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The anomalous archaic Homo femur from Berg Aukas, Namibia: A biomechanical assessment
Author(s) -
Trinkaus Erik,
Ruff Christopher B.,
Conroy Glenn C.
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(199911)110:3<379::aid-ajpa9>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - femur , anatomy , femoral head , pleistocene , geology , biology , orthodontics , paleontology , medicine
The probably Middle Pleistocene human femur from Berg Aukas, Namibia, when oriented anatomically and analyzed biomechanically, presents an unusual combination of morphological features compared to other Pleistocene Homo femora. Its midshaft diaphyseal shape is similar to most other archaic Homo , but its subtrochanteric shape aligns it most closely with earlier equatorial Homo femora. It has an unusually low neck shaft angle. Its relative femoral head size is matched only by Neandertals with stocky hyperarctic body proportions. Its diaphyseal robusticity is modest for a Neandertal, but reasonable compared to equatorial archaic Homo femora. Its gluteal tuberosity is relatively small. Given its derivation from a warm climatic region, it is best interpreted as having had relatively linear body proportions (affecting proximal diaphyseal proportions, shaft robusticity, and gluteal tuberosity size) combined with an elevated level of lower limb loading during development (affecting femoral head size and neck shaft angle). Am J Phys Anthropol 110:379–391, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.