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Re: An alternative to ST and AAT
Rohinton Collins (rohinton@collins.prestel.co.uk)
13 Nov 1996 00:04:15 GMT
Susan S. Chin <susansf@netcom.com> wrote in article
<susansfE0nzAv.7rp@netcom.com>...
> Early Australopithecines such as A. afarensis and A. africanus did have a
> morphology similiar to that of Chimpanzees. However, this applies
> primarily to dental and cranial traits, limb proportions, and their
> curved phalanges (am I missing anything here?)
>
> As far as postcranial adapatations for bipedalism, Lucy's pelvis clearly
> shows A. afarensis has already undergone extreme changes which enabled
> afarensis to walk bipedally for extended periods of time if necessary.
> This isn't a chimp-like morphology at all. Same goes for her and other
> afarensis knee joints found. If there are chimp-like morphological
> characters in early Australopithecines, they are likely primitive
> retentions of an arboreal ancestry. Which isn't to say Austra. didn't
> climb trees, but when they did, they walked upright to get there.
Here, here. Someone who knows her evolutionary anatomy. An absolutely
essential discipline for anyone theorising on hominid
locomotion/behaviour/life history. Take note John and read up! ;-)
Regards,
Roh (BSc in Anatomy & Developmental Biology with units in Human
Evolutionary Anatomy and Palaeoanthropology)
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