Femoral and Tibial Diaphyseal Cross-Sectional Geometry in Pleistocene Homo.(Table A3 corrected on 12 March 2012).

Abstract

Reassessment of Pleistocene Homo femoral and tibial diaphyseal cross-sectional properties indicates that there was a variably significant decrease in relative cortical area through the Pleistocene, especially in the middle portions of the femoral diaphysis and relative to Early Pleistocene humans in the tibia and Upper Paleolithic humans in the femur. Both bones show a reduction in relative mediolateral to anteroposterior diaphyseal strength though the midshaft, especially with respect to the femur and particularly between archaic and early modern humans. In the femur, where the diaphyseal strength can be scaled to estimated body mass and bone length, there was little or no change in anteroposterior reinforcement, the primary reflection of locomotor robustness, indicating little shift in locomotor ranging levels among these Pleistocene foraging populations. The changes in relative mediolateral strength may be related to variation in pelvic and body proportions, evident in associated pelves in the Late Pleis-tocene samples and more generally through Pleistocene Homo.