Long legs and small joints: The locomotor capabilities of Homo naledi.

24 January 2025: This paper was inadvertently published prematurely before all proof corrections had been finalized. It has been temporarily unpublished while this is rectified.

Anatomical and biomechanical evaluation of the lateral calcaneo-cuboid and bifurcate ligaments.

Background: This study aims to analyze the ligaments of the dorso-lateral calcaneo-cuboid joint and to assess the biomechanical relevance of the bifurcate ligament.

Methods: 16 specimens were analyzed for their ligamentous anatomy of the dorso-lateral calcaneo-cuboid joint and side-alternating assigned to two groups with varying ligamentous dissection order. The Chopart joint was stressed in plantar, medial, and lateral direction measuring the displacement by an 3D motion tracker for every dissection step.

Morphology of the Homo naledi femora from Lesedi.

Objectives: The femoral remains recovered from the Lesedi Chamber are among the most complete South African fossil hominin femora discovered to date and offer new and valuable insights into the anatomy and variation of the bone in Homo naledi. While the femur is one of the best represented postcranial elements in the H. naledi assemblage from the Dinaledi Chamber, the fragmentary and commingled nature of the Dinaledi femoral remains has impeded the assessment of this element in its complete state.

The foot of Homo naledi.

Modern humans are characterized by a highly specialized foot that reflects our obligate bipedalism. Our understanding of hominin foot evolution is, although, hindered by a paucity of well-associated remains. Here we describe the foot of Homo naledi from Dinaledi Chamber, South Africa, using 107 pedal elements, including one nearly-complete adult foot.