Functional morphology of the ankle and the likelihood of climbing in early hominins.
نویسنده
چکیده
Whether early hominins were adept tree climbers is unclear. Although some researchers have argued that bipedality maladapts the hominin skeleton for climbing, others have argued that early hominin fossils display an amalgamation of features consistent with both locomotor strategies. Although chimpanzees have featured prominently in these arguments, there are no published data on the kinematics of climbing in wild chimpanzees. Without these biomechanical data describing how chimpanzees actually climb trees, identifying correlates of climbing in modern ape skeletons is difficult, thereby limiting accurate interpretations of the hominin fossil record. Here, the first kinematic data on vertical climbing in wild chimpanzees are presented. These data are used to identify skeletal correlates of climbing in the ankle joint of the African apes to more accurately interpret hominin distal tibiae and tali. This study finds that chimpanzees engage in an extraordinary range of foot dorsiflexion and inversion during vertical climbing bouts. Two skeletal correlates of modern ape-like vertical climbing are identified in the ankle joint and related to positions of dorsiflexion and foot inversion. A study of the 14 distal tibiae and 15 tali identified and published as hominins from 4.12 to 1.53 million years ago finds that the ankles of early hominins were poorly adapted for modern ape-like vertical climbing bouts. This study concludes that if hominins included tree climbing as part of their locomotor repertoire, then they were performing this activity in a manner decidedly unlike modern chimpanzees.
منابع مشابه
Phenotypic plasticity of climbing-related traits in the ankle joint of great apes and rainforest hunter-gatherers.
The "negrito" and African "pygmy" phenotypes are predominately exhibited by hunter-gatherers living in rainforest habitats. Foraging within such habitats is associated with a unique set of locomotor behaviors, most notably habitual vertical climbing during the pursuit of honey, fruit, and game. When performed frequently, this behavior is expected to correlate with developmentally plastic skelet...
متن کاملTree climbing and human evolution.
Paleoanthropologists have long argued--often contentiously--about the climbing abilities of early hominins and whether a foot adapted to terrestrial bipedalism constrained regular access to trees. However, some modern humans climb tall trees routinely in pursuit of honey, fruit, and game, often without the aid of tools or support systems. Mortality and morbidity associated with facultative arbo...
متن کاملStudy of functional-performance deficits in athletes with previous ankle sprains
Abstract Background: Despite the importance of functional-performance deficits in athletes with history of ankle sprain few, studies have been carried out in this area. The aim of this research was to study relationship between previous ankle sprains and functional-performance deficits in athletes. Materials and methods: The subjects were 40 professional athletes selected through random sampl...
متن کاملمقایسه کارآمدی دو روش درمانی غیر جراحی درمان فعال زودرس و بی حرکتی اولیه در درمان بیماران دچار پیچ خوردگی مچ پا
The aim of this study was the comparison of efficacy of two nonsurgical methods in management of patients with acute ligamentous injury (Sprain) of ankle which are “Primary immobilization” and “Early active functional treatment”. This study consist of 200 patients ...
متن کاملEffects of Functional Ankle Instability on Balance Recovery Strategy in Athletes
Purpose: Many research studies reported balance disorder as one of the most important consequences of Functional Ankle Instability. However, the Balance Recovery Strategy, which its deficiency can cause poor balance or secondary damages, has not been investigated in previous studies yet. The purpose of this article is to study the Balance Recovery Strategy in athletes with Functional Ankle Inst...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
دوره 106 16 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2009