Metacarpal proportions in Australopithecus africanus

Journal of Human Evolution
David J Green, Adam D Gordon

Abstract

Recent work has shown that, despite being craniodentally more derived, Australopithecus africanus had more apelike limb-size proportions than A. afarensis. Here, we test whether the A. africanus hand, as judged by metacarpal shaft and articular proportions, was similarly apelike. More specifically, did A. africanus have a short and narrow first metacarpal (MC1) relative to the other metacarpals? Proportions of both MC breadth and length were considered: the geometric mean (GM) of articular and midshaft measurements of MC1 breadth was compared to those of MC2-4, and MC1 length was compared to MC3 length individually and also to the GM of MC2 and 3 lengths. To compare the extant hominoid sample with an incomplete A. africanus fossil record (11 attributed metacarpals), a resampling procedure imposed sampling constraints on the comparative groups that produced composite intrahand ratios. Resampled ratios in the extant sample are not significantly different from actual ratios based on associated elements, demonstrating the methodological appropriateness of this technique. Australopithecus africanus metacarpals do not differ significantly from the great apes in the comparison of breadth ratios but are significantly greater than chimp...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 18, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Carol V WardFredrick Kyalo Manthi
Mar 23, 2011·Journal of Human Evolution·Campbell RolianJohn Paul Zermeno
Nov 6, 2009·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·William H Kimbel, Lucas K Delezene
Oct 10, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Campbell Rolian, Adam D Gordon
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Jan 8, 2014·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Sergio AlmécijaSalvador Moyà-Solà
Oct 18, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Trenton W Holliday, Lukáš Friedl
Jun 6, 2015·Science·Sergio AlmécijaSalvador Moyà-Solà
Jan 24, 2015·Science·Matthew M SkinnerTracy L Kivell
Mar 27, 2012·Journal of Human Evolution·Erin Marie WilliamsBrian G Richmond
Oct 21, 2015·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Tracy L Kivell
Oct 7, 2015·Nature Communications·Tracy L KivellSteven E Churchill
Jan 24, 2021·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Grégoire Boulinguez-AmbroiseEmmanuelle Pouydebat
Apr 3, 2018·Journal of Human Evolution·Travis Rayne PickeringDominic Stratford
Dec 21, 2012·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Michael H Morgan, David R Carrier

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