Hominin locomotion and evolution in the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene
Peter A Stamos & Zeresenay Alemseged 2023 JHE 178,103332
doi org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103332

This review presents on the evolution of the locomotor adaptation of hominins late-Mio- to late-Pliocene
+ emphasis on some of the prominent advances & debates that have occurred over the past 50 yrs.
We start with the challenging issue of defining hominin locomotor grades that are currently used liberally,
we offer our own working definitions of facultative, habitual & obligate BPism.
We then discuss the nature of the Pan-Homo LCA,
we characterize the locomotor adaptation of Sahelanthropus, Orrorin & Ardipithecus (often referred to as facultative BPs),
we examine the debates on the extent of BPity & arboreality in these taxa.
The question of mid-Pliocene hominin locomotor diversity is addressed, based on infm derived from the ‘Little Foot’ spm from StF, footprints from Laetoli & the Burtele Foot in Ethiopia.
Our review suggests:
- the most convincing evidence for locomotor diversity comes from Burtele,
- the evidence from StF & Laetoli is unconvincing & equivocal resp.
We address the decades-old issue of the significance of arboreality in the otherwise habitual BP Australopithecus, with emphasis on Au.afarensis & its implications for their paleo-biology.
We conclude:
many of the apelike features encountered (mostly in the upper part of the Australopith.skeleton) were retained for their significance in climbing.
Approaches that have investigated character plasticity & those exploring internal bone structure have shown:
the shoulder & limbs in Au.afarensis & africanus were involved in arboreal activities that are thought to be key for feeding, nesting & predator avoidance.
We conclude:
- many of the so-called retained ape-like features persisted, due to stabilizing selection,
- early hominins engaged in a considerable amount of arboreality, even after Australopith had become a habitual BP,
- arboreality only ceased to be an important component of hominin locomotor behavior after the emergence of H.erectus.

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:-)

This once more confirms our view of Mio-Pliocene Hominoidea as BP waders-climbers in swamp forests,
google "aquarboreal" https://www.gondwanatalks.com/l/the-waterside-hypothesis-wading-led-to-upright-walking-in-early-humans/

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