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Structural properties of the Late Pleistocene Liujiang femoral diaphyses from southern China.

Wei, Pianpian, Cazenave, Marine, Zhao, Yuhao, Xing, Song (2023) Structural properties of the Late Pleistocene Liujiang femoral diaphyses from southern China. Journal of human evolution, 183 . Article Number 103424. ISSN 1095-8606. E-ISSN 1095-8606. (doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103424) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:103138)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided. (Contact us about this Publication)
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103424

Abstract

The characterization of the femoral diaphysis in Pleistocene hominins with chronoecogeographical diversity plays a crucial role in evaluating evolutionary shifts in locomotor behavior and body shape. However, Pleistocene hominin fossil remains in East Asia are scarce and are widely dispersed temporally and spatially, impeding our comprehension of the nature and polarity of morphological trends. Here, we present qualitative and quantitative analyses of the cross-sectional properties and structural organization of diaphyses in two Late Pleistocene hominin femora (Liujiang PA91 and PA92) from southern China, comparing them to other Eurasian and African Pleistocene hominins. By integrating surface features and internal structure, our findings reveal that the Liujiang femora exhibit modern human-like characteristics, including a developed pilaster, a gluteal buttress, and minimum mediolateral breadth located at the midshaft. The presence of a femoral pilaster may relate to posterior cortical reinforcement and an increased anteroposterior bending rigidity along the mid-proximal to mid-distal portion of the diaphysis. Compared to archaic Homo, Liujiang and other Late Pleistocene modern human femora show a thinner mediolateral cortex and lower bending rigidity than the anteroposterior axis, and a lack of medial buttress, potentially indicating functionally related alterations in a range of pelvic and proximal femoral features throughout the Pleistocene. The femoral robusticity of the Liujiang individual resembles that of other Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from East Asia, implying comparable overall mobility or activity levels. The investigation of Liujiang femoral diaphyseal morphology contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of early modern human postcranial structural morphology in East Asia. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.]

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103424
Uncontrolled keywords: Cross-sectional properties, East Asia, Diaphyseal morphology, Modern human
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China (https://ror.org/01h0zpd94)
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Depositing User: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 22 Nov 2023 14:50 UTC
Last Modified: 22 Nov 2023 14:50 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/103138 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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