Published and Student Plantar Measurements rev.03-04-3023.6_Updated.xlsx

NB: Not for peer review, student collaboration project. Measurement of fossil hominin footprints are of high value in the interpretation of the evolution of bipedality1,2. However, due to the variable nature of such fossilized imprints created within diverse soil features, interpretations of footprints are uncertain3–5. We demonstrate that a simple paper walkway and water-based paint imprints of feet and gait characteristics of students enables scientific competency on par with published observations of hominin fossil imprints with established landmarks of the plantar foot6. While the walkway approach is limited to two-dimensions, features of evolving hominin foot can be measured with low cost and high volume. In addition, two approaches for the determination of foot arch volume including an air-drying clay imprint and a 3D iPhone scan7 are also described that are consistent with published data8. We emphasize the uncertainty in analysis methods for fossil footprints, typically not reported in the literature for features of the plantar foot4,9.

注：本内容并非用于同行评审，仅供学生协作项目使用。古人类化石脚印的测量，对于阐释两足行走的演化历程具有极高学术价值1,2。然而，由于这类保存在不同土壤基质中的化石印痕具有多变的特性，对脚印的解读往往存在不确定性3–5。我们的研究证实，借助简易纸质步道与水性颜料记录学生足部及步态特征的印痕，可获得与已发表的、基于足底(plantar foot)既定解剖标志点的古人类化石印痕观测结果相当的科学分析水准6。尽管该步道方法仅能获取二维数据，但仍可实现低成本、大样本量的古人类演化中足部特征测量。此外，本文还介绍了两种足弓体积测量方法：风干黏土印痕法与iPhone三维扫描法7，其测量结果与已发表的公开数据8保持一致。我们着重强调，当前古人类化石脚印的分析方法存在不确定性，而这类不确定性在现有关于足底特征的学术文献中4,9往往未被提及。