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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Hand Of Homo Naledi, Tracy L. Kivell, Andrew S. Deane, Matthew W. Tocheri, Caley M. Orr, Peter Schmid, John Hawks, Lee R. Berger, Steven E. Churchill
The Hand Of Homo Naledi, Tracy L. Kivell, Andrew S. Deane, Matthew W. Tocheri, Caley M. Orr, Peter Schmid, John Hawks, Lee R. Berger, Steven E. Churchill
Neuroscience Faculty Publications
A nearly complete right hand of an adult hominin was recovered from the Rising Star cave system, South Africa. Based on associated hominin material, the bones of this hand are attributed to Homo naledi. This hand reveals a long, robust thumb and derived wrist morphology that is shared with Neandertals and modern humans, and considered adaptive for intensified manual manipulation. However, the finger bones are longer and more curved than in most australopiths, indicating frequent use of the hand during life for strong grasping during locomotor climbing and suspension. These markedly curved digits in combination with an otherwise human-like …
The Foot Of Homo Naledi, W. E. H. Harcourt-Smith, Z. Throckmorton, K. A. Congdon, B. Zipfel, Andrew S. Deane, M. S. M. Drapeau, S. E. Churchill, L. R. Berger, J. M. Desilva
The Foot Of Homo Naledi, W. E. H. Harcourt-Smith, Z. Throckmorton, K. A. Congdon, B. Zipfel, Andrew S. Deane, M. S. M. Drapeau, S. E. Churchill, L. R. Berger, J. M. Desilva
Neuroscience Faculty Publications
Modern humans are characterized by a highly specialized foot that reflects our obligate bipedalism. Our understanding of hominin foot evolution is, although, hindered by a paucity of well-associated remains. Here we describe the foot of Homo naledi from Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, using 107 pedal elements, including one nearly-complete adult foot. The H. naledi foot is predominantly modern human-like in morphology and inferred function, with an adducted hallux, an elongated tarsus, and derived ankle and calcaneocuboid joints. In combination, these features indicate a foot well adapted for striding bipedalism. However, the H. naledi foot differs from modern humans in having …