Morphological correlates of the first metacarpal proximal articular surface with manipulative capabilities in apes, humans and South African early hominins

Abstract

This study quantifies the metacarpal 1 (MC 1) proximal articular surface using three-dimensional morphometrics in extant hominids and fossil hominins (SK 84, cf. Paranthropus robustus/Homo erectus and StW 418, Australopithecus africanus) to understand which characteristics of the proximal metacarpal 1 are potentially correlated with human manipulative abilities and if they can be used in a paleoanthropological setting. A principal components (PC) analysis was used to compare MC 1 proximal articular surface shape and ANOVA and Tukey's HSD post-hoc tests were conducted to determine differences among groups. Homo is significantly different from nonhuman hominids having a less radioulnarly and dorsovolarly curved articular surface. All nonhuman hominids have more curved articular surface with Gorilla showing the most curved joint. Moreover, this study highlights the presence of a radially extended surface in Homo that may be related to the greater thumb abduction in human manipulation activities. Both fossils analyzed show a great ape-like MC 1 proximal articular surface which, associated with recent trabecular and archaeological evidence, may indicate that the ability to make/use stone tools preceded the morphological adaptations associated today with such behavior.