Dissertation Research: Development of Hominid Anatomy

这个项目将测试目前使用现代性别标准对原始人类化石遗骸的程序，这已被证明比以前认为的要复杂得多。该学生将测试使用现代骨骨盆测量来确定最早的人类在向两足动物过渡时期的两性二态性的局限性。该学生将验证坐骨大切迹可能与骨盆的性别分化无关，而是与骨盆的两足性变化有关的假设。这项研究将帮助古人类学家确定现代人类和塘猿的哪些两性二态特征将成为古人类化石中强有力的性别区分因素。它还将测试关于婴儿颅骨尺寸增加对原始人女性骨骼影响的假设。关于原始人类化石的性别和特定物种的两性异形数量，目前存在争论。这个研究项目将有助于改进鉴定化石性别的标准。

This project will test current procedures of using modern sexing criteria on fossil hominid remains, which has proven to be more complex than previously believed. The student will test the limitations of using modern bony pelvis measurements for determining sexual dimorphism in the earliest hominids at the period of the transition to bipedalism. The student will test the hypothesis that the greater sciatic notch was probably not related to sexual differentiation of the pelvis but rather to changes in the pelvis for bipedality. This research will help paleoanthropologists determine which sexually dimorphic traits in modern humans and pongids will be strong sex discriminators in fossil hominids. It will also test assumptions about the effects on the hominid female skeleton due to increases in infant skull size. There is current debate over the sexing of fossil hominids and the amount of sexual dimorphism in specific species. This research project will help in refining the criteria by which fossils are identified as to sex.