Extended Data Fig. 9: Hallucal metatarsophalangeal joint morphology in early hominins.
From: New finds shed light on diet and locomotion in Australopithecus deyiremeda
Note the presence of a nonsubchondral isthmus in Gorilla gorilla and Ardipithecus ramidus (ARA-VP-6/500-089, GWM67/P2k). In contrast, BRT-VP-2/73c, A.L. 333-115, and A.L. 333-21, StW 562, and StW 595 possess more rounded articular facets, which is the condition derived toward later hominins. Note that StW 562 and StW 595 have bony growths on the dorsolateral region of the head, which are non-articular and do not contribute to the formation of a nonsubchondral isthmus. Also note the extreme dorsal head doming of AL. 333-115 and A.L. 333-21 compared to the Homo sapiens MT1. The asterisk signifies the specimen was mirrored for comparison to BRT-VP-2/73c. The ARA-VP-6/500-089 image was reproduced from ref. 34, AAAS. The GWM67/P2k image was provided by S. W. Simpson. All other scans were generated by T.C.P.
