Laetoli footprints
- From: "Marc Verhaegen" <fa204466@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 22:24:23 +0200
New interpretation of Laetoli footprints using an experimental approach and
Procrustes analysis: Preliminary results
Comptes Rendus Palevol, in press, online 6 October 2005
Christine Berge, Xavier Penin & Éric Pellé
We compared Laetoli footprints (G1/35-36-37, G3/26) with modern humans (62
footprints), and a chimpanzee walking bipedally (five footprints). Video
cameras allowed us to capture walking parameters on a wet clay walkway, and
the Procrustes method was used to analyze the footprint shape (outlines and
centres of pressure). Like humans, Laetoli hominids walked with small feet
gap, and probably low velocity (they used heels as brakes). They preserved
certain ape-like traits (foot proportions, roll-off). They also possessed
more marked human-like traits (small vault, metatarsal pressure, similar
toe-off). Like humans walking on a soft ground, they flexed toes at ground
contact, and then propelled themselves by pushing on the ball of the foot
and on digits (hallux and lateral toes acting together). The hypothesis of
permanently flexed, or curled-underneath, digits was not retained by
comparison with the chimpanzee.
________
Replace "preserved" (unfounded interpretation) by "had" (objective), and
this paper confirms that our view (eg, Trends in Ecol.& Evol.17:212-7, 2002)
that early hominids were waders-climbers in swamp forests, where afarensis
is found, eg, AL.333: 'found in swale-like features . died and partially
rotted at or very near this site ... buried in streamside gallery woodland'
(Radosevich et al.1992); AL.288 in a small, slow moving stream: 'Fossil
preservation at this locality is excellent, remains of delicate items such
as crocodile and turtle eggs and crab claws being found' (Johanson & Taieb
1976).
Marc Verhaegen
http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~mvaneech/Symposium.html
http://www.onelist.com/community/AAT
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