Zipfel B, Kidd R
Bernard Price Institute for Palaeontological Research, University of the Witwatersrand, PO Wits, 2050 Wits, South Africa.
Homo. 2006;57(2):117-31. doi: 10.1016/j.jchb.2006.01.001. Epub 2006 Apr 5.
Two hominin metatarsals from Swartkrans, SKX 5017 and SK 1813, have been reported by Susman and Brain [1988. New first metatarsal (SKX 5017) from Swartkrans and the gait of Paranthropus robustus. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 79, 451-454] and Susman and de Ruiter [2004. New hominin first metatarsal (SK 1813) from Swartkrans. J. Hum. Evol. 47, 171-181]. They found these bones to have both primitive and derived traits indicating that, while being bipedal, these hominines had a unique toe-off mechanism. We have undertaken additional multivariate morphometric analyses, comparing the fossils to the first metatarsals of modern humans and extant apes. The largest proportion of discrimination lies in the different locomotor functions: apes on the one hand and the humans and fossils on the other. While the fossils have the closest affinity to humans, they have a unique biomechanical pattern suggesting a more facultative form of bipedalism. The implications of this are, while morphometric analyses do not necessarily directly capture the described primitive and derived traits, the associated functional pattern is held within the broader morphology of the bone.
来自斯瓦特克朗斯的两块人科跖骨，SKX 5017和SK 1813，已由苏斯曼和布雷恩[1988年。来自斯瓦特克朗斯的新的第一跖骨（SKX 5017）和粗壮傍人的步态。《美国体质人类学杂志》79，451 - 454]以及苏斯曼和德鲁伊特[2004年。来自斯瓦特克朗斯的新人科第一跖骨（SK 1813）。《人类进化杂志》47，171 - 181]进行了报道。他们发现这些骨头既有原始特征又有衍生特征，这表明这些人科动物虽然是两足行走，但有一种独特的离地机制。我们进行了额外的多变量形态测量分析，将这些化石与现代人类和现存猿类的第一跖骨进行比较。最大比例的区分在于不同的运动功能：一方面是猿类，另一方面是人类和化石。虽然这些化石与人类的亲缘关系最为密切，但它们有一种独特的生物力学模式，表明两足行走的形式更为灵活。这意味着，虽然形态测量分析不一定能直接捕捉到所描述的原始和衍生特征，但相关的功能模式存在于骨骼更广泛的形态之中。
