Long legs and small joints: The locomotor capabilities of Homo naledi

Abstract

The lower limb of Homo naledi presents a suite of primitive, derived and unique morphological features that pose interesting questions about the nature of bipedal movement in this species. The exceptional representation of all skeletal elements in H. naledi makes it an excellent candidate for biomechanical analysis of gait dynamics using modern kinematic software. However, virtual gait analysis software requires 3D models of the entire lower limb kinematic chain. No single H. naledi individual preserves all lower limb elements, and what material is preserved is fragmentary. As an antecedent to future kinematic analysis, a 3D lower limb skeleton was reconstructed from the most complete fossil bones of different H. naledi individuals. As both juvenile and adult H. naledi were used, we tested if the knee joint remained congruent throughout ontogeny in a sample of great apes (N = 143) and modern humans (N = 70). The reconstruction and subsequent comparative analysis reveal that H. naledi had remarkably small joint sizes for their body size, a hyper-elongated tibia, and a high crural index (90.2). We consider that the lower limb morphology of H. naledi could have improved locomotor economy, but the exceptionally small joints cast doubt on its capabilities for long distance travel, including endurance running. The unusual mixture of primitive and derived traits in H. naledi remains intriguing and might indicate that this hominin engaged both in bipedal walking and climbing, demonstrating that kinematic diversity in hominins persisted well into the Middle Pleistocene.