Signals of locomotion and manipulation in the internal trabecular bone structure of extant hominoids and fossil hominins

Kivell, Tracy and Dunmore, Christopher and Lu, Szu-Ching and Synek, Alexander and Bardo, Ameline and Bird, Emma and Deckers, Kim and Key, Alastair and Pahr, Dieter and Skinner, Matthew (2019) Signals of locomotion and manipulation in the internal trabecular bone structure of extant hominoids and fossil hominins. In: The 12th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology, 2019-07-21 - 2019-07-25.

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Abstract

The enhanced dexterity of the human hand is unique among primates, an ability that is traditionally thought to have evolved in response to tool-related behaviours and a release from the biomechanical constraints of locomotion in our bipedal hominin ancestors. However, recent fossil and archaeological evidence, as well as novel analyses, suggest that dexterity-related morphology and abilities evolved earlier that traditionally thought and that fossil hominins used their hands for locomotion until much later than presumed.

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