TY - JOUR
T1 - The anomalous archaic Homo femur from Berg Aukas, Namibia
T2 - A biomechanical assessment
AU - Trinkaus, Erik
AU - Ruff, Christopher B.
AU - Conroy, Glenn C.
PY - 1999/11
Y1 - 1999/11
N2 - 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).
AB - 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).
KW - Biomechanics
KW - Hominid
KW - Lower limb
KW - Pleistocene
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032723887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032723887&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199911)110:3<379::AID-AJPA9>3.0.CO;2-J
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199911)110:3<379::AID-AJPA9>3.0.CO;2-J
M3 - Article
C2 - 10516568
AN - SCOPUS:0032723887
SN - 0002-9483
VL - 110
SP - 379
EP - 391
JO - American journal of physical anthropology
JF - American journal of physical anthropology
IS - 3
ER -