Olduvai Hominid 7 trapezial metacarpal 1 articular morphology: contrasts with recent humans

A consideration of the metacarpal 1 articulation of the Olduvai Hominid 7 trapezium shows that, although it is generally similar to those of recent humans, it is considerably flatter radioulnarly and dorsopalmarly than those of modern humans and similar in its degree of dorsopalmar flattening to those of Upper Pleistocene late archaic humans. Even though this flattening may have slightly limited flexion-extension at the pollical carpometacarpal joint, it is most likely related to the apparently elevated levels of axial joint reaction force through the thumbs of archaic members of the genus Homo. It also documents the continuation of human carpometacarpal articular evolution through the Pleistocene.