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Reconstructing Mobility pp 133–151Cite as

Activity, “Body Shape,” and Cross-Sectional Geometry of the Femur and Tibia

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Abstract

Both bi-iliac breadth and stature are considered key aspects of “body shape,” vary ecogeographically, and have been proposed to influence femoral midshaft shape, complicating interpretations of “activity.” This chapter explores patterns of variation in cross-sectional geometry [especially shape, as measured by I max/I min or midshaft anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) diameters] in the femur and tibia using three data sets that comprise a large amount of external measurements and some data from cross-sectional geometry. These data show that the midshaft shapes of the femur and tibia are only weakly correlated: r = −0.12 for AP/ML diameters; r = 0.33 for I max/I min ratios. Femoral midshaft shape is weakly, but significantly, associated with bi-iliac breadth and the ratio of bi-iliac breadth to femoral length in some, but not all, data sets. The results indicate that variation in “body shape” does not drive the low correlations observed between femoral and tibial midshaft shapes. We should look to other factors to explain the mismatch.

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Acknowledgments

Data collection by OMP was supported by an NSF predoctoral fellowship, the Wenner-Gren Foundation, Boise Fund, the University of New Mexico; FEG and OMP’s collection of the cross-sectional data was supported by NSF DBS-9120117 to FEG. We are grateful to all of these institutions and to the many curators who facilitated access to their collections. We are grateful for a series of insightful criticisms by two anonymous reviewers and D. Marchi. Their critiques helped to improve this chapter.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Archaeology, Durham University, Durham, UK

    Osbjorn M. Pearson

  2. Department of Anthropology, MSC 01-1040, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87121, USA

    Osbjorn M. Pearson, Timothy R. Petersen, Vitale S. Sparacello & Shamsi R. Daneshvari

  3. Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    Timothy R. Petersen

  4. Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center, MSC 09-5100, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    Shamsi R. Daneshvari

  5. Departments of Anthropology and Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Frederick E. Grine

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  1. Osbjorn M. Pearson
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  2. Timothy R. Petersen
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  3. Vitale S. Sparacello
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Correspondence to Osbjorn M. Pearson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Kristian J. Carlson

  2. Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Damiano Marchi

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Pearson, O.M., Petersen, T.R., Sparacello, V.S., Daneshvari, S.R., Grine, F.E. (2014). Activity, “Body Shape,” and Cross-Sectional Geometry of the Femur and Tibia. In: Carlson, K., Marchi, D. (eds) Reconstructing Mobility. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7460-0_8

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