Ilium morphological variation during growth in forager populations

Area of Science:

• Human evolution
• Paleoanthropology
• Skeletal biology

Background:

• Human pelvic morphology is traditionally viewed as an evolutionary compromise.
• Recent studies suggest greater biological plasticity in pelvic form.
• Factors influencing pelvic variation during human growth are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the growth and developmental patterns of the human ilium.
• To identify factors contributing to variation in ilium morphology.
• To examine if foraging strategies influence pelvic development.

Main Methods:

• Geometric morphometrics applied to an ontogenetic sample of bony ilia (n=161).
• Analysis of four forager populations with contrasting foraging strategies (terrestrial vs. marine).
• Principal component analysis and ontogenetic allometry used to assess morphological patterns.

Main Results:

• Population-based patterning in ilium morphology observed from birth.
• Variation may be linked to climatic adaptation, body shape, and evolutionary processes.
• Ontogenetic allometry is a significant driver of ilium morphological variation during growth.

Conclusions:

• Ilium morphology exhibits population-specific patterns early in development.
• Environmental and evolutionary factors shape human pelvic form during growth.
• Findings have implications for interpreting fossil hominin ilia and understanding human skeletal diversity.