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Analyse Procuste de la cavité pelvienne des australopithèques (AL 288, Sts 14), des humains et des chimpanzés : conséquences obstétricales

July BOUHALLIER, Christine BERGE & Xavier PENIN

fr Comptes Rendus Palevol 3 (4) - Pages 295-304

Published on 31 July 2004

This article is a part of the thematic issue The first hominids

Procustes analysis of the pelvic cavity in australopithecines (AL 288, Sts 14), humans and chimpanzees: obstetrical consequences

The pelvic cavity of Australopithecus (A. afarensis, A. africanus) was compared to that of 25 Pan (P. troglodytes, P. paniscus) and 45 Homo sapiens with the use of tridimensional Procustes analysis. The fossil morphology is closer to that of modern humans than that of chimpanzees. The australopithecine birth was ante-ischiatic as in humans, indicating that the obstetrical mechanism specific to hominids has an ancient origin. As compared with modern humans, the fossils are closer to that of the female humans. However, they present noticeable differences with modern female pelves indicating that the australopithecine fetus realized a less accentuated movement of flexion and rotation, following a less curved trajectory. .


Keywords:

Obstetrics, Pelvis, Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, P. paniscus, Australopithecus africanus, A. afarensis, Procustes analysis

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