Stature estimates for some African Plio-Pleistocene fossil hominids

Feldesman, Marc R.; Lundy, John K.

doi:10.1016/0047-2484(88)90086-3

Cited by 83 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Scoliosis in the Nariokotome boy skeleton reassessed 21 Specifically, our results imply that, e.g., stature estimations (Feldesman and Lundy, 1988;Ruff and Walker, 1993;Ruff, 2007) or studies of the lordosis angle (Latimer and Ward, 1993;Been et al, 2012;Williams et al, 2013) are not affected by an allegedly pathological spinal curvature. Tables Table 1.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Revisiting scoliosis in the KNM-WT 15000 Homo erectus skeleton

Schiess¹,

Boeni²,

Rühli³

et al. 2014

Journal of Human Evolution

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Owing to its completeness, the 1.5 million year old Nariokotome boy skeleton KNM-WT 15000 is central for understanding skeletal biology of Homo erectus. Nevertheless, since Latimer and Ohman (2001, Axial dysplasia in Homo erectus. J Hum Evol 40:A12) reported on asymmetries and distortions of Nariokotome boy's axial skeleton suggesting adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, possibly associated with congenital skeletal dysplasia, it is questionable whether it still can be used as reference for Homo erectus. Recently, however, the presence of skeletal dysplasia has been refuted. Here, we present a morphologic and morphometric reanalysis of the assertion of idiopathic scoliosis. We demonstrate that unarticulated vertebral columns of non-scoliotic and scoliotic individuals can be distinguished based on the lateral deviation of the spinous process, lateral and sagittal wedging, vertebral body torsion, pedicle thickness asymmetry and asymmetry of the superior and inferior articular facet area. A principal component analysis of the overall asymmetry of all seven vertebral shape variables groups KNM-WT 15000 within non-scoliotic modern humans. An anomaly of vertebrae T1-T2 is compatible with a short left convex curve at the uppermost thoracic region, possibly due to injury or local growth dysbalance. Asymmetries of the facet joints L3-L5 suggest a local right convex curve in the lower lumbar region that probably resulted from juvenile traumatic disc herniation. This pattern is incompatible with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or other types of scoliosis, including congenital, neuromuscular or syndromic scoliosis. It is, however, consistent with a recent reanalysis of the rib cage that did not reveal any asymmetry. Except for these possibly trauma-related anomalies, the Nariokotome boy fossil therefore seems to belong to a normal Homo erectus youth without evidence for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis or other severe pathologies of the axial skeleton. AbstractOwing to its completeness, the 1.5 million year old Nariokotome boy skeleton KNM-WT 15000 is central for understanding skeletal biology of Homo erectus. Nevertheless, since Latimer and Ohman (2001, Axial dysplasia in Homo erectus. J Hum Evol 40:A12) reported on asymmetries and distortions of Nariokotome boy's axial skeleton suggesting adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, possibly associated with congenital skeletal dysplasia, it is questionable whether it still can be used as reference for Homo erectus. Recently, however, the presence of skeletal dysplasia has been refuted. Here, we present a morphologic and morphometric reanalysis of the assertion of idiopathic scoliosis. We demonstrate that unarticulated vertebral columns of non-scoliotic and scoliotic individuals can be distinguished based on the lateral deviation of the spinous process, lateral and sagittal wedging, vertebral body torsion, pedicle thickness asymmetry and asymmetry of the superior and inferior articular facet area. A principal component analysis of the overall asymmetry of all seven vertebral shap...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 57%

Revisiting scoliosis in the KNM-WT 15000 Homo erectus skeleton

Schiess¹,

Boeni²,

Rühli³

et al. 2014

Journal of Human Evolution

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“…Using the height formula generated by LUNDY (1983) from modern South African populations, the owner of this femur would be around 1647.7 mm in height. These estimates are slightly higher than the mean values for South African black populations obtained by FELDESMAN and LUNDY (1988) Note: Length unit: [mm]. Femora of the left and right sides from the same individuals were included to embrace intra-individual variation.…”

Section: Morphology Of the Blind River Femurcontrasting

confidence: 41%

A re-examination of a human femur found at the Blind River Site, East London, South Africa: Its age, morphology, and breakage pattern

Wang

Tobias

Roberts

et al. 2008

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Modern human femoral features might have appeared in the early Middle Stone Age (156 ka to 20 ka) in South Africa, as demonstrated by the recent re-examination of a human femur fossil found at the Blind River Site, East London in the 1930s, if new dating results hold. Two optically stimulated luminescence dates from the relocated original Blind River shallow marine/estuarine deposits that contained the femur gave almost identical ages of ~120 ka, corresponding to the early part of the Last Interglacial (Oxygen Isotope Stage 5). Overall, the slender headless femur is of modern human form. The distal epiphysis bears some typical squatting features, including a newly recognized squatting facet on the anterior wall of the intercondylar fossa. With the typical V-shaped and oblique fracture pattern left by the missing head, the Blind River femur was most likely modified through human activity. But this style is not a cultural trait found in recent South African people. Further study is needed to place this specimen in its due context in the course of human evolution.

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“…Stature estimates for the African species, Homo ergaster, are necessarily based on incomplete (KNM-ER 736, 737, 1808, OH-34, OH-28) or immature (KNM-WT -15000) specimens and seem to be quite variable (Feldesman and Lundy, 1988;Feldesman et al, 1990;. The average height derived from these few specimens varies according to different authors and estimates, but using length estimates for the these six specimens we obtain a mean of 169.8 cm (see SOM, Table SI.16).…”

Section: Comparisons With Other Homo Taxamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is in direct contradiction to the arguments made by many others that 'racial' affinity, sex or body proportions need not be taken into consideration when estimating stature in fossil hominins. For example, Feldesman and Lundy (1988), Feldesman et al (1990), Feldesman and Fountain (1996) among others, argue that a 'generic' (i.e., average global) ratio provides the most accurate predictor of stature when 'racial' affinity is unknown, as is the case for fossil hominins, where there is no way of knowing if the reference sample is representative of the population from which the target specimen is drawn.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whichever reference population(s) approach is preferred, results clearly vary depending on the model type regression and statistical technique used (Olivier, 1976;Feldesman and Lundy, 1988;jungers, 1988;Feldesman et al, 1990;Aiello, 1992;Konigsberg et al, 1998;Hens et al, 2000;Porter, 2002;Raxter et al, 2006). Indeed, for some authors the choice of reference sample is considered a purely statistical issue (Kendall and Stuart, 1967).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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