ANTH 1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: Pubic Symphysis, Foramen Magnum, Thigh Gap
Document Summary
Apes vs. human: limb proportion and locomotion. Has to do with center of gravity and the way our skeleton has reorganized itself. Apes center of mass is slightly forward, where we are completely vertical & centrally located. Human pelvis is short, squat, flared out, bowl shaped while chimp"s are elongated, flat, narrow. Has to do with muscle attachment and where the rest of the body is. Half of our body weight is sitting on top of the pelvis; needs a big surface area. Ligament (pubic symphysis) holds two pelvic bones together. When giving birth, hormones flood the ligaments to slightly budge for infant to pass. Femur leg bones (humans-h sapiens) starts wide and angles to knee; chimps (p troglodytes) drop straight down so they always have a thigh gap. Chimps/gorillas have the divergent big toe; uses feet as graspers. Positioning of the foramen (hole) magnum: big hole in the bottom of your head where the spinal chord enters.
