| Project Detail |
Posture, cranial shape and the cervical spine: probing interrelationships in evolution
The morphology of the head and neck (the cranio-cervical complex) and the posture of humans compared to apes and even humans’ closest ancestors, the Neanderthals, show marked differences. It is not clear whether the morphological differences had a biomechanical impact on posture throughout the evolution of Neanderthals. The fossil record suggests that differences in the cervical spine are related to differences in cranial shape. Furthermore, achieving upright posture may have been accomplished in different ways by different lineages. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme, the CR-EVOL project will investigate the co-evolution of the cranium and cervical spine in Neanderthals to address this open question.
"The modern human head and neck are very different from those of great apes, both from a morphological and postural point of view. However, differences in the cranio-cervical complex are also observed compared with our closest extinct ancestors, the Neandertals. But did morphological differences between modern humans and Neandertals have a biomechanical impact on their posture? Understanding the relationship between the head and neck from a broad evolutionary form and function perspective is crucial to ultimately resolving this question. CR-EVOL objective is to address the co-evolution of the cranium and cervical spine in the Neandertal lineage and determine to what extent biomechanical factors related to posture influenced this evolutionary process. The curvature and morphology of the neck have changed during human evolution. The sparse and incomplete fossil record suggests that differences in the cervical spine within the genus Homo are related to differences in the cranial shape. Moreover, it has been proposed that different hominin groups, including those from the NEA lineage, ""solved"" the requirements of erect posture in different ways. Thus, to directly test this question, the ER will receive training-through-research in key cutting-edge techniques and fundamental knowledge for his future as a researcher in palaeoanthropology: Phylogenetics (Beneficiary), Biomechanics (Secondment), and Hominin fossil record (Short visits). Also, the ER will be supervised and trained in broader aspects of academic activity, knowledge transfer, and career development, enabling him to position himself as a potential research leader. |
