TRIANGULATING THE EVOLUTION OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN IN THE LAST COMMON ANCESTOR: THORACOLUMBAR TRANSVERSE PROCESS HOMOLOGY IN THE HOMINOIDEA A dissertation submitted to Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Burt A. Rosenman May 2008 Dissertation written by Burt A. Rosenman B.A., Wesleyan University, 1995 M.A., Kent State University, 1998 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2008 Approved by Dr. C. Owen Lovejoy Chair, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Dr. Richard S. Meindl Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Dr. Christopher J. Vinyard Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Dr. John R. D. Stalvey Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Accepted by Dr. Robert V. Dorman Director, School of Biomedical Sciences Dr. John R. D. Stalvey Dean, College of Arts and Sciences ii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………….....v LIST OF TABLES………………………………………………………………..xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. xii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................1 II. SERIAL HOMOLOGY OF THE CATARHINE LUMBAR TRANSVERSE PROCESS ...............................................................5 Introduction and Background ...........................................................5 Materials and Methods ....................................................................10 Results .............................................................................................11 TTP Seriation ..................................................................................11 Illustrative Specimens .....................................................................23 Discussion .....................................................................................160 Similarities Among Taxa ..............................................................161 Autapomorphies in Taxa ...............................................................162 The Evolution of Short Backs in the Great Apes ..........................164 III. AUSTRALOPITHECINES HAD A MINIMUM OF SIX LUMBAR VERTEBRAE .............................................................166 Introduction ...................................................................................166 Materials and Methods ..................................................................167 Results ...........................................................................................169 Sts 14 .............................................................................................169 Stw 431 .........................................................................................177 Discussion .....................................................................................185 Developmental Considerations .....................................................185 Selective Considerations ...............................................................190 Conclusion ....................................................................................191 IV. INTERSPECIFIC DIFFERENCES IN RELATIVE LUMBO- SACRAL TRANSVERSE PROCESS DIMENSIONS…………192 iii Introduction ...................................................................................192 Materials and Methods ..................................................................193 Results ...........................................................................................196 Relative Last Rib Length ..............................................................196 Relative Mean LTP Width ............................................................196 Relative Sacral Width ...................................................................202 Discussion and Conclusions .........................................................202 V. TRIANGULATING THE LAST COMMON ANCESTOR: EVIDENCE FROM THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN ...................206 Introduction ...................................................................................206 Miocene Hominoid Vertebral Evolution ......................................207 Lumbar reduction in the apes ........................................................209 Summary: A Model for Hominoid Spinal Evolution ...................212 REFERENCES ....................................................................................................214 iv LIST OF FIGURES 1. Owen’s archetypal vertebra ...............................................................................6 2. USNM 396188 ..................................................................................................13 3. USNM 153801 ..................................................................................................15 4. USNM 270807 ..................................................................................................16 5. HTB 1857..........................................................................................................18 6. HTB 2025..........................................................................................................19 7. HTB 1741..........................................................................................................21 8. HTH 2303 .........................................................................................................22 9. USNM 3837831 ................................................................................................24 10. USNM 354989 ................................................................................................26 11. USNM 395439 ................................................................................................27 12. AMNH 35042 .................................................................................................28 13. AMNH 80774 .................................................................................................30 14. AMNH 202416 ...............................................................................................31 15. AMNH 235289 ...............................................................................................32 16. AMNH 238099 ...............................................................................................34 17. HTB 3891........................................................................................................35 18. HTB 3899........................................................................................................37 19. HTB 3903........................................................................................................38 20. HTB 3907........................................................................................................40 v 21. USNM 49657 ..................................................................................................41 22. USNM 198840 ................................................................................................42 23. USNM 271047 ................................................................................................44 24. USNM 347647 ................................................................................................45 25. USNM 347648 ................................................................................................46 26. USNM 545009 ................................................................................................48 27. AMNH 43065 .................................................................................................49 28. MCZ 41420 .....................................................................................................50 29. MCZ 41426 .....................................................................................................51 30. MCZ 41454 .....................................................................................................53 31. HTB 1030........................................................................................................54 32. HTB 1055........................................................................................................56 33. USNM 142170 ................................................................................................57 34. USNM 145300 ................................................................................................58 35. MCZ 37362 .....................................................................................................60 36. MCZ 50958 .....................................................................................................61 37. HTB 374..........................................................................................................63 38. HTB 1409........................................................................................................64 39. HTB 1419........................................................................................................66 40. HTB 1422........................................................................................................67 41. HTB 1730........................................................................................................68 42. HTB 1733........................................................................................................70 43. HTB 1743........................................................................................................71 vi 44. HTB 1751........................................................................................................72