Dissertation Reseach: Determinants of Form in the Pubis of Middle/Late Pleistocene Anatomically Modern Humans and Neandertals

论文研究：中/晚更新世解剖学现代人类和尼安德特人耻骨形态的决定因素

• 批准号: 0108645
• 负责人: Steven Churchill
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-07-01 至 2004-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0108645&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Reseach; Determinants; Form; Pubis

The front portion of the birth canal (the superior ramus, or SPR) of the Neandertal pelvis differs from the modern human SPR in three ways: it is much longer, it is much thinner, and Neandertal males (not females) possess the longest SPR. These differences run contrary to what is expected, based on overall patterns of bony differences between Neandertals and modern humans. Many hypotheses accounting for the shape of the Neandertal SPR have been offered, but the biomechanical data needed to test them have been lacking. Four questions will be addressed by this study: 1) do the reported patterns of shape differences hold true in light of a fuller sampling of SPR of later hominids [Neandertals + modern humans]? 2) how much does the SPR vary in recent humans? 3) can any of the existing hypotheses for SPR vari-ation in later hominids be rejected or supported? 4) can the trunk torsion hypothesis, the only hypothesis to address all of the observed shape differences seen in the SPR of later hominids, be rejected or supported? Recent fossil discoveries have greatly increased the available number of SPR of later hominids, while the increased availability of CT scanners allows a more thorough analysis of internal SPR anatomy. This project will use CT scanners to gather the cross-sectional data needed for testing hypotheses of SPR function and variation. Nearly every pre-Holocene (older than 8,000 BC) Eurasian later hominid SPR will be examined, as will a large and diverse sample of recent humans in order to assess the modern range of SPR variation. The SPR plays a role in childbirth, locomotion, posture, and muscular force transmission between ab-domen and thigh. This project will help clarify the biomechanical role of the SPR in Neandertals, as well as the extent to which SPR differences between Neandertals and modern humans may be indicative of functional and behavioral differences.

尼安德特人骨盆的产道前部(上支，或SPR)与现代人类的SPR有三个不同之处：它更长，更细，尼安德特人的男性(而不是女性)拥有最长的SPR。根据尼安德特人和现代人之间骨骼差异的总体模式，这些差异与预期相反。关于尼安德特人SPR的形状，已经提出了许多假说，但缺乏测试这些假说所需的生物力学数据。这项研究将解决四个问题：1)所报道的形状差异模式是否适用于对后来的原始人[尼安德特人+现代人]的SPR进行更充分的采样？2)近代人的SPR差异有多大？3)关于后来的原始人的SPR变异的现有假说能否被拒绝或支持？4)躯干扭转假说，唯一能解决后来原始人SPR中观察到的所有形状差异的假说，能否被拒绝或支持？最近的化石发现极大地增加了后来人类SPR的可用数量，而CT扫描仪的增加使得对SPR内部解剖的分析更加彻底。该项目将使用CT扫描仪来收集检验SPR功能和变异假设所需的横断面数据。几乎每一个全新世前(公元前8000年以上)欧亚大陆后来的原始人SPR都将被检查，以及大量和多样化的近代人样本，以评估SPR变异的现代范围。SPR在分娩、运动、姿势以及腹股部和大腿之间的肌力传递中起作用。该项目将有助于阐明SPR在尼安德特人中的生物力学作用，以及尼安德特人和现代人之间的SPR差异可能在多大程度上指示功能和行为的差异。