The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass

Christopher B. Ruff; Bernard A. Wood

doi:10.1002/evan.21988

journal article Open Access Jun 19, 2023

The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass

Christopher B. Ruff

Bernard A. Wood

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews Vol. 32 No. 4 pp. 223-237 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1002/evan.21988

Abstract

AbstractBody mass is a critical variable in many hominin evolutionary studies, with implications for reconstructing relative brain size, diet, locomotion, subsistence strategy, and social organization. We review methods that have been proposed for estimating body mass from true and trace fossils, consider their applicability in different contexts, and the appropriateness of different modern reference samples. Recently developed techniques based on a wider range of modern populations hold promise for providing more accurate estimates in earlier hominins, although uncertainties remain, particularly in non‐Homotaxa. When these methods are applied to almost 300 Late Miocene through Late Pleistocene specimens, the resulting body mass estimates fall within a 25–60 kg range for early non‐Homotaxa, increase in earlyHomoto about 50–90 kg, then remain constant until the Terminal Pleistocene, when they decline.

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Details

Published: Jun 19, 2023
Vol/Issue: 32(4)
Pages: 223-237
License: View

Authors

C

Christopher B. Ruff

Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland USA

B

Bernard A. Wood

Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology George Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA

Funding

Wenner-Gren Foundation Award: 6084

Cite This Article

Christopher B. Ruff, Bernard A. Wood (2023). The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 32(4), 223-237. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21988

The estimation and evolution of hominin body mass

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