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A reconstruction of the femur of Australopithecus africanus
Author(s) -
Lovejoy C. Owen,
Heiple Kingsbury G.
Publication year - 1970
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/ajpa.1330320105
Subject(s) - femur , pelvis , anatomy , body weight , orthodontics , biology , medicine , surgery , endocrinology
Up to the present, no complete femur of Australopithecus has been discovered. Several proximal and distal femoral fragments are available and a fairly complete pelvis. Using this material and the biomechanical requirements of the femur implicit in an erect biped, we have calculated the bicondylar length of the femur of A. africanus to have been about 28 cm. This is smaller than most previous estimates and is consistent with a body size as small as 42–43 inches and a weight of between 40 and 50 pounds.