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Article: Knee function through finite element analysis and the role of Miocene hominoids in our understanding of the origin of antipronograde behaviours: the Pierolapithecus catalaunicus patella as a case study

Palaeontology - Vol. 63 Part 3 - Cover Image
Publication: Palaeontology
Volume: 63
Part: 3
Publication Date: May 2020
Page(s): 459 475
Author(s): Marta Pina, Daniel DeMiguel, Francesc Puigvert, Jordi Marcé‐Nogué, and Salvador Moyà‐Solà
Addition Information

How to Cite

PINA, M., DEMIGUEL, D., PUIGVERT, F., MARCé‐NOGUé, J., MOYà‐SOLà, S. 2020. . Palaeontology, 63, 3, 459-475. DOI: /doi/10.1111/pala.12466

Author Information

  • Marta Pina - Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici ICTA‐ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Barcelona Spain
  • Daniel DeMiguel - Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici ICTA‐ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Barcelona Spain
  • Daniel DeMiguel - Fundación ARAID Zaragoza Spain
  • Daniel DeMiguel - Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra Área de Paleontología. Universidad de Zaragoza c/ Pedro Cerbuna, 12 50009 Zaragoza Spain
  • Francesc Puigvert - Departament de Resistència de Materials i Estructures a l'Enginyeria Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, Colom 11 08222 Terrassa Spain
  • Jordi Marcé‐Nogué - Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici ICTA‐ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Barcelona Spain
  • Jordi Marcé‐Nogué - Departament de Resistència de Materials i Estructures a l'Enginyeria Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech, Colom 11 08222 Terrassa Spain
  • Jordi Marcé‐Nogué - Centrüm für Naturkunde University of Hamburg Martin‐Luther‐King‐Platz 3 20146 Hamburg Germany
  • Salvador Moyà‐Solà - Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Edifici ICTA‐ICP, c/ Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Barcelona Spain
  • Salvador Moyà‐Solà - Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA) Pg. Lluís Companys 23 08010 Barcelona Spain
  • Salvador Moyà‐Solà - Unitat d'Antropologia Biològica Departament de Biologia Animal Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès Barcelona Spain

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 29 April 2020
  • Manuscript Accepted: 18 October 2019
  • Manuscript Received: 11 January 2019

Funded By

Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación‐European Regional Developmental Fund. Grant Numbers: CGL2016‐76431‐P MINECO/FEDER, EU, CGL2017‐82654‐P MINECO/FEDER, EU
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Grant Number: P17394
Leakey Foundation
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Grant Number: KA 1525/9‐2

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Abstract

Although extensive research has been carried out in recent years on the origin and evolution of human bipedalism, a full understanding of this question is far from settled. Miocene hominoids are key to a better understanding of the locomotor types observed in living apes and humans. Pierolapithecus catalaunicus, an extinct stem great ape from the middle Miocene (c. 12.0 Ma) of the Vallès‐Penedès Basin (north‐eastern Iberian Peninsula), is the first undoubted hominoid with an orthograde (erect) body plan. Its locomotor repertoire included above‐branch quadrupedalism and other antipronograde behaviours. Elucidating the adaptive features present in the Pierolapithecus skeleton and its associated biomechanics helps us to better understand the origin of hominoid orthogrady. This work represents a new biomechanical perspective on Pierolapithecus locomotion, by studying its patella and comparing it with those drawn from a large sample of extant anthropoids. This is the first time that the biomechanical patellar performance in living non‐human anthropoids and a stem hominid has been studied using finite element analysis (FEA). Differences in stress distribution are found depending on body plan and the presence/absence of a distal apex, probably due to dissimilar biomechanical performances. Pierolapithecus’ biomechanical response mainly resembles that of great apes, suggesting a similar knee joint use in mechanical terms. These results underpin previous studies on Pierolapithecus, favouring the idea that a relevant degree of some antipronograde behaviour may have made up part of its locomotor repertoire. Moreover, our results corroborate the presence of modern great ape‐like knee biomechanical performances back in the Miocene.

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