McClymont, J, Davids, K and Crompton, RH
(2021)
Variation, mosaicism and degeneracy in the hominin foot.
Evolutionary Human Sciences, 4.
pp. 1-41.
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>The fossil record is scarce and incomplete by nature. Animals and ecological processes devour soft tissue and important bony details over time and, when the dust settles, we are faced with a patchy record full of variation. Fossil taxa are usually defined by craniodental characteristics, so unless postcranial bones are found associated with a skull, assignment to taxon is unstable. Naming a locomotor category based on fossil bone morphology by analogy to living hominoids is not uncommon, and when no single locomotor label fits, postcrania are often described as exhibiting a “mosaic” of traits. Here, we contend that the unavoidable variation that characterises the fossil record can be described far more rigorously based on extensive work in human neurobiology and neuroanatomy, movement sciences and motor control and biomechanics research. In neurobiology, <jats:italic>degeneracy</jats:italic> is a natural mechanism of adaptation allowing system elements that are structurally different to perform the same function. This concept differs from <jats:italic>redundancy</jats:italic> as understood in engineering, where the same function is performed by identical elements. Assuming degeneracy, structurally different elements are able to produce different outputs in a range of environmental contexts, favouring ecological robusticity by enabling adaptations. Furthermore, as degeneracy extends to genome level, genetic variation is sustained, so that genes which might benefit an organism in a different environment remain part of the genome, favouring species’ evolvability.</jats:p>
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Foot, degeneracy, variability, biomechanics, locomotion, plasticity |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Feb 2022 12:01 |
| Last Modified: | 26 Aug 2023 00:33 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/ehs.2021.50 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2021.50 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3148204 |
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