African fossil tali: Further multivariate morphometric studies

F. Peter Lisowski · CHARLES ERNEST OXNARD

42 citations0/0 files storedAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology

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Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology Evolution and Paleontology Studies Primate Behavior and Ecology

Abstract

Analysis of measurements from the tali of 21 individual fossil primates from Africa shows that the specimens fall into five clearly defined groups. Accordingly, these specimens have been included as groups along with extant species in a subsequent canonical analysis thus allowing the fossils to play their part in the determination of the canonical separations. The results of this procedure show that the five fossil groups lie in a part of the canonical space not occupied by any extant African primate. Their positions are between the envelope of Asiatic apes (Hylobates and Pongo) and the envelope of African forms near the edge which contains Pan and Papio. One fossil group is so similar to Hylobates that its talus may have functioned in locomotion in a parallel manner. Others lie near to Pongo in directions proceeding towards Pan and Papio and it is possible that this similarity may indicate remnants of morphological adaptation for climbing in these fossils. At the same time, however, individual specimens are closer to one or another of the extant groups and this considerable spread suggests that the locomotor adaptations as evidenced by talar morphology, of the primate fauna in Africa, may have been very different from those of the present day. This would not the inconsistent with the different habitats, floras and non-primate faunas that may have characterized the East African scene at these earlier times. Particular fossils from Olduvai and Kromdraai that are supposed to be australopithecine and therefore bipeds, are confirmed (Oxnard, '72; Lisowski et al., '74) as being totally different from man in their talar morphology and essentially rather similar to the majority of the other fossil tali examined.

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References

1964African Ecology and Human Evolution.1968Functional Affinities of the Olduvai Hominid 8 Talus 1964The evolution of bipedal walking in the Hominids 1972New australopithecines from East Rudolf, Kenya (II)1974The form of the talus in some higher primates: A multivariate study 1974Olduvai Bed I post-cranial fossils: A reassessment 1972Some African fossil foot bones: A note on the interpolation of fossils into a matrix of extant species 1973New evidence of the genus Homo from East Rudolf, Kenya. II

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1992Body size and proportions in early hominids 2000Australopithecus to Homo: Transformations in Body and Mind 1987Hominid footprints at laetoli: Facts and interpretations 1983Miocene Hominoid Postcranial Morphology 1982Functional Morphology of Homo habilis 2004Body proportions of Homo habilis reviewed

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