Disentangling Cro-Magnon: The pedal remains

Abstract

The seventeen human pedal remains from Cro-Magnon (2 tali, 7 subtalar tarsals, 7 metatarsals, and a proximal phalanx) can be grouped into three individual sets of bones, based on articular congruence, symmetry, size, and pathology. They correspond to the previously identified (Thibeault and Villotte, J. Arch. Sci. Rep. 21, 76–86, 2018) Alpha (Cro-Magnon 1), Beta and Gamma postcranial individuals. The Alpha and Gamma pedal remains are of average size for the Mid Upper Paleolithic, whereas the Beta talus is relatively small. The Gamma pedal length proportions are similar to other Late Pleistocene and recent humans, including foot length to femur length. The tarsal articulations are unexceptional for Late Pleistocene and recent humans, notable only for the evidence for habitual talocrural dorsiflexion, as is indicated by distal trochlear extensions, a squatting facet and large sulcus tali facets. The Alpha first metatarsophalangeal articulations indicate normal hallucal orientation. The Alpha metatarsals 4 and 5 and hallucal phalanx distal pathological alterations provide further evidence of the Cro-Magnon 1 systemic abnormalities.