Functional Information in Individual Anterior Tarsal Bones of Anthropoids

The five anterior tarsals of the foot--navicular, cuboid, first, second, and third cuneiforms--are promising candidates for good fossil preservation because of their compact shape and density, but are frequently unassociated with the more commonly preserved teeth and mandibular fragments. To be of use in interpreting the evolutionary history of locomotor modes, an anterior tarsal as a separate entity must contain information. Quantitative morphological studies and discriminant analyses of measured anterior tarsal variables and their ratios for Ateles, Cebus, Colobus, Gorilla, Homo, Hylobates, Mandrillus, Pan, Papio, Pongo, Presbytis, Symphalangus, and Theropithecus demonstrate that specializations have been impressed in their shape. Although morphologically conservative, the external architecture of the five bones, especially the proportions of the articular surfaces, correlates with weight support, mobility, stability, and direction of stress which in turn relate to habitat and locomotion.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Mann, Diane Messmann

• Anthropology, Physical

Identifier

(UMI)AAI8203522

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/70685