title: An early Australopithecus afarensis postcranium from Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia.
abstract: Only one partial skeleton that includes both forelimb and hindlimb elements has been reported for Australopithecus afarensis. The diminutive size of this specimen (A.L. 288-1 ["Lucy"]) has hampered our understanding of the paleobiology of this species absent the potential impact of allometry. Here we describe a large-bodied (i.e., well within the range of living Homo) specimen that, at 3.58 Ma, also substantially antedates A.L. 288-1. It provides fundamental evidence of limb proportions, thoracic form, and locomotor heritage in Australopithecus afarensis. Together, these characteristics further establish that bipedality in Australopithecus was highly evolved and that thoracic form differed substantially from that of either extant African ape.
authors.affiliation: The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. yhailese@cmnh.org
authors.forename: Yohannes
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Haile-Selassie
authors.forename: Bruce M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Latimer
authors.forename: Mulugeta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alene
authors.forename: Alan L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Deino
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibert
authors.forename: Stephanie M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Melillo
authors.forename: Beverly Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Saylor
authors.forename: Gary R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: C Owen
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Lovejoy
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005002:Ethiopia; D005270:Femur Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005580:Fossils; D005844:Geology; D015186:Hominidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008124:Locomotion; D010163:Paleontology / Q000379:methods; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013977:Tibia / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D013997:Time Factors