Diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry of the Boxgrove 1 Middle Pleistocene human tibia

• Published in: Journal of human evolution Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 1 - 25
• Main Authors: Trinkaus, Erik, Stringer, Chris B, Ruff, Christopher B, Hennessy, Robin J, Roberts, Mark B, Parfitt, Simon A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Anthropology, Physical; Archaeological sites; Biomechanical Phenomena; Body Constitution; Cold Climate; Fossils; Geometry; Hominidae - anatomy & histology; Hominidae - physiology; Homo; Human evolution; Human paleontology; Humans; Mankind origin and evolution; Methodology and general studies; Middle Pleistocene; Models, Biological; Osteology; Pleistocene; postcrania; Prehistory and protohistory; thermal adaptation; tibia; Tibia - anatomy & histology; Tibia - physiology; Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods; United Kingdom; Middle; Great Britain; Europe; Middle Pleistocene; thermal adaptation; Homo; tibia; postcrania; Morphology; Human palaeontology; Anthropology; Evolution; Homo sapiens; Long bone; Pleistocene
• ISSN: 0047-2484; 1095-8606
• DOI: 10.1006/jhev.1999.0295

Cross-sectional geometric analysis of the early Middle Pleistocene human tibia from Boxgrove, West Sussex, U.K. reveals a mosaic pattern relative to other archaic Homo tibiae. The specimen has relatively low percent cortical area within its cross sections. However, it exhibits the high mediolateral strength characteristic of archaicHomo tibiae. Scaled solely to tibial length it is robust, similar to those of the Neandertals and above those of early modern and pre-Late Pleistocene African and Asian humans. However, given ecogeographically-patterned variance in relative tibial length and body laterality, it is most likely that it exhibits a level of robusticity within the range encompassed by Late Pliocene to Late Pleistocene archaic Homo combined with arctic body proportions. Given its association with late interglacial cool temperate climatic indicators, the inferred body proportions of the Boxgrove hominid were probably promoted by their minimal level of cultural buffering, requiring a significant biological conservation of body heat.