William I. Sellers

TL;DR: Results show that trace metals, such as copper, are present in fossils as organometallic compounds most likely derived from original eumelanin, which provides a long-lived biomarker of melanin presence and density within a range of fossilized organisms.

TL;DR: In this paper, Pixel-wise topographical statistical analysis of Laetoli footprint morphology, compared with results from experimental studies of footprint formation; foot-pressure measurements in bipedalism of humans and non-human great apes; and computer simulation techniques, indicate that most of the major functional features of the human foot were already present, albeit less strongly expressed than in ourselves, in the maker of the G-1 footprint trail, 3.66 Mya.

TL;DR: The negative correlation observed in the midfoot implies reduced longitudinal arch collapse with higher walking speeds, and it is speculated that preferred walking speed reflects, in part, a balance between the energy required to tighten the longitudinal arch and the apparent propulsive benefits of the stiffened arch.

TL;DR: Techniques from evolutionary robotics are used to predict the most energy-efficient upright walking gait for the early human relative Australopithecus afarensis, based on the proportions of the 3.2 million year old AL 288-1 ‘Lucy' skeleton, and matches predictions against the nearly contemporaneous Laetoli fossil footprint trails.

TL;DR: The results emphasize that future biomechanical assessments of extinct taxa should be preceded by a detailed investigation of the plausible range of mass properties, in which sensitivity analyses are used to identify a suite of possible values to be tested as inputs in analytical models.