Doctoral Dissertation Research: External and Internal Structure of Extant and Fossil Hominid Calcanei

重建早期人类祖先的运动行为仍然是阐明原始人血统起源的核心任务。由于跟骨在负重方面的作用，对其研究相对较少，在阐明陆地和树栖动物运动的性质方面具有巨大的潜力。本论文的目的是研究人类和非人类类人猿的跟骨外部形态和内部结构如何随运动行为的变化而变化。项目发现将被用来为解释跟骨人化石提供背景，从而加强对早期人的运动的重建。该项目将建立一个大型表面和微型CT扫描数据库，供科学界使用。它还将支持对一名女研究生和本科生进行量化技术培训，并让公众和K-12受众参与科学宣传。跟骨在负重、足内翻和与底物接触方面起着中心作用。虽然以前的研究已经发现与运动模式相关的外部形状和内部结构的具体方面存在差异，但本项目将考察整个外部和内部形态。该项目将包括通过三维几何形态、滑动半标记分析和最近开发的小梁技术对跟骨形状和小梁结构的整体进行量化。这位学生将分析跟骨形态如何随着运动行为、身体大小和进化而变化，并将这些发现应用于化石古人类，以增加我们对古人类利用树栖行为的理解。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Reconstructing the locomotor behaviors of early human ancestors remains a central task in elucidating the origins of the hominin lineage. Because of its role in weight-bearing the heel bone (calcaneus), which has been relatively understudied, has great potential for illuminating the nature of both terrestrial and arboreal locomotion. The goal of this dissertation project is to determine how calcaneal external shape and internal structure vary with locomotor behaviors within and among humans and non-human great apes. Project findings will be used to provide context for interpreting fossil hominin calcanei, thus strengthening reconstructions of early hominin locomotion. This project will lead to a large database of surface and micro-CT scans that will be made available to the scientific community. It will also support the training of a female graduate student and undergraduates in quantitative techniques, and engage public and K-12 audiences in science outreach. The calcaneus has a central role in weight bearing, foot inversion and contact with the substrate. Although previous studies have found differences in specific aspects of external shape and internal structure related to locomotor mode, this project will examine the entire external and internal morphology. The project will include quantification of calcaneal shape and trabecular structure in its entirety through a 3D geometric morphometric sliding semilandmark analysis and recently developed trabecular techniques. The student co-PI will analyze how calcaneal morphology varies with locomotor behavior, body size, and phylogeny and apply these findings to fossil hominins to increase our understanding of hominin use of arboreal behavior.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.