Comparison of Pelvic region structures in hominoids

Structure

Apes: Chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes)

Fossil Hominids: Australopithecus

Humans

Shape of Pelvis

Apes have Flat, Elongated pelvis

Australopithecus have Squat, ellipsoid pelvis

Ilium

- Apes have Long ilium

- Australopithecus have short ilium

Humans have squat, circular

pelvis
- Humans have short ilium

- Apes have Narrow ilium

- Australopithecus have wide ilium

- Humans have wide ilium

- Apes have Flat ilium

- Australopithecus have curved ilium

- Humans have curved ilium

- Apes have long ischium

- Australopithecus have medium length

ischium

- Human ischium is short

Ischium

Sacrum

- Ape ischium is almost in line with

ilium (ilio-ischial angle = 170)

- Australopithecus ilio-ischial angle = 155

- Ape ischium is almost vertical in

bipedal position

- Australopithecus ischium is orientated

posteriorly in bipedal position

- human ilio-ischial angle =

140
- human ischium is angled
posteriorly in bipedal
position

- Ape sacrum is long

- Australopithecus sacrum is short

- Human scarum is short

- Ape sacrum is narrow

- Australopithecus sacrum is broad

- Human sacrum is broad

- Ape sacrum is flat

- Australopithecus scarum is flat

- Human sacrum is curved

- Ape lumbosacral angle = 30

- Australopithecus lumbosacral angle = 45

- Human lumbosacral angle

= 60

Functional
Correlation

Shape of ilium
affects action of
gluteus muscle (thus
effecting
locomotion)
- Length of ischium
affects speed/power
of Posterior Leg
Muscles (thus
affecting
locomotion)
- Ankle/orientation
of ischium affects
Hip joint extension
- Shape and angle of
Scarum affect size of
pelvic cavity and
thus affect
parturition

Joint of Pelvic
region:
- Lumbosacral
joint
- Sacroiliac joint
- Hip joint
Pelvic capacity

- Ape pelvic joints are small

- Australopithecus pelvic joints are small

- Human pelvic joints are

large

- Size of pelvic joints

affect ability to
sustain force
transfer in pelvic
region

- Apes have small pelvic capacity

- Australopithecus have large pelvic capacity

- Humans have large pelvic

capacity

- Pelvic capacity
affect potential
maximum size of
foetal head at birth

Foetal head size

at birth

- Apes have small foetal head size

- Australopithecus have small foetal head

size

- Humans have large foetal

head size

- Foetal head size

reflect size of brain
at birth

Use of Limbs in Manipulations and Movement

Use of Upper limb

Apes
- Apes use upper limb for manipulation (involves
Power grip, Precision grip)

Humans
- humans use upper limb for manipulation
(involves Power grip, Precision grip)

- Apes use upper limb for climbing and suspension

(involves power grip)
- Apes use upper limb for knuckle walking
Use of Lower Limb

- Apes use lower limb for climbing

- Apes use lower limb for quadrapedal locomotion
- Apes use lower limb for bipedal locomotion

- Humans use lower limb for bipedal locomotion