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Cross‐sectional morphology of the SK 82 and 97 proximal femora
Author(s) -
Ruff Christopher B.,
McHenry Henry M.,
Thackeray J. Francis
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-8644(199908)109:4<509::aid-ajpa7>3.0.co;2-x
Subject(s) - homo erectus , postcrania , bipedalism , anatomy , biology , geology , paleontology , taxon , pleistocene
Computed tomography scans of the proximal femoral shaft of the South African “robust” australopithecine, A. robustus , reveal a total morphological pattern that is similar to the specimen attributed to A. boisei in East Africa but unlike that of Homo erectus or modern human femora. Like femora attributed to H. erectus , SK 82 and 97 have very thick cortices, although they do not have the extreme increase in mediolateral buttressing that is so characteristic of H. erectus . And unlike H. erectus or modern humans, their femoral heads are very small relative to shaft strength. These features are consistent with both increased overall mechanical loading of the postcranial skeleton and a possibly slightly altered pattern of bipedal gait relative to that of H. erectus and modern humans. Am J Phys Anthropol 109:509–521, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.