Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41900984›Full record

ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2026

Evolutionary Specializations of the Human Vertebral Body and Intervertebral Disc in Relation to Bipedalism.

Israel Hershkovitz, Bruce Latimer, Janan Abbas, Mila Hejja, Bahaa Medlej, Hanan Rapoport, Einat Kedar, David Ezra, Ian Rybak, Tatiana Sella Tunis and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Israel HershkovitzDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.ORCID 0000-0001-5841-6090
Bruce LatimerDepartment of Physical Anthropology and Orthopedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
Janan AbbasDepartment of Physical Therapy, Zefat Academic College, Zefat 1320611, Israel.ORCID 0000-0001-7251-5386
Mila HejjaDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Bahaa MedlejDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Hanan RapoportDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Einat KedarDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-0091-7244
David EzraSchool of Nursing Sciences, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Jaffo, Jaffo 6818211, Israel.
Ian RybakDepartment of Anatomy and Anthropology, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Tatiana Sella TunisDepartment of Orthodontics, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.ORCID 0000-0003-2203-4239
Irit ZoharDepartment of Biology and Environment, University of Haifa, Oranim 3604301, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-5943-2751
Gali DarDepartment of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 3103301, Israel.ORCID 0000-0002-0572-5495

Funding

Israel Science Foundation 139/08
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

It is widely accepted that modern humans display distinctive vertebral and intervertebral disc (IVD) morphologies that evolved to meet the biomechanical demands of habitual terrestrial bipedalism. This study synthesizes macro- and microstructural differences in the lumbar spine to clarify how human specializations compare with those of extant apes. The skeletal sample consisted of 240 humans, 20 chimpanzees, and 25 gorillas. The CT scan sample comprised 180 humans and eight chimpanzees. Histological analysis of the IVD was performed on 10 humans and four ape specimens. Vertebral bodies and discs were measured. Histological analyses employed hematoxylin-eosin, Von Kossa, and Van Gieson staining. Statistical analyses included ANOVA with Bonferroni-corrected

Indexed as

annulus fibrosusapophyseal ringbipedal walkingendplatehuman evolutionintervertebral discspinespine pathologiestrade-offsupright posturevertebra

Identifiers

PMID41900984
PMCPMC13028001

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.