This study uses new three-dimensional imaging techniques to compare the articular curvature of the proximal tibial
articular surface of hominoids. It has been hypothesized that the curvature of the anteroposterior contour of the lateral
condyle in particular can be used to differentiate humans and apes and reflect locomotor function. This study draws
from a large comparative sample of extant hominoids to obtain quantitative curvature data. Three-dimensional models
of the proximal tibiae of 26 human, 15 chimpanzee, 15 gorilla, 17 orangutan, 16 gibbon and four Australopithecus fossil
casts (AL 129-1b, AL 288-1aq, AL 333x-26, KNM-KP 29285A) were acquired with a Cyberware Model 15 laser
digitizer. Curvature analysis was accomplished using a software program developed at Arizona State University's
Partnership for Research In Stereo Modeling (PRISM) lab, which enables the user to extract curvature profiles and
compute the difference between analogous curves from different specimens. Results indicate that the curvature of
chimpanzee, gorilla and orangutan tibiae is significantly different from the curvature of human tibiae, thus supporting the
hypothesized dichotomy between humans and great apes. The non-significant difference between gibbons and all other
taxa indicates that gibbons have an intermediate pattern of articular curvature. All four Australopithecus tibia were
aligned with the great apes.
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