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9.2: Australopithecine Locomotion (Worksheet)

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    Name: ______________________________

    Section: _____________________________

    Student ID#:__________________________

    Part I

    In this activity, you will be examining casts and/or images of Australopithecus afarensis and the Laetoli Footprints (fossilized footprints associated with Au. afarensis). For each trait below:

    1. Compare the morphology of Au. afarensis with the modern human and ape. When assessing traits of the foot, use the Laetoli Footprints as a proxy for Au. afarensis foot.
    2. Decide whether each trait is more similar to the bipedal human or the quadrupedal/ brachiating ape and mark the appropriate box.
    3. Circle the appropriate description of the skeletal element or feature for Au. afarensis.
      Bipedal Trait Quadrupedal Trait Description (circle)
    Foramen magnum position • • Inferior vs. Posterior
    Innominate shape • • Short/wide vs. Long/tall
    Sacrum shape • • Short/wide vs. Long/tall
    Curvature of hand phalanges • • Slight vs. Pronounced
    Glenoid fossa location • • Lateral vs. Cranial
    Shape of rib cage • • Barrel vs. Funnel
    Angulation at knee • • Valgus knee vs. Straight
    Relative length of forelimbs • • Short vs. Long
    Length of toes relative to foot • • Short vs. Long
    Width of heel • • Wide vs. Narrow
    Arched foot • • Arched vs. Flat
    Big toe divergent vs. convergent • • Mostly convergent vs. Mostly divergent

    Part I

    Below is a drawing of an australopithecine skeleton. On the skeleton, you will be mapping the distribution of locomotive traits.

    1. Pick one color to represent bipedal indicators and a different color to represent quadrupedal/brachiating indicators. Color the “Color Key” accordingly.
    2. For each trait listed on the previous page, color over the regions of the skeleton in the color corresponding to whether it is more similar to bipeds or quadrupeds. (For the foramen magnum, you can color beneath the skull since it is not visible in the drawing).
    3. After mapping each trait, answer the question below.
    Illustration of a human skeleton with a color key indicating "Bipedal" and "Quadrupedal."
    Skeleton of human (1) and gorilla (2), unnaturally stretched by unknown is in the public domain. fig7: Southern part of the hominin trackway in test-pit L8 by unknown is licensed as CC BY 4.0

    How are bipedal and quadrupedal traits distributed on the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis and what does that tell you about australopithecine locomotion/behavior?

    Supplemental Images

    The images below show comparisons between an anatomically modern human, Australopithecus afarensis, and a modern ape for each trait. Unless otherwise noted, images show the human elements on the left, Au. afarensis in the middle, and the ape on the right.

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    截屏2022-05-05 下午7.45.26.png
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    Image Attributions

    • Cranium comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.
    • Innominate comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.
    • Sacrum comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.
    • Hand phalanx comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.
    • Scapula comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.
    • Foot comparisons by Kristen A. Broehl, derived from teaching materials at the University of Wyoming is licensed as CC BY-NC 4.0.

    9.2: Australopithecine Locomotion (Worksheet) is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.