We present an analysis of the spatial covariance structure of an articulated motion prior in which joint angles have a known covariance structure. From this, a well-known, but often ignored, deficiency of the kinematic skeleton representation becomes clear: spatial variance not only depends on limb lengths, but also increases as the kinematic chains are traversed. We then present two similar Ga...

We present a new approach to the modeling and deformation of a human or virtual character’s arms and legs. Each limb is represented as a set of ellipsoids of varying size interpolated along a skeleton curve. A base surface is generated by approximating these ellipsoids with a swept ellipse, and the difference between that and the detailed shape of the arm or leg is represented as a displacement...

Thanatophoric dysplasia is the lethal skeletal dysplasia characterized by marked underdevelopment of the skeleton and short-limb dwarfism. The child will be having a short neck, narrow thoracic cage and protuberant abdomen. Other anatomical features include a relatively enlarged head with frontal bossing, prominent eyes, hypertelorism and the depressed nasal bridge. The diagnosis is usually mad...

Only one partial skeleton that includes both forelimb and hindlimb elements has been reported for Australopithecus afarensis. The diminutive size of this specimen (A.L. 288-1 ["Lucy"]) has hampered our understanding of the paleobiology of this species absent the potential impact of allometry. Here we describe a large-bodied (i.e., well within the range of living Homo) specimen that, at 3.58 Ma,...

A survey of zoological literature affirmed the wide occurrence of Fibonacci numbers in the organization of acellular and prokaryotic life forms as well as in some eukaryotic protistans and in the embryonic development and adult forms of many living and fossil remains of metazoan animals. A detailed comparative analysis of the axial skeleton of a fossil fish and humans revealed a new rule of the...

Essentially known from dental remains, the species Bathyergoides neotertiarius Stromer, 1923 (Bathyergidae, Rodentia) is widely recorded in Lower Miocene sites, notably localities of Elisabethfeld, Grillental and Langental (Namib Desert, Namibia). On basis morphology, this belongs to Bathyergidae, an extant family represented by mole rats, which developed a fossorial, predominantly subterranean...