Here, we review the modern interface of three-dimensional (3D) empirical (eg motion
capture) and theoretical (eg modelling and simulation) approaches to the study of terrestrial …

Joints enable nearly all vertebrate animal motion, from feeding to locomotion. However,
despite well over a century of arthrological research, we still understand very little about how …

Our knowledge of vertebrate functional evolution depends on inferences about joint function
in extinct taxa. Without rigorous criteria for evaluating joint articulation, however, such …

To understand how an extinct species may have moved, we first need to reconstruct the
missing soft tissues of the skeleton, which rarely preserve, with an understanding of …

Objectives Musculoskeletal modeling is a powerful approach for studying the biomechanics
and energetics of locomotion. Australopithecus (A.) afarensis is among the best represented …

Motion analysis, as applied to evolutionary biomechanics, has experienced its own
evolution over the last 50 years. Here we review how an ever-increasing fossil record …

Endurance running is thought as critical for the evolutionary success of hominins. A new
study analysing the running skills of the famous 'Lucy'—Australopithecus afarensis—finds …

The force a muscle generates is dependent on muscle structure, in which fibre length,
pennation angle and tendon slack length all influence force production. Muscles are not …

Background Range of motion in the forelimb of the Upper Cretaceous theropod dinosaur
Mononykus olecranus, a member of the family Alvarezsauridae, has previously been …

The transition to bipedal locomotion was a fundamental milestone in human evolution.
Consequently, the human skeleton underwent substantial morphological adaptations. These …