bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primate Trade (Africa)
Authors: Luhrs Averee
Published: April 2017

Wildlife trade refers to the exchange or sale of any nondomesticated animal or plant material. This can include live specimens, whole deceased specimens, or parts and products of specimens used for a vast array of purposes. Wildlife trading can range from simple transactions, such as between a single hunter and a single buyer in a localized area, to a complex international system. Primate trade in Africa has occurred for centuries, and is often important for community livelihood, culture, or traditional medicine. However, rising international demand for both dead and live primates has led to a rate of trade that is overwhelmingly unsustainable. Organizations such as CITES and TRAFFIC are working to mitigate illegal trade. Unfortunately, these efforts have struggled against corruption, political instability, and a lack of reliable data. Understanding all levels of trade, and how it impacts species survival, human needs, ecosystems, and economies is vital. It is only with international cooperation and well‐informed individuals that trade can be brought to a sustainable level.
Behavioral Flexibility
Authors: Lindshield Stacy M.
Published: April 2017

Flexibility refers to the ability to adjust behavior in response to changing environmental conditions. This plasticity is widespread within the Primate Order and may be evolutionarily linked to archetypal primate traits, such as voluminous brains and slow life histories. Historically, it was common to describe behaviors as universal in nature, but a more nuanced view has emerged in recent decades as long‐term research and studies from numerous study sites have become available. Synthetic studies incorporating phylogenetic approaches provide new insights into the causes of flexibility, particularly concerning primate social organization. Moreover, primatologists are explicitly incorporating behavioral flexibility into conservation strategies.
Protected Areas
Authors: Pasetta Christina
Published: April 2017

Protected areas (PAs) are important tools for biodiversity conservation. They are categorized by their management objectives toward the goals of conserving biodiversity, ensuring long‐term benefits for associated ecosystem services. Although PAs are established in much of the world's most biodiverse environments, they face challenges reaching their goals. As development of anthropogenic landscapes continues, threats to PAs, and their species within, intensify. The future of primate conservation must include strategies to increase the effectiveness and scope of PAs worldwide.
Ebola Virus Disease
Authors: Gogarten Jan F. , Calvignac‐Spencer Sebastien , Leendertz Fabian H.
Published: April 2017

Since the discovery of ebola viruses in 1976, these viruses have continued to emerge unpredictably in humans and susceptible animal populations. While fruit bats have been implicated as a potential reservoir, many questions regarding ebola virus ecology remain. Particularly, factors promoting spillover from reservoirs into humans and susceptible animal populations remain elusive. These viruses have caused major die‐offs in wild great ape populations, which may serve as amplifying hosts, ultimately facilitating spillover into human populations. Vaccine development has accelerated greatly following the large outbreak in West Africa; whether it will be feasible and ethical to vaccinate wild great apes is an important question that remains to be addressed.
Coevolution of Hosts and Parasites
Authors: MacIntosh Andrew J. J. , Frias Liesbeth
Published: April 2017

Coevolution encompasses the reciprocal evolutionary changes that interacting species impose on one another. Due to their intimate relationship, host–parasite interactions are particularly suitable to understand the interplay between ecological and genetic factors leading to coevolutionary associations. Reciprocal traits under coevolutionary selection include parasite infectivity and virulence versus host resistance, as well as host seeking versus parasite avoidance behaviors. Coevolutionary associations can lead to multiple evolutionary outcomes, and while the hallmarks of such associations are ubiquitous, coevolution is nonetheless challenging to demonstrate convincingly, particularly in long‐lived species living in complex ecological communities such as primates. However, examining patterns of coadaptation in primate–parasite associations can provide us with important information regarding underlying coevolutionary dynamics, leading to a better understanding of these systems.
History of Primatology—SoutheastAsia
Authors: Zak Alison A.
Published: April 2017

The study of nonhuman primates (hereafter primates) in Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei, Singapore, and East Timor) is useful for continuing to understand human origins, in addition to attempting to conserve declining populations in diverse tropical landscapes. The history of primatology in this region is influenced by the development of the discipline in the West and Japan. However, the emergences of national and international projects, organizations, and publications that prioritize the practice of primatology in Southeast Asia have increased throughout the history of the field.
Savanna Primates
Authors: Turner Trudy R.
Published: April 2017

Savanna primates, including vervets and baboons, are geographically widespread and adapted to the mosaic environment of the savanna. They have been studied extensively and information about them has been critical to an understanding of evolutionary forces and speciation. Studies of savanna primates generated an examination of differences in behavior, morphology, genetics, and endocrinology in animals facing different environmental constraints. These animals have also been critical to the development of the methodology of primate studies in general. Current areas of research include commensalism and the effects of human interactions on the long‐term survival of these groups. There are other less well‐studied savanna primates, including patas monkeys and savanna chimpanzees.
Phylogenetic Inference
Authors: Masters Judith C. , Pozzi Luca
Published: April 2017

Phylogenetic inference is the practice of reconstructing the evolutionary history of related species by grouping them in successively more inclusive sets based on shared ancestry. Homologous characters in independent lineages are similar because they have been inherited from a common ancestor, and they alone should be used in phylogenetic reconstructions. Homoplasies are characters that appear similar, but have evolved from different ancestral states. They may mislead interpretations of evolutionary history. Both molecular and morphological datasets are subject to obfuscation by homoplasy. Methods of phylogenetic inference aim to distinguish between homologous (signal) and homoplastic (noise) resemblance. Molecular datasets tend to be very large and are analyzed using statistical techniques that fit the data to models of molecular evolution. These methods are not well suited to morphological data, and combined analyses including both kinds of data tend to obscure the morphological signal. Rates of molecular change may be used to estimate divergence ages.
Dispersal
Authors: Jack Katharine M.
Published: April 2017

Dispersal of one or both sexes from the natal (birth) group is a feature common to most social mammals (Greenwood 1980). Which sex disperses is largely a function of the food supply and its concomitant effect on within‐ and between‐group foraging competition. In many species exhibiting male‐biased dispersal, males will continue to move between groups throughout their lives. Known as secondary dispersal, this phenomenon has only rarely been reported for female dispersing primates. Natal dispersal is thought to be an adaptation for avoiding inbreeding, while secondary dispersal is better explained as a mechanism of intrasexual mating competition. Our knowledge of dispersal in primates is naturally limited due to the difficulties of tracking the dispersing sex. However, given the important ramification of dispersal on both group structure and the resultant social relationships within groups, this is an important area for further research.
Synanthropy
Authors: Klegarth Amy R.
Published: April 2017

Synanthropy refers to undomesticated species (plant or animal) living closely alongside and benefiting from human beings. Synanthropes exist across a wide range of taxa including plants, insects, birds, and mammals. Within the Order Primates several members of the genus
Macaca
,
Papio
, and
Chlorocebus
are recognized as highly synanthropic. Strong cultural associations, particularly within the Hindu culture, have developed around nonhuman primates and this relationship is showcased by synanthropic primate populations at temple sites. Increased population densities of synanthropic nonhuman primates in anthropogenically altered environments has led to increases in human–wildlife conflict across many species ranges. Moreover, the close taxonomic relationship between nonhuman primate synanthropes and humans paired with their shared ecologies, resources, and heavy interface make these species a particular focus of zoonotic disease studies.
Respiratory Transmission
Authors: Whittier Christopher A.
Published: April 2017

Respiratory transmission refers to the process of spreading and acquiring an infectious agent via the respiratory tract. Respiratory transmission is usually considered one type of parenteral transmission, which is distinct from enteric transmission (fecal–oral and food‐ or water‐borne). There are a large number of important infectious diseases of primates that are spread and acquired through respiratory transmission, including measles, influenza, and tuberculosis.
G
orilla (

G
orilla

)
Authors: Cooksey Kristena E. , Morgan David B.
Published: April 2017

The genus
Gorilla
consists of two species: eastern gorillas (
Gorilla beringei
) and western gorillas (
Gorilla gorilla
). There are two subspecies of eastern gorilla: the mountain gorilla (
G. b. beringei
) and the eastern lowland gorilla (
G. b. graueri
). Western gorillas can also be subdivided into western lowland gorillas (
G. g. gorilla
) and Cross River gorillas (
G. g. diehli
). Eastern gorillas inhabit medium‐ to high‐elevation forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda. In contrast,western gorillas range across West‐Central Africa at elevations close to sea level, apart from those inhabiting the Nigerian/Cameroonian highlands. Gorilla diets vary across these altitudinal gradients, even within populations. Gorillas live in cohesive family groups, usually consisting of one male and multiple females with their immature offspring. There is little variance across species in group composition, except that mountain gorillas exhibit not only single‐male groups but also multi‐male groups. Gorillas are in danger of extinction, with their survival being jeopardized by poaching, disease, and habitat conversion from resource extraction industries such as agriculture, mining, and mechanized logging.
Receptivity
Authors: Campbell Christina J.
Published: April 2017

In recognition that the sexual activity of many female primates does not strictly fit into Heape's estrous concept, Frank Beach proposed an alternative framework for describing and investigating female sexual behaviors. His model separates female sexual behavior into three somewhat independent, but not mutually exclusive components: proceptivity, receptivity, and attractivity. Receptivity refers to all the factors necessary and sufficient for copulation to take place. In many species of mammal, female receptivity changes throughout the ovarian cycle in response to changes in the ovarian hormones.
Phenotypic Plasticity
Authors: Sinha Anindya , Rizvi Hubashia
Published: April 2017

Phenotypic plasticity refers to the phenotypic variability expressed by single genotypes, through developmental processes, in response to varying ecological, social, or prenatal environmental conditions. Phenotypic flexibility, in contrast, is a form of context‐dependent, often reversible, variation in behavior, shown by individual primates, in response to environmental change, and usually mediated through learning processes. Ecological variability in environments often selects for species‐typical behavioral flexibilities in diet and habitat use, although there may be limitations in such phenotypic modifications. Phenotypic flexibility in social behavior could lead to changes in primate social systems, with individuals adopting different short‐term behavioral tactics and long‐term life history strategies. Developmental plasticity in craniodental morphology, skeletal structures, and physiological processes like heterothermy is also known in primates. Finally, plasticity in primate behavioral development includes gene–environment interactions in personality trait development, uterine environment influences on adult life history and behavior, and environmental modifications in the expression of plasticity genes leading to altered behavioral phenotypes.
Adapiform
Authors: Beard Chris
Published: April 2017

Adapiforms (sometimes called adapids) are a diverse group of extinct strepsirhine primates documented by fossils spanning sites in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. The oldest adapiforms are among the earliest known primates, dating to the beginning of the Eocene almost 56 million years ago. In southern Asia, one lineage of adapiforms survived until the late Miocene, roughly 7 million years ago. During the Eocene, adapiforms were typically the largest primates present in any given ecosystem, with taxa such as
Magnadapis
reaching an adult body mass of approximately 10 kilograms. However, not all adapiforms were large, and smaller forms like
Anchomomys
(approximately 100 grams) resembled modern mouse lemurs in body size. Although their modern relatives include lemurs, lorises, and galagos, adapiforms represent a more basal part of the primate evolutionary tree. Unlike early haplorhine primates such as
Teilhardina
, adapiforms retained a primitive reliance on the sense of smell.
Attractivity
Authors: Campbell Christina J.
Published: April 2017

Attractivity refers to how attractive a female is to a male and is often based on changes in visual cues (e.g., sexual swellings) or olfactory cues (e.g., vaginal excretions and/or urine).
Physical activity predicts reduced plasma β amyloid in the Cardiovascular Health Study
Authors: Stillman Chelsea M. , Lopez Oscar L. , Becker James T. , Kuller Lewis H. , Mehta Pankaj D. , Tracy Russell P. , Erickson Kirk I.
Published: April 2017

Objective

Higher levels of physical activity (PA) reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Using longitudinal data from the Cardiovascular Health Study, we examined whether PA predicted plasma Aβ levels and risk for cognitive decline 9–13 years later.

Methods

Linear and logistic regressions (controlling for APOE status, age, gender, body mass index, cardiovascular disease, brain white matter lesions, and cystatin C levels) tested associations between PA, Aβ, and cognitive impairment in a sample of 149 cognitively normal older adults (mean age 83 years).

Results

More PA at baseline predicted lower levels of Aβ 9–13 years later. Higher Aβ levels at year 9 predicted greater risk for cognitive impairment at year 13. Levels of Aβ at year 9 mediated the relationship between PA and cognitive impairment.

Interpretation

Greater PA may reduce plasma levels of a neurotoxic peptide at an age when the risk for cognitive impairment is especially high.
Electroactive Ionic Soft Actuators with Monolithically Integrated Gold Nanocomposite Electrodes
Authors: Yan Yunsong , Santaniello Tommaso , Bettini Luca Giacomo , Minnai Chloé , Bellacicca Andrea , Porotti Riccardo , Denti Ilaria , Faraone Gabriele , Merlini Marco , Lenardi Cristina , Milani Paolo
Published: April 2017

Electroactive ionic gel/metal nanocomposites are produced by implanting supersonically accelerated neutral gold nanoparticles into a novel chemically crosslinked ion conductive soft polymer. The ionic gel consists of chemically crosslinked poly(acrylic acid) and polyacrylonitrile networks, blended with halloysite nanoclays and imidazolium‐based ionic liquid. The material exhibits mechanical properties similar to that of elastomers (Young's modulus ≈ 0.35 MPa) together with high ionic conductivity. The fabrication of thin (≈100 nm thick) nanostructured compliant electrodes by means of supersonic cluster beam implantation (SCBI) does not significantly alter the mechanical properties of the soft polymer and provides controlled electrical properties and large surface area for ions storage. SCBI is cost effective and suitable for the scaleup manufacturing of electroactive soft actuators. This study reports the high‐strain electromechanical actuation performance of the novel ionic gel/metal nanocomposites in a low‐voltage regime (from 0.1 to 5 V), with long‐term stability up to 76 000 cycles with no electrode delamination or deterioration. The observed behavior is due to both the intrinsic features of the ionic gel (elasticity and ionic transport capability) and the electrical and morphological features of the electrodes, providing low specific resistance (<100 Ω cm−2), high electrochemical capacitance (≈mF g−1), and minimal mechanical stress at the polymer/metal composite interface upon deformation.
Copper(I) Oxide/N,N′‐Bis[(2‐furyl)methyl]oxalamide‐Catalyzed Coupling of (Hetero)aryl Halides and Nitrogen Heterocycles at Low Catalytic Loading
Authors: Pawar Govind Goroba , Wu Haibo , De Subhadip , Ma Dawei
Published: April 2017

An easily prepared oxalic diamide is a powerful ligand for the copper‐catalyzed coupling of aryl halides with nitrogen heterocycles. Only 1–2 mol% each of copper(I) oxide and N,N′‐bis[(2‐furyl)methyl]oxalamide (BFMO) are needed to form N‐arylation products under mild conditions. More than 10 different types of nitrogen heterocycles are compatible with these conditions, thereby giving the corresponding N‐arylation products.

magnified image
Moyamoya syndrome in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: Italian–French experience
Authors: Santoro Claudia , Di Rocco Federico , Kossorotoff Manoelle , Zerah Michel , Boddaert Nathalie , Calmon Raphael , Vidaud Dominique , Cirillo Mario , Cinalli Giuseppe , Mirone Giuseppe , Giugliano Teresa , Piluso Giulio , D'Amico Alessandra , Capra Valeria , Pavanello Marco , Cama Armando , Nobili Bruno , Lyonnet Stanislas , Perrotta Silverio
Published: April 2017

Moyamoya syndrome (MMS) is the most common cerebral vasculopathy among children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). In this study, we clinically, radiologically, and genetically examined a cohort that was not previously described, comprising European children with NF1 and MMS. The NF1 genotyping had been registered. This study included 18 children. The mean age was 2.93 ± 3.03 years at the NF1 diagnosis and 7.43 ± 4.27 years at the MMS diagnosis. In seven patients, MMS was diagnosed before or at the same time as NF1. Neuroimaging was performed in 10 patients due to clinical symptoms, including headache (n = 6), cerebral infarction (n = 2), and complex partial seizures (n = 2). The remaining eight children (47%) had MMS diagnosed incidentally. Sixteen children were characterized molecularly. The features of MMS were similar between patients with and without NF1. Additionally, the NF1 phenotype and genotype were similar between children with and without MMS. Interestingly, three children experienced tumors with malignant histology or behavior. The presence of two first cousins in our cohort suggested that there may be potential genetic factors, not linked to NF1, with an additional role respect of NF1 might play a role in MMS pathogenesis. The incidental diagnosis of MMS, and the observation that, among children with NF1, those with MMS were clinically indistinguishable from those without MMS, suggested that it might be worthwhile to add an angiographic sequence to brain MRIs requested for children with NF1. A MMS diagnosis may assist in properly addressing an NF1 diagnosis in very young children who do not fulfill diagnostic criteria.
Phenotypic expression of 19q13.32 microdeletions: Report of a new patient and review of the literature
Authors: Travan Laura , Naviglio Samuele , De Cunto Angela , Pellegrin Andrea , Pecile Vanna , Spinelli Alessandro Mauro , Cappellani Stefania , Faletra Flavio
Published: April 2017

The phenotypic manifestations of microdeletions in the 19q13.32 region are still poorly known. In this paper we report a patient who presented with hypotonia, developmental delay, facial dysmorphism, micrognathia, kyphoscoliosis, and buried penis. Chromosomal microarray revealed an interstitial 327 kb de novo microdeletion in the 19q13.32 region comprising eight genes (ARGHAP35, NPAS1, TMEM160, ZC3H4, SAE1, BBC3, MIR3190, and MIR3191). Previously reported cases of microdeletions in the 19q13.32 region were reviewed and compared to our patient, highlighting the common features of a possible 19q13.32 microdeletion syndrome.
Global exosome transcriptome profiling reveals biomarkers for multiple sclerosis
Authors: Selmaj Igor , Cichalewska Maria , Namiecinska Magdalena , Galazka Grazyna , Horzelski Wojciech , Selmaj Krzysztof W. , Mycko Marcin P.
Published: April 2017

Objective

Accumulating evidence supports a role for exosomes in immune regulation. In this study, we investigated the total circulating exosome transcriptome in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients and healthy controls (HC).

Methods

Next generation sequencing (NGS) was used to define the global RNA profile of serum exosomes in 19 RRMS patients (9 in relapse, 10 in remission) and 10 HC. We analyzed 5 million reads and >50,000 transcripts per sample, including a detailed analysis of microRNAs (miRNAs) differentially expressed in RRMS. The discovery set data were validated by quantification using digital quantitative polymerase chain reaction with an independent cohort of 63 RRMS patients (33 in relapse, 30 in remission) and 32 HC.

Results

Exosomal RNA NGS revealed that of 15 different classes of transcripts detected, 4 circulating exosomal sequences within the miRNA category were differentially expressed in RRMS patients versus HC: hsa‐miR‐122‐5p, hsa‐miR‐196b‐5p, hsa‐miR‐301a‐3p, and hsa‐miR‐532‐5p. Serum exosomal expression of these miRNAs was significantly decreased during relapse in RRMS. These miRNAs were also decreased in patients with a gadolinium enhancement on brain magnetic resonance imaging. In vitro secretion of these miRNAs by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was also significantly impaired in RRMS.

Interpretation

These data show that circulating exosomes have a distinct RNA profile in RRMS. Because putative targets for these miRNAs include the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and the cell cycle regulator aryl hydrocarbon receptor, the data suggest a disturbed cell‐to‐cell communication in this disease. Thus, exosomal miRNAs might represent a useful biomarker to distinguish multiple sclerosis relapse. Ann Neurol 2017;81:703–717
Mechanical Constraints on the Hominin Pelvis and the “Obstetrical Dilemma”
Authors: Ruff Christopher
Published: April 2017

The “obstetrical dilemma” posits that increases in birth canal dimensions during hominin evolution were constrained by mechanical factors associated with bipedal gait. This model has recently been challenged, in part on the basis of experimental data showing little association between pelvic and proximal femoral dimensions and locomotor costs among human experimental subjects. However, complete rejection of the model is premature, for two reasons: (1) it is difficult to extrapolate experimental results to naturalistic conditions and the much more varied body form and possibly locomotor style of early hominins. Relative pelvic breadth and femoral neck length in both australopiths and early Homo are at or beyond the limits observed among modern humans, and there is evidence that australopiths may have used an altered form of bipedal gait. (2) Other mechanical factors in addition to locomotor cost are important when assessing pelvic and proximal femoral morphology. Increasing biacetabular breadth increases the joint reaction force (JRF) on the femoral head. Increasing femoral neck length may reduce hip JRF, but also increases stress and fracture risk in the femoral neck. Increasing both biacetabular breadth and femoral neck length also increases mediolateral bending stress in the proximal femoral shaft, necessitating substantial buttressing of the diaphysis. Thus, there are mechanical consequences beyond simply locomotor costs that must be considered when evaluating variation in pelvic and femoral morphology among past and extant hominins. Anat Rec, 300:946–955, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Ischial Form as an Indicator of Bipedal Kinematics in Early Hominins: A Test Using Extant Anthropoids
Authors: Lewton Kristi L. , Scott Jeremiah E.
Published: April 2017

Human ischia contrast with those of great apes in being craniocaudally short and dorsally projecting. This configuration is thought to facilitate greater hip extension in humans during bipedal locomotion. This link has been used to infer kinematics in early hominins, but the consequences of variation in ischial configuration for gait remain uncertain. Kinematic data for a limited sample of extant nonhuman primates demonstrate that there is variation in hip extension in these taxa during bipedal behaviors—specifically, Hylobates and Ateles are capable of greater extension than Pan and Macaca. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that ischial length and orientation are functionally linked with hip extension during bipedalism among these taxa. As expected, humans have the shortest ischia, followed by gibbons, spider monkeys, chimpanzees, and macaques. Our predictions for ischial orientation are not supported, however: macaques, gibbons, and spider monkeys do not vary in this trait, and they have ischia that are less dorsally angled than that of the chimpanzee. The results for ischium length provide limited support for the idea that the early hominin Ardipithecus ramidus, with its long, caudally oriented ischium was not capable of humanlike extended‐hip bipedalism, and that the ischial shortening observed in post‐Ardipithecus hominins reflects a shift toward a more humanlike gait. In contrast, while our results do not necessarily refute a link between ischial orientation and hip extension in hominins, they do not provide comparative support, making changes in ischial orientation in this part of the fossil record more difficult to interpret. Anat Rec, 300:845–858, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Lower Ilium Evolution in Apes and Hominins
Authors: Hammond Ashley S. , Almécija Sergio
Published: April 2017

Elucidating the pelvic morphology of the Pan‐Homo last common ancestor (LCA) is crucial for understanding ape and human evolution. The pelvis of Ardipithecus ramidus has been the basis of controversial interpretations of the LCA pelvis. In particular, it was proposed that the lower ilium became elongate independently in the orangutan and chimpanzee clades, making these taxa poor analogues for the pelvis of the LCA. This study examines the variation in relative lower ilium height between and within living and fossil hominoid species (and other anthropoids), and models its evolution using available fossil hominoids as calibration points. We find nuanced differences in relative lower ilium height among living hominoids, particularly in regards to gorillas, which do not have elongate lower ilia (because they are likely to represent the plesiomorphic hominoid condition for this trait). We also show that differences in relative lower ilium height among hominoid taxa are not readily explained by differences in size between species. Our maximum likelihood ancestral state reconstructions support inferences that chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes in particular) and orangutans evolved their elongate lower ilia independently. We also find that the predicted lower ilium height of the Pan‐Homo LCA is shorter than all great apes except gorillas. This study adds to a growing body of evidence that finds different regions of the body show different evolutionary histories in different hominoids, and underscores that the unique combinations of morphologies of each modern and fossil hominoid species should be considered when reconstructing the mosaic nature of the Pan‐Homo LCA. Anat Rec, 300:828–844, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sacral Variability in Tailless Species: Homo sapiens and Ochotona princeps
Authors: Tague Robert G.
Published: April 2017

Homo sapiens is variable in number of sacral vertebrae, and this variability can lead to obstetrical complication. This study uses the comparative method to test the hypothesis that sacral variability in H. sapiens is associated with absence of a tail. Three species of lagomorphs are studied: Ochotona princeps (N = 271), which is tailless, and Lepus californicus (N = 212) and Sylvilagus audubonii (N = 206), which have tails. Results show that O. princeps has (1) higher diversity index for number of sacral vertebrae (0.49) compared to L. californicus (0.25) and S. audubonii (0.26) and (2) significantly higher percentage of individuals with the species‐specific nonmodal number of sacral vertebrae (43.9%) compared to L. californicus (14.2%) and S. audubonii (15.5%). Comparison of H. sapiens (N = 1,030; individuals of age 20–39 years) with O. princeps shows similarities between the species in diversity index (also 0.49 in H. sapiens) and percentage of individuals with nonmodal number of sacral vertebrae (37.3% in H. sapiens). Homeotic transformation best explains the results. H. sapiens and O. princeps show propensity for caudal shift at the sacral–caudal border (i.e., homeotic transformation of the first caudal vertebra to a sacral vertebra). Caudal and cranial shift among presacral vertebrae increases or decreases this propensity, respectively. Increase in number of sacral vertebrae in H. sapiens by homeotic transformation reduces pelvic outlet capacity and can be obstetrically hazardous. Anat Rec, 300:798–809, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of Pelvic Sexual Dimorphism in Hylobatids: Testing the Obstetric Constraints Hypothesis
Authors: Zollikofer Christoph P.E. , Scherrer Marc , Ponce de León Marcia S.
Published: April 2017

Pelvic sexual dimorphism in primates is typically seen as the result of female‐specific adaptations to obstetric constraints, which arise from the tight fit between the neonate head and the maternal pelvis. However, it remains debated to which extent pelvic dimorphism is a correlate of obstetric constraints, of body size dimorphism, and/or of other factors. Also, little is known on how pelvic dimorphism develops. Here we use methods of biomedical imaging and geometric morphometrics to address these questions in two hylobatid species,Hylobates larandSymphalangus syndactylus. These species differ markedly in body size, but within each species, there is only little body size dimorphism. Results show that the neonates ofH. larare large compared to the maternal pelvis, resulting in high cephalopelvic proportions and substantial obstetric constraints. Pelvic sexual dimorphism is moderate but significant: During puberty, females develop a more capacious pelvic inlet than males, while overall pelvic size is similar in both sexes.S. syndactylushas substantially larger pelves thanH. lar, but neonates are similar in size to those ofH. lar. Cephalopelvic proportions are thus low, and there are no obstetric constraints. Pelvic sexual dimorphism is absent. Overall, these data indicate that pelvic sexual dimorphism in hylobatids reflects obstetric constraints. Anat Rec, 300:859–869, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Determinants of Iliac Blade Orientation in Anthropoid Primates
Authors: Middleton Emily R. , Winkler Zachariah J. , Hammond Ashley S. , Plavcan J. Michael , Ward Carol V.
Published: April 2017

Orientation of the iliac blades is a key feature that appears to distinguish extant apes from monkeys. Iliac morphology is hypothesized to reflect variation in thoracic shape that, in turn, reflects adaptations for shoulder and forearm function in anthropoids. Iliac orientation is traditionally measured relative to the acetabulum, whereas functional explanations pertain to its orientation relative to the cardinal anatomical planes. We investigated iliac orientation relative to a median plane using digital models of hipbones registered to landmark data from articulated pelves. We fit planes to the iliac surfaces, midline, and acetabulum, and investigated linear metrics that characterize geometric relationships of the iliac margins. Our results demonstrate that extant hominoid ilia are not rotated into a coronal plane from a more sagittal position in basal apes and monkeys but that the apparent rotation is the result of geometric changes within the ilia. The whole ilium and its gluteal surface are more coronally oriented in apes, but apes and monkeys do not differ in orientation of the iliac fossa. The angular differences in the whole blade and gluteal surface primarily reflect a narrower iliac tuberosity set closer to the midline in extant apes, reflecting a decrease in erector spinae muscle mass associated with stiffening of the lumbar spine. Mediolateral breadth across the ventral dorsal iliac spines is only slightly greater in extant apes than in monkeys. These results demonstrate that spinal musculature and mobility have a more significant effect on pelvic morphology than does shoulder orientation, as had been previously hypothesized. Anat Rec, 300:810–827, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hominin Hip Biomechanics: Changing Perspectives
Authors: Warrener Anna G.
Published: April 2017

The shape of the human pelvis reflects the unique demands placed on the hip abductor muscles (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus), which stabilize the body in the frontal plane during bipedal locomotion. This morphological shift occurred early in hominin evolution, yet important shape differences between hominin species have led to significant disagreement about abductor function and locomotor capability in these extinct taxa. A static biomechanical model that relies on a close association between skeletal measurements of the pelvis and femur has traditionally been used to reconstruct hip biomechanics in these species. However, experimental biomechanical approaches have highlighted the dynamic nature of mediolateral balance in walking and running, challenging the assumptions of the static hip model. This article reviews traditional approaches for understanding hip abductor function, shows how they have been applied to the fossil hominin record, and discusses new techniques that integrate the dynamic nature of mediolateral balance during human locomotion. Anat Rec, 300:932–945, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evolution of Spinopelvic Alignment in Hominins
Authors: Been Ella , Gómez‐Olivencia Asier , Shefi Sara , Soudack Michalle , Bastir Markus , Barash Alon
Published: April 2017

Spinopelvic alignment refers to the interaction between pelvic orientation, spinal curvatures, and the line of gravity. In a healthy modern human, this alignment is characterized by reciprocal curves/orientation of the sacrum, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis. In an economic sagittal posture, these curvatures keep the line of gravity close to the center of the acetabulum. The purpose of this study is to explore the spinopelvic alignment in extinct hominins. We examined spinopelvic alignment of a single representative from each of the following hominin groups: Australopithecus, Homo erectus (H. erectus), H. neanderthalensis, and early H. sapiens. Pelvic incidence, lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, and cervical lordosis for each representative was estimated and compared with that of modern humans. Three basic spinopelvic alignments were found: (1) the sinusoidal alignment with moderate to high spinal curvatures and pelvic incidence found in H. erectus and H. sapiens; (2) the straight alignment with small spinal curvatures and small pelvic incidence found in Neandertal lineage hominins; (3) the compound alignment found in Australopithecus, with moderate pelvic incidence and lumbar lordosis, and nearly straight cervical spine. Our results indicate that balanced upright posture can be achieved in different alignments. Each hominin group solved the requirements of erect posture in a slightly different way. Moreover, we propose the term “cranio‐spino‐pelvic balance” to substitute “spino‐pelvic balance.” From an evolutionary perspective, not only changes in the pelvis have conditioned the evolution of the spinal curvatures but also changes in the equilibrium of the head likely also affected this balance. Anat Rec, 300:900–911, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dimorphism in the Size and Shape of the Birth Canal Across Anthropoid Primates
Authors: Moffett Elizabeth A.
Published: April 2017

It has long been noted that the human female birth canal is well adapted to giving birth to large‐brained neonates. However, several species of nonhuman primates give birth to large‐headed neonates compared to the maternal birth canal. The presence of such large cephalopelvic proportions in nonhuman primates presents the question of whether dimorphism in the birth canals of these other species is related to obstetric demand, as such dimorphism is presumed to be in humans. In this study, the hypothesis that either the presence or magnitude of dimorphism in the birth canal is related to large cephalopelvic proportions among anthropoid primates is directly tested. This study shows that birth canal dimorphism is common among anthropoids regardless of cephalopelvic proportions, but taxa with large cephalopelvic proportions have a higher magnitude of dimorphism than those that give birth to relatively small‐headed neonates. Furthermore, humans have exceptionally high levels of dimorphism that cannot be explained based on our large cephalopelvic proportions alone. Anat Rec, 300:870–889, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neonatal Shoulder Width Suggests a Semirotational, Oblique Birth Mechanism in Australopithecus afarensis
Authors: DeSilva Jeremy M. , Laudicina Natalie M. , Rosenberg Karen R. , Trevathan Wenda R.
Published: April 2017

Birth mechanics in early hominins are often reconstructed based on cephalopelvic proportions, with little attention paid to neonatal shoulders. Here, we find that neonatal biacromial breadth can be estimated from adult clavicular length (R2 = 0.80) in primates. Using this relationship and clavicular length from adult Australopithecus afarensis, we estimate biacromial breadth in neonatal australopiths. Combined with neonatal head dimensions, we reconstruct birth in A. afarensis (A.L. 288‐1 or Lucy) and find that the most likely mechanism of birth in this early hominin was a semi‐rotational oblique birth in which the head engaged and passed through the inlet transversely, but then rotated so that the head and shoulders remained perpendicular and progressed through the midplane and outlet oblique to the main axis of the female pelvis. Any other mechanism of birth, including asynclitic birth, would have resulted in either the head or the shoulders orthogonal to the short anteroposterior dimension of the A.L. 288‐1 pelvis, making birth untenable. There is a tight fit between the infant and all planes of the birth canal, perhaps suggesting a difficult labor in australopiths. However, the rotational birth mechanism of large‐brained humans today was likely not characteristic of A. afarensis. Thus, the evolution of rotational birth, usually associated with encephalization, may have occurred in two stages: the first appeared with the origin of the australopiths with their platypelloid pelves adapted for bipedalism and their broad‐shouldered neonates; the second which resulted in the modern mechanism of rotational birth may be associated with increasing brain size in the genus Homo. Anat Rec, 300:890–899, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Pelvic Morphology in Homo erectus and Early Homo
Authors: Churchill Steven Emilio , Vansickle Caroline
Published: April 2017

The evolution of the hominin pelvis is generally seen as involving two broad stages: the establishment of bipedal pelvic morphology by the mid‐Pliocene (or earlier), followed by architectural changes necessary to enlarge the birth canal in response to increased encephalization in Pleistocene members of the genus Homo. Pelvic and proximal femoral morphology in early Homo (namely H. erectus) has been seen as transitional between these stages, reflecting structural changes necessitated by greater body size (and perhaps moderate increases in brain size) overlain upon a basically primitive pelvic architecture. Here we review the history of thought on the evolution of the pelvis in early Homo, as well as recent fossil discoveries that have improved our understanding of diversity in pelvic morphology in early Homo and late australopiths. These discoveries (1) suggest that the “femoropelvic complex” characteristic of H. erectus emerged after the divergence of various lineages of early Homo (that is, it is not plesiomorphic for the genus) and (2) raise questions about the role that evolutionary change in brain size in the genus Homo played in the emergence of derived features seen in the pelvis of modern humans. Anat Rec, 300:964–977, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
How Did the Pelvis and Vertebral Column Become a Functional Unit during the Transition from Occasional to Permanent Bipedalism?
Authors: Tardieu Christine , Hasegawa Kazuhiro , Haeusler Martin
Published: April 2017

The functional linkage between pelvis and spine remained long hidden to science. Here, we recount the history of research that led in 1992 to the discovery of the “angle of sacral incidence” by the team of G. Duval‐Beaupère. This angle, formed between a ray from the hip joint center to the superior sacral surface and the perpendicular to the sacral surface, was later called pelvic incidence. Specific to each individual, pelvic incidence is tightly correlated with the degree of lumbar lordosis. It is each individual's “signature” for an efficient sagittal balance since it represents the sum of two positional parameters, sacral slope and pelvic tilt. The simultaneous experimental determination of the trunk line of gravity permitted Duval‐Beaupère's team to elucidate the conditions of an efficient sagittal balance of the trunk on the lower limbs. We present an in vivo EOS study of eight spino‐pelvic parameters describing the sagittal balance in 131 adults. We observe a chain of correlations between the six angular parameters and discuss the functional significance of these results. We show that pelvic incidence increases and lumbar lordosis develops when the infant learns to walk, leading to a correlation between these parameters. This process of association between pelvis and spine might have acquired a solid genetic basis during hominid evolution by natural selection acting on both pelvis and spine. We suggest that this process of functional integration was only possible in the context of bipedal locomotion becoming permanent and stereotyped, expressed by a relatively invariant, periodic walking cycle. Anat Rec, 300:912–931, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evolution of the Human Pelvis
Authors: Rosenberg Karen R. , DeSilva Jeremy M.
Published: April 2017

No bone in the human postcranial skeleton differs more dramatically from its match in an ape skeleton than the pelvis. Humans have evolved a specialized pelvis, well‐adapted for the rigors of bipedal locomotion. Precisely how this happened has been the subject of great interest and contention in the paleoanthropological literature. In part, this is because of the fragility of the pelvis and its resulting rarity in the human fossil record. However, new discoveries from Miocene hominoids and Plio‐Pleistocene hominins have reenergized debates about human pelvic evolution and shed new light on the competing roles of bipedal locomotion and obstetrics in shaping pelvic anatomy. In this issue, 13 papers address the evolution of the human pelvis. Here, we summarize these new contributions to our understanding of pelvic evolution, and share our own thoughts on the progress the field has made, and the questions that still remain. Anat Rec, 300:789–797, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Measuring Lateral Iliac Flare by Different Methods Risks Obscuring Evolutionary Changes in the Pelvis
Authors: Vansickle Caroline
Published: April 2017

The orientation and morphology of the hominin ilium is functionally important for locomotion, yet no standard method exists for quantifying its lateral flare. This lack of standardization stems from fossil preservation issues and morphological differences between hominin species. Many techniques have been developed to measure flare based on what is preserved on a single fossil, but this makes comparisons between fossil species challenging. In some cases, methods developed based on australopith morphology are not appropriate for measuring the morphology in genus Homo. Lateral iliac flare is the angle between the iliac blade and the sagittal plane, and it affects the function and efficiency of the lesser gluteal muscles. Four different methods of quantifying lateral iliac flare are reviewed here, and assessed based on how well they reflect lateral iliac flare. The data show that these metrics measure different parts of the pelvis, none measures lateral iliac flare relative to the sagittal plane, and they yield different results for which fossil hominin is the most (or least) flared. This inconsistency puts paleoanthropologists at risk of misinterpreting the functional importance of lateral iliac flare in hominin evolution. I propose two paths forward to improve our assessment of flare: first, a geometric morphometric comparison of iliac blade variation would properly assess the full three‐dimensions of the ilium; second, in hominin fossils that are not complete or numerous enough to include in a geometric morphometric analysis, two‐dimensional measurements may still be used to assess functional differences in the ilium provided the researcher does not claim that they measure lateral iliac flare. Anat Rec, 300:956–963, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Schalungen für den Sichtbeton
Authors: Motzko Christoph , Löw Daniela
Published: April 2017

Die moderne Schalungs‐ und Gerüsttechnik ermöglicht die Formgebung des Betons in Spektren einerseits zwischen einfachen geometrischen Körpern bis hin zu räumlich gekrümmten Freiformen und anderseits, in Bezug auf die Gestaltung, ohne Anforderungen bis hin zum béton brut oder glatten pigmentierten Betonflächen mit höchsten Sichtbetonanforderungen. Damit können Unikate gefertigt werden, welche für das Bauwesen charakteristisch sind. Die Planungs‐ und Produktionsprozesse des Sichtbetons werden im Rahmen komplexer Arbeitssysteme vollzogen, deren Bildung und Strukturierung kooperative Arbeitsformen, sorgfältiger Auswahl der beteiligten Personen nach Qualifikation, begründeter Selektion von Betriebsmitteln sowie präziser Definition von Arbeitsabläufen erfordert. Die Digitalisierung und die Anwendung der BIM‐Methodik können die Komplexität der Planungsprozesse reduzieren und die Steuerung der Produktion verbessern. Die Kenntnisse über die Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Komponenten der Inputgrößen und den Elementen der Betriebsmittel können dazu beitragen, dass die vertraglich vereinbarte Beschaffenheit der Sichtbetonflächen erzielt wird. Zu beachten ist dabei, dass die Ästhetik des Sichtbetons nicht ausschließlich auf den Hochbau begrenzt ist, sondern ein wichtiges Gestaltungselement von Ingenieurbauwerken im Kontext der Präzisierungen der gegenwärtigen ZTV‐ING bildet.