patterning and magnitude of sexual dimorphism in age‐related bone loss in the hallucal metatarsal. Materials and methods Cross‐sections were extracted at midshaft from micro‐computed tomography scan models of individuals from medieval rural (Abingdon Vineyard) and early industrial urban (Spitalfields) settings (n = 71). A suite of cross‐sectional geometry dimensions and biomechanical properties were compared between populations. Results The rural group display generally stronger and larger metatarsals that show a greater capacity to resist torsion and that have comparatively greater bending strength along the medio‐lateral plane. Men in both groups show greater values of cortical area than women, but only in the urban group do men show lower magnitudes of age‐related decline compared to females. Women in rural and urban populations show different patterns of age‐related decline in bone mass, particularly old women in the urban group show a marked decline in cortical area that is absent for women in the rural group. Discussion Lifetime exposure to hard, physical activity in an agricultural setting has contributed to the attainment of greater bone mass and stronger bones in young adults. Furthermore, over the life‐course, less of this greater amount of bone is lost, such that sustained activity levels may have acted to buffer against age‐related decline, and this is most pronounced for women, who are expected to experience greater bone loss later in life than men.

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confidence: 99%

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Wilson

Groote

Humphrey

2020

American J Phys Anthropol

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“…The pattern of robusticity within the metatarsals is similar to humans, though unlike the most common human pattern . More recent microcomputed tomography (μCT) analysis of the internal cortical structure of OH 8 reveals metatarsal robusticity patterns unlike humans or apes . However, the talus of OH 8 is not Homo ‐like at all.…”

Section: Homo Feetmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…110 More recent microcomputed tomography (μCT) analysis of the internal cortical structure of OH 8 reveals metatarsal robusticity patterns unlike humans or apes. 111 However, the talus of OH 8 is not navicular is very pinched laterally, more so than in LB1 or Little Foot." It is likely that when fully published this fossil will provide much needed clarity regarding the morphology of the early Homo foot in Africa.…”

Section: Homo Feetmentioning

confidence: 98%

The evolution of the human foot

McNutt

Zipfel

DeSilva

2018

Evolutionary Anthropology

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There are 26 bones in each foot (52 in total), meaning that roughly a quarter of the human skeleton consists of foot bones. Yet, early hominin foot fossils are frustratingly rare, making it quite difficult to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the human foot. Despite the continued paucity of hominid or hominin foot fossils from the late Miocene and early Pliocene, the last decade has witnessed the discovery of an extraordinary number of early hominin foot bones, inviting a reassessment of how the human foot evolved, and providing fresh new evidence for locomotor diversity throughout hominin evolution. Here, we provide a review of our current understanding of the evolutionary history of the hominin foot.

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“…Following previous researchers (Byron, Herrel, Pauwels, Muynck, & Patel, ; Lewton, Ritzman, Copes, Garland, & Capellini, ; Patel, Jashashvili, et al, ; Patel, Organ, et al, ), cross‐sectional properties were calculated using the SliceGeometry protocol with default thresholding settings in the BoneJ plugin (Doube et al, ) implemented in ImageJ software (Schneider, Rasband, & Eliceiri, ). The following cross‐sectional properties were calculated: maximum and minimum second moments of area ( I max and I min ) and polar section modulus ( Z p ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whether differences exist in strength properties in proximal tarsal bones like the elongated calcaneus among species that differ in leaping prevalence remains unknown. This is because the only foot bones of nonhuman primates in which cross‐sectional geometry has been studied are metatarsals, wherein predictable relationships between strength properties and locomotion have been found in apes and monkeys (e.g., Marchi, , ; Patel et al, ; Patel, Organ, Jashashvili, Bui, & Dunsworth, ). Although the calcaneus is frequently modeled as a beam in ungulates (e.g., Keenan, Mears, & Skedros, ; Skedros, Su, Knight, Bloebaum, & Bachus, ; Su, Skedros, Bachus, & Bloebaum, ), this method has yet to be applied to the distally elongated calcaneus of galagids, which resembles a long bone in both external morphology and in cross section (Hall‐Craggs, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Calcaneal elongation and bone strength in leaping galagids

Lewton

Patel

2019

American J Phys Anthropol

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Objectives: Small-bodied vertical clinging and leaping primates have elongated calcanei which enhance leap performance by optimizing leap velocity, distance, and acceleration, but at the expense of experiencing relatively large forces during takeoff and landing. This study tests the hypothesis that the elongated calcaneus of leaping galagids is adapted to resist larger and more stereotyped bending loads compared to more quadrupedal galagids. Materials and Methods: The calcanei of 14 individuals of Otolemur and 14 individualsof Galago (three species of each genus) were μCT scanned. Calcaneal cross-sectional properties (maximum and minimum second moments of area and polar section modulus) were obtained from a slice representing the 50% position of bone segment length and dimensionless ratios were created for each variable using calcaneal cuboid facet area as a proxy for body mass.Results: There were no significant differences in size-adjusted bending strength between Galago and Otolemur. Galago exhibited more elliptically shaped calcaneal cross sections, however, suggesting that its calcanei are more adapted to stereotyped loading regimes than those of Otolemur. Discussion:The results suggest that the calcaneus of specialized leapers is adapted to more stereotyped loading patterns. The lack of predicted bone strength differences between Galago and Otolemur may be related to body size differences between these taxa, or it may indicate that loads encountered by Galago during naturalistic leaping are not reflected in the available experimental force data.

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Inter-ray variation in metatarsal strength properties in humans and African apes: Implications for inferring bipedal biomechanics in the Olduvai Hominid 8 foot

Cited by 18 publications

References 65 publications

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

Sex differences in the patterning of age‐related bone loss in the human hallucal metatarsal in rural and urban populations

The evolution of the human foot

Calcaneal elongation and bone strength in leaping galagids

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