Reed K E, Kitching J W, Grine F E, Jungers W L, Sokoloff L
Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1993 Sep;92(1):1-15. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330920102.
A left proximal femur (MLD 46) from Member 4, Makapansgat, South Africa is described and analyzed. It consists of the head, neck, and a small segment of the shaft that extends to just below the lesser trochanter. The femur exhibits degenerative joint disease in the form of marginal osteophyte formation and thus its taxonomic identity has been somewhat obscured. Consideration of all like-sized mammalian femora from Makapansgat suggests that the femur is that of either a felid or hominid. Comparison of MLD 46 to femora of extent and extinct felids reveals that MLD 46 does not possess two morphological features that are characteristic of felids, namely a deep, prolonged trochanteric fossa and a high neck-shaft angle. Simple shape variables (ratios) and multivariate analyses consistently place MLD 46 with modern and fossil hominids, and most closely align it with the australopithecines. We conclude that the femur is most reasonably attributable to Australopithecus africanus, which is the only hominid yet identified from Makapansgat. Despite its pathological condition, MLD 46 is the most complete proximal femur known for A. africanus, thereby permitting further morphological comparisons with homologues of A. afarensis and Paranthropus. Marginal osteophytes of mammalian femoral heads characteristically occur in individuals of advanced age, suggesting that MLD 46 may have lived some time with the disease. Finally, MLD 46 is considerably larger than the previously described specimen, Sts 14, from Sterkfontein Member 4. There may be as great a contrast in body size in A. africanus as there is between the large and small specimens of A. afarensis.
对来自南非马卡潘斯盖特第4层的一段左股骨近端（MLD 46）进行了描述和分析。它由股骨头、股骨颈以及一小段延伸至小转子下方的骨干组成。该股骨呈现出以边缘性骨赘形成为形式的退行性关节疾病，因此其分类身份在一定程度上变得模糊不清。对马卡潘斯盖特所有同等大小的哺乳动物股骨进行考量后表明，该股骨要么属于猫科动物，要么属于人科动物。将MLD 46与现存及已灭绝猫科动物的股骨进行比较后发现，MLD 46不具备猫科动物特有的两个形态特征，即深且长的转子窝和高颈干角。简单的形状变量（比率）和多变量分析一致地将MLD 46归为现代和化石人科动物，并且使其与南方古猿最为接近。我们得出结论，该股骨最合理地应归属于南方古猿非洲种，这是目前从马卡潘斯盖特已鉴定出的唯一人科动物。尽管其处于病理状态，但MLD 46是已知的南方古猿非洲种最完整的近端股骨，从而能够与阿法南方古猿和傍人属的同源物进行进一步的形态比较。哺乳动物股骨头的边缘性骨赘通常出现在老年个体中，这表明MLD 46可能在患病的情况下存活了一段时间。最后，MLD 46比之前描述的来自斯泰克方丹第4层的标本Sts 14要大得多。南方古猿非洲种的体型差异可能与阿法南方古猿的大、小标本之间的差异一样大。
