Phalangeal cortical bone distribution reveals different dexterous and climbing behaviors in Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi

IF 11.7 1区综合性期刊 Q1 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES

Science Advances Pub Date : 2025-05-14 DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adt1201

Samar M. Syeda, Christopher J. Dunmore, Matthew M. Skinner, Lee R. Berger, Steven E. Churchill, Bernhard Zipfel, Tracy L. Kivell

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Abstract

The evolution of the human hand is marked by a transition from a hand primarily used for locomotion to one primarily used for dexterous manipulation. The hand skeletons of Plio-Pleistocene hominins have different mosaics of human-like features associated with enhanced dexterity and ape-like features associated with locomotor hand use. However, the functional relevance of the ape-like features is debated, particularly due to a lack of complete and associated hand remains. Here, we investigate the internal phalangeal cortical structure of the nearly complete Australopithecus sediba MH2 hand and Homo naledi hand 1 to provide both insight into the manual behaviors of these fossil hominins and functional clarity regarding the mosaic features found within their hands. The phalangeal cortical structure demonstrates diversity in Plio-Pleistocene hand use, with A. sediba and H. naledi each indicating different dexterous abilities and different climbing strategies, supporting the functional importance of the ape-like features.

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指骨皮质骨分布揭示了南方古猿sediba和纳莱迪人不同的灵巧和攀爬行为

人类手的进化标志着从主要用于运动的手到主要用于灵巧操作的手的转变。上新世-更新世古人类的手部骨骼具有与增强的灵巧性相关的类人特征和与移动手部使用相关的类人猿特征的不同镶嵌。然而，类人猿特征的功能相关性是有争议的，特别是由于缺乏完整和相关的手遗骸。在这里，我们研究了几乎完整的南方古猿源泉种MH2手和纳勒迪人1手的内部指骨皮质结构，以提供对这些化石人类的手工行为的见解，并明确了在他们的手上发现的马赛克特征的功能。在上新世-更新世，古猿sediba和古猿naledi的指骨皮质结构表现出了手使用的多样性，分别表现出不同的灵巧能力和不同的攀爬策略，支持类人猿特征在功能上的重要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Science Advances 综合性期刊-综合性期刊

CiteScore

21.40

自引率

1.50%

发文量

1937

审稿时长

29 weeks

期刊介绍： Science Advances, an open-access journal by AAAS, publishes impactful research in diverse scientific areas. It aims for fair, fast, and expert peer review, providing freely accessible research to readers. Led by distinguished scientists, the journal supports AAAS's mission by extending Science magazine's capacity to identify and promote significant advances. Evolving digital publishing technologies play a crucial role in advancing AAAS's global mission for science communication and benefitting humankind.