ArticleJournal of human evolution2017
Physical activity alters limb bone structure but not entheseal morphology.
Article in Journal of human evolution, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 59 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Strong Supporter: Evidence for the Role of the Fifth Finger in Habitual Gripping Activity.American journal of biological anthropology · 2026Article
- Locomotor signals in the trabecular structure of the hominoid clavicle.Journal of anatomy · 2025Article
- A Standardized, Three-Dimensional Cropping Protocol for Analyzing the Medial Epicondyle of the Humerus.American journal of biological anthropology · 2025Article
- Reconstructing patterns of domestication in reindeer using 3D muscle attachment areas.Archaeological and anthropological sciences · 2024Article
- Effects of the energy balance transition on bone mass and strength.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- Growth and mechanobiology of the tendon-bone enthesis.Seminars in cell & developmental biology · 2022Review
- Effects of selective breeding for voluntary exercise, chronic exercise, and their interaction on muscle attachment site morphology in house mice.Journal of anatomy · 2022Article
- Investigating the impact of captivity and domestication on limb bone cortical morphology: an experimental approach using a wild boar model.Scientific reports · 2020Article
- Elevated activity levels do not influence extrinsic fiber attachment morphology on the surface of muscle-attachment sites.Journal of anatomy · 2020Article
- Experimental evidence that physical activity affects the multivariate associations among muscle attachments (entheses).The Journal of experimental biology · 2019Article
- Experimental proof that multivariate patterns among muscle attachments (entheses) can reflect repetitive muscle use.Scientific reports · 2019Article
- Evidence for precision grasping in Neandertal daily activities.Science advances · 2018Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Studies of ancient human skeletal remains frequently proceed from the assumption that individuals with robust limb bones and/or rugose, hypertrophic entheses can be inferred to have been highly physically active during life. Here, we experimentally test this assumption by measuring the effects of exercise on limb bone structure and entheseal morphology in turkeys. Growing females were either treated with a treadmill-running regimen for 10 weeks or served as controls. After the experiment, femoral cortical and trabecular bone structure were quantified with μCT in the mid-diaphysis and distal epiphysis, respectively, and entheseal morphology was quantified in the lateral epicondyle. The results indicate that elevated levels of physical activity affect limb bone structure but not entheseal morphology. Specifically, animals subjected to exercise displayed enhanced diaphyseal and trabecular bone architecture relative to controls, but no significant difference was detected between experimental groups in entheseal surface topography. These findings suggest that diaphyseal and trabecular structure are more reliable proxies than entheseal morphology for inferring ancient human physical activity levels from skeletal remains.
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