Titre du projet
Solving the evolutionary puzzle of human childbirth
Descriptif du projet
This project addresses one of the most persistent puzzles in human evolution. Humans are unique among the great apes in experiencing a tight fit between the birth canal and neonatal head size (Rosenberg, 1992), occasionally leading to obstructed labour and foetal or maternal death. Until recently, the most likely explanation for our species’ obstetric difficulties was the ‘obstetrical dilemma’ hypothesis (Washburn, 1960), whereby the tight human birth canal evolved as a compromise between two opposing selective pressures: the need for a narrow, compact pelvis for efficient bipedal locomotion and the need for a spacious birth canal for delivering a particularly large-brained neonate. In the last decade, however, a series of empirical locomotion studies have challenged the assumption that a wider canal leads to less efficient locomotion, leaving open the question of what alternative selective pressure could be limiting the size of women’s pelvic canal. The objective of our study is to answer this question by testing the hypothesis that erect posture, and the resulting need of the pelvis to support abdominal organs and the pregnant uterus, could be constraining the size of the birth canal. Humans have evolved a unique combination of obligatory bipedal locomotion, fully erect posture and large-brained neonates, all factors that are likely to have affected the evolution of the pelvis, but other primates share some of these characteristics: some species have a largely orthograde posture (e.g., vertical clingers, brachiators), and some species give birth to large neonates. Humans are also not unique in experiencing a tight fit between the foetus and the birth canal. By taking a wide, comparative approach across primate species, we will be able to test whether orthograde posture, especially in combination with a relatively large foetus, can explain smaller birth canals and obstetric difficulties in humans and other primates.

Travaux réalisés par la plateforme Surfaçus

Collection No Inventaire Descriptif Vignette Equipement
ZM 1961-287 bassin de Hylobates lar, m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM 1961-287 crane de Hylobates lar, m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM 1961-287 mandibule de Hylobates lar, m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM 1963-58 bassin de Theropithecus gelada, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 1963-58 bassin de Theropithecus gelada, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 1963-58 sacrum de Theropithecus gelada, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2004-405 bassin de Perodicticus potto, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2004-405 bassin de Perodicticus potto, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2004-405 sacrum de Perodicticus potto, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2021-2026 pelvis de Lophocebus aterrimus (Cercoc�be noir) Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2021-2026 mandibule de Lophocebus aterrimus (Cercoc�be noir) Faro Edge Arm
ZM 2021-2026 sacrum de Lophocebus aterrimus (Cercoc�be noir) Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1871-20 pelvis de Trachypithecus obscurus (Semnopith�que obscur), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1871-20 sacrum de Trachypithecus obscurus (Semnopith�que obscur), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1880-1026 bassin et sacrum de Alouatta seniculus, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1891-975 pelvis et sacrum de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1899-129 bassin de Pan troglodytes, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1899-129 bassin de Pan troglodytes, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1899-129 sacrum de Pan troglodytes, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1901-659 bassin de Pan troglodytes, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1901-659 bassin de Pan troglodytes, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1901-659 sacrum de Pan troglodytes, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1912-127 pelvis et sacrum de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1912-127 crane de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), femelle. Calotte d�coup�e Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1912-127 mandibule de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1916-67 bassin et sacrum de Pongo, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1928-25 bassin de Gorilla Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1928-25 bassin de Gorilla Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1928-25 sacrum de Gorilla Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1932-572 crane de Papio hamadryas (babouin hamadryas), m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1932-572 mandibule de Papio hamadryas (babouin hamadryas), m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1932-572 pelvis et sacrum de Papio hamadryas (babouin hamadryas), m�le Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1934-252 pelvis et sacrum de Theropithecus gelada femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1934-616 sacrum de Papio anubis, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1940-712 bassin de Papio leucophaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1940-712 bassin de Papio leucophaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1940-712 sacrum de Papio leucophaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1946-2 bassin et sacrum de Cercopithecus nictitans, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1952-99 bassin et sacrum de Pongo pygmaeus, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1956-152 crane de Hylobates leucogenys, Nomascus leucogenys (gibbon � favoris blancs du Nord), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1956-152 pelvis, sacrum et colonne vert�brale de Hylobates leucogenys, Nomascus leucogenys (gibbon � favoris blancs du Nord), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1962-299 crane de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1962-299 mandibule de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1962-299 pelvis et sacrum de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1962-335 bassin et sacrum de Papio leucopaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1962-335 bassin G de Papio leucopaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1963-78 pelvis de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1963-78 sacrum de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1965-241 bassin de Pongo pygmaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1965-241 bassin de Pongo pygmaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1965-241 sacrum de Pongo pygmaeus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1966-311 sacrum et 3 vert�bres lombaires de Cercocebus aethiops lunulatus, m�le, (mangabey couronn�) Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1966-311 pelvis de Cercocebus aethiops lunulatus, m�le, mangabey couronn� Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1970-246 bassin de Semnopithecus entellus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1970-246 bassin de Semnopithecus entellus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1970-246 sacrum de Semnopithecus entellus, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1971-17 bassin de Papio leucophaeus, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1971-17 sacrum de Papio leucophaeus, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1978-109 pelvis de Cercocebus aethiops, femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-1978-109 sacrum de Cercocebus aethiops, femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-2007-1463 bassin de Gorilla beringei, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-2007-1463 bassin de Gorilla beringei, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM AC-2007-1463 sacrum de Gorilla beringei, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1883-648 bassin et sacrum de Daubentonia madagascariensis Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1961-1018 crane de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1961-1018 pelvis, sacrum et colonne vert�brale, Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1961-1018 mandibule de Piliocolobus badius (colobe bai), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1962-1394 pelvis de Piliocolobus badius temminckii (colobe bai), femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1962-1394 sacrum de Piliocolobus badius temminckii, femelle adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1963-299 bassin de Cercopithecus nictitans, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1963-299 bassin de Cercopithecus nictitans, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1963-299 sacrum de Cercopithecus nictitans, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1969-419 pelvis, sacrum et colonne vert�brale de Cercopithecus aethiops aethiops, m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1969-419 crane de Cercopithecus aethiops aethiops, m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1969-419 mandibule de Cercopithecus aethiops aethiops, m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1976-326 pelvis et sacrum de Colobus guereza guereza (colobe gu�r�za), m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1990-47 bassin et sacrum de Cercopithecus nictitans, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1992-4 bassin de Daubentonia madagascariensis, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1992-4 bassin de Daubentonia madagascariensis, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1992-4 sacrum de Daubentonia madagascariensis, M Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1995-1548 bassin de Lophocebus albigena Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1995-1548 bassin de Lophocebus albigena Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1995-1548 sacrum de Lophocebus albigena Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1996-2165 pelvis de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1996-2165 sacrum de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-1996-2165 mandibule de Erythrocebus patas (singe rouge), m�le adulte Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2000-403 bassin de Hylobates leucogenys, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2000-403 bassin de Hylobates leucogenys, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2000-403 sacrum de Hylobates leucogenys, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2004-403 bassin de Varecia variegata subcincta, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2004-403 bassin de Varecia variegata subcincta, F Faro Edge Arm
ZM MO-2004-403 sacrum de Varecia variegata subcincta, F Faro Edge Arm