Third Trochanter Incidence and Metric Trait Covariation in the Human Femur SCOTT LOZANOFF*, PAUL W. Sciullit and KIM N. SCHNEIDE
J. Anat. (1985), 143, pp. 149-159 149 With 3 figures Printed in Great Britain Third trochanter incidence and metric trait covariation in the human femur SCOTT LOZANOFF*, PAUL W. SCIULLIt AND KIM N. SCHNEIDERt *Department ofAnatomy, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210 U.S.A. tDepartment ofAnthropology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210 and $Department ofAnthropology, Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas, 67820 U.S.A. (Accepted 21 March 1985) INTRODUCTION The third trochanter is a rounded bony projection which may be present along the superior border of the gluteal tuberosity of the femur (Houze, 1883; Hrdlicka, 1937) and functions to provide an attachment area for the ascending tendon of the gluteus maximus. This skeletal variant, when present, occurs as an oblong, rounded or conical bony elevation which may be continuous with the gluteal ridge and is mani- fested as a distinct femoral entity (Torok, 1886; Hrdlicka, 1937). Third trochanter frequencies commonly are utilised in batteries of infracranial nonmetric traits for quantitative studies of population affinities (Finnegan, 1974, 1978; Sciulli, Lozanoff & Schneider, 1984). However, factors governing the aetiology and expression of the third trochanter as well as other postcranial nonmetric skeletal traits are not well delineated. The phenotypic development and expression of discontinuous skeletal traits originally were considered to be controlled largely by genetic factors (Berry & Berry, 1967). However, Gruineberg (1963) recognised that the expression of nonmetric skeletal variants was partially dependent on generalised or local size variation. Recent studies indicate the significance ofvarious biological and environmental factors such as age, sex, nutritional status or side dependence influencing the manifestation of certain nonmetric traits in both experimental non-human samples (Howe & Parsons, 1967; Truslove, 1976; Dahinten & Pucciarelli, 1981, 1983) and human populations (Ossenberg, 1970; Corruccini, 1974; Perizonius, 1979).
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