A phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of early hominin foot morphology

Abstract

Changes in foot morphology have played a crucial role in the evolution of bipedalism. Examining the evolution of pedal characters among hominins makes it possible to identify when and where key anatomical changes required for bipedalism evolved. This study uses ancestral character reconstruction to investigate foot morphology in the Homo + Pan last common ancestor and subsequent nodes in the hominin phylogeny. We explore the pattern of hominin foot evolution and examine the presence of terrestrial and arboreal adaptations at hominin ancestral nodes. In this study, we analyzed 62 discrete pedal characters hypothesized to be functionally significant. Our likelihood-based approach supports the hypothesis of a Pan-like last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. The earliest foot synapomorphies in hominins are related to foot and ankle eversion and midtarsal stability. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that lateral midfoot stability might have evolved before medial midfoot stability. Moreover, several homoplasies were inferred across different taxa, particularly related to features hypothesized to reflect joint mobility and the longitudinal arch. Finally, the Paranthropus and the Australopithecus africanus + Australopithecus sediba clades evolved arboreal characteristics, suggesting adaptations for arboreality. Overall, the results demonstrate how pedal characters evolved in hominins from an African ape–like ancestor.