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Abstract
The development of bipedal locomotion was gradual during evolution, and with the increase in discoveries of fossils and, in particular, in discoveries of pedal bones, the attention to this problematic has grown in the last decades. Moreover, the discoveries of juveniles fossil foot bones has led the attention to the evolution and the development of bipedal locomotion. The study of the development of human gait in children may help in shedding light to the development of human locomotion. The human talus plays a pivotal role, linking the leg to the foot and receiving and distributing the weight, while permitting a wide range of foot movements. It is also present at birth, and this makes a perfect bone to study to disentangle how the bone structure acts to cope with the changes in locomotion and body weight. Here, I analyze the external and internal morphology of the human talus from the perinatal period to adolescence, to investigate how the different phases of the acquisition of bipedal gait affect talar morphology, and how the bone copes with the weight gain during growth. Results show that the talar internal and external morphologies change in line with the different activities and loading of the foot. Initially, at around birth, the talus has a very globular and immature external shape, with a very dense trabecular architecture, composed of thin, numerous, and densely packed trabeculae, with a rather isotropic structure. External and internal morphologies change in relation to the different loading patterns which follow during growth, showing a more specialized structure, both in the external and internal morphology, linked to the maturation of bipedal locomotion, until the adult-like pattern is reached, during adolescence.
Abstract
The development of bipedal locomotion was gradual during evolution, and with the increase in discoveries of fossils and, in particular, in discoveries of pedal bones, the attention to this problematic has grown in the last decades. Moreover, the discoveries of juveniles fossil foot bones has led the attention to the evolution and the development of bipedal locomotion. The study of the development of human gait in children may help in shedding light to the development of human locomotion. The human talus plays a pivotal role, linking the leg to the foot and receiving and distributing the weight, while permitting a wide range of foot movements. It is also present at birth, and this makes a perfect bone to study to disentangle how the bone structure acts to cope with the changes in locomotion and body weight. Here, I analyze the external and internal morphology of the human talus from the perinatal period to adolescence, to investigate how the different phases of the acquisition of bipedal gait affect talar morphology, and how the bone copes with the weight gain during growth. Results show that the talar internal and external morphologies change in line with the different activities and loading of the foot. Initially, at around birth, the talus has a very globular and immature external shape, with a very dense trabecular architecture, composed of thin, numerous, and densely packed trabeculae, with a rather isotropic structure. External and internal morphologies change in relation to the different loading patterns which follow during growth, showing a more specialized structure, both in the external and internal morphology, linked to the maturation of bipedal locomotion, until the adult-like pattern is reached, during adolescence.
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Figus, Carla
Supervisore
Co-supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Ciclo
33
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
ontogeny; talus; growth; development of bipedalism; bipedal locomotion; Geometric Morphometrics Methods; Trabecular Biomechanics
URN:NBN
DOI
10.48676/unibo/amsdottorato/9674
Data di discussione
11 Giugno 2021
URI
Altri metadati
Tipologia del documento
Tesi di dottorato
Autore
Figus, Carla
Supervisore
Co-supervisore
Dottorato di ricerca
Ciclo
33
Coordinatore
Settore disciplinare
Settore concorsuale
Parole chiave
ontogeny; talus; growth; development of bipedalism; bipedal locomotion; Geometric Morphometrics Methods; Trabecular Biomechanics
URN:NBN
DOI
10.48676/unibo/amsdottorato/9674
Data di discussione
11 Giugno 2021
URI
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