Footprints and human evolution: Homeostasis in foot function?
Footprints and human evolution: Homeostasis in foot function?
复制标题
DOI：
10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.08.026
复制
发表时间：
2016-11-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Budka, Marcin
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bennett, Matthew R.;Reynolds, Sally C.;Budka, Marcin
人类和古人类的足迹，作为沉积保存的罕见行为，在地质记录中很少出现。然而，它们有可能揭示关于我们祖先运动的重要信息，特别是当这些足迹属于不同的人类物种时。已知的足迹地点数量很少，在进行物种间比较时，人们必须与通常来自不同沉积环境的小足迹种群一起工作，从而使我们对它们的解释复杂化。在这里，我们回顾了几个具有古人类学意义的关键遗址，这些遗址跨越了最重要的进化转变之一（南方古猿向人属），涉及到更适合耐力跑步和步行的解剖学和生理学发展。这些遗址包括在Laetoli （3.66 Ma；坦桑尼亚）和Ileret （1.5 Ma；肯尼亚）的已知最古老的人类足迹遗址。研究人员将这两个地点的足迹与习惯不穿鞋的人留下的现代足迹进行了全足分析。我们得出结论，与一些作者相反，足部功能在过去的3.66 Ma中保持相对不变，可能经历了进化稳态。这些数据表明，现代生物力学运动的进化发展早于最早的人类足迹，也早于南方古猿属向人属的过渡。(C) 2016 Elsevier B.V.版权所有
Human, and hominin tracks, occur infrequently within the geological record as rare acts of sedimentary preservation. They have the potential, however, to reveal important information about the locomotion of our ancestors, especially when the tracks pertain to different hominin species. The number of known track sites is small and in making inter-species comparisons, one has to work with small track populations that are often from different depositional settings, thereby complicating our interpretations of them. Here we review several key track sites of palaeoanthropological significance across one of the most important evolutionary transitions (Australopithecus to Homo) which involved the development of anatomy and physiology better-suited to endurance running and walking. The sites include the oldest known hominin track site at Laetoli (3.66 Ma; Tanzania) and those at Ileret (1.5 Ma; Kenya). Tracks from both sites are compared with modern tracks made by habitually unshod individuals using a whole-foot analysis. We conclude that, contrary to some authors, foot function has remained relatively unchanged, perhaps experiencing evolutionary homeostasis, for the last 3.66 Ma. These data suggest that the evolutionary development of modern biomechanical locomotion pre-dates the earliest human tracks and also the transition from the genus Australopithecus to Homo. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.