McHenry H M
Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis 95616.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1991 Jun;85(2):149-58. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330850204.
This study reports the femoral lengths of 31 Plio-Pleistocene hominids dated between 3.1 and 0.7 million years ago, and uses those lengths to estimate stature by way of the femur-stature ratio reported by Feldesman et al. (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 78:219-220, 1989). By this method the average female Australopithecus afarensis is 105 cm and the average male is 151 cm. The respective values are 115 and 138 cm for A. africanus. As defined by Howell (In VJ Maglio and HBS Cooke (eds): The Evolution of African Mammals. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1978) and Johanson et al. (Kirtlandia 28:1-14, 1978), Homo habilis is a sexually dimorphic species, with females standing 118 cm and males 157 cm. Such apparently strong dimorphism may be due to the possibility that there are actually two species of nonrobust hominids between 2 and 1.7 m.y.a. The estimate for the female Australopithecus boisei is 124 cm and for the male, 137 cm, but these estimates are especially difficult to be certain of because there are no femora that can be positively identified as male A. boisei. Australopithecus robustus is estimated to be 110 cm (female) and 132 cm (male). African Homo erectus stood 160 cm (female) and 180 cm (male). From these estimates several generalizations are apparent. First, there is apparently strong sexual dimorphism in stature in A. afarensis and H. habilis, but less in the other species. Second, the "robust" australopithecines were relatively small statured. Third, it is apparently not true that humans have been getting progressively taller throughout their evolutionary history. Some individuals were as tall as modern humans 3 m.y.a., by 2 m.y.a. one individual stood about 173 cm, and by 1.7 m.y.a. a stature of 180+ cm was not uncommon.
本研究报告了31个上新世 - 更新世原始人类的股骨长度，这些原始人类生活在距今310万年至70万年前之间，并利用这些长度，通过费尔德斯曼等人（《美国体质人类学杂志》78:219 - 220, 1989）报告的股骨 - 身高比例来估算身高。通过这种方法，阿法南方古猿的平均雌性身高为105厘米，平均雄性身高为151厘米。非洲南方古猿的相应身高值分别为115厘米和138厘米。按照豪厄尔（收录于VJ·马利奥和HBS·库克主编的《非洲哺乳动物的进化》。剑桥：哈佛大学出版社，1978年）以及约翰森等人（《科特兰迪亚》28:1 - 14, 1978）的定义，能人是一种两性异形的物种，雌性身高118厘米，雄性身高157厘米。这种明显的强烈两性异形可能是由于在200万年至170万年前实际上存在两种非粗壮型原始人类的可能性。对鲍氏南方古猿雌性的身高估计为124厘米，雄性为137厘米，但这些估计尤其难以确定，因为没有能被明确鉴定为雄性鲍氏南方古猿的股骨。粗壮南方古猿的估计身高为雌性110厘米，雄性132厘米。非洲直立人的身高为雌性160厘米，雄性180厘米。从这些估计中可以明显看出几个一般性结论。第一，阿法南方古猿和能人在身高上显然存在强烈的两性异形，但其他物种的两性异形程度较小。第二，“粗壮型”南方古猿身材相对较矮。第三，人类在整个进化历史中身高一直在逐渐增加，这种说法显然并不正确。早在300万年前，就有个体与现代人类一样高；到200万年前，有一个个体身高约173厘米；到170万年前，身高超过180厘米的个体并不罕见。
