A Case Report of Mesothelioma Response to Endocrine Therapy in Synchronous Breast Cancer and Pleural Epithelioid Mesothelioma: A Double Exemestane Effect.

Synchronous pleural mesothelioma (PM) and breast cancer are extremely rare. We present the case of a 53-year-old female diagnosed with localized breast cancer. She was radically treated with surgery, but during the adjuvant radiotherapy, the patient developed fever and dyspnoea, and pleural thickening was found on a CT scan. The biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of a synchronous malignancy - pleural epithelioid mesothelioma. The patient stopped radiotherapy and started adjuvant endocrine therapy with exemestane, a third-generation aromatase inhibitor, with an unexpected partial response to the PM. The patient remains on exemestane with a sustained partial response. This is a rare case of synchronous tumours that show a real-life benefit of exemestane in the treatment of pleural mesothelioma, which was only described in vitro, with a good sustained response. This suggests a potential for exemestane in the treatment of mesothelioma, which is an aggressive form of cancer with few therapeutics with sustained results.

Terapia ocupacional en las situaciones de penuria: reflexiones a propósito de la pandemia de COVID-19 / Occupational therapy in hardship situations: reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic

El inicio de una nueva crisis socioeconómica a raíz de la pandemia de COVID-19 permite anticipar una época de cambios que incluyen el estilo de vida relacional y una recesión económica. Una posible disminución de recursos hace intuir un incremento de situaciones difíciles para personas y familias en muchas áreas vitales. Las personas sin recursos para sobrevivir y cuidar de los suyos se sitúan al extremo de una gama de situaciones de penuria. La penuria, una adversidad en sí misma, es origen de muchos otros tipos de adversidad, y de riesgo para muchas áreas de la vida. En estas situaciones las personas manifiestan conductas que resultan extrañas y suponen un reto para los profesionales y los sistemas de ayuda. La penuria precisa una comprensión de esta condición, que cada vez tiene más atención desde una perspectiva psicosocial, para poder prestar una ayuda eficaz. Estas situaciones de penuria son de especial interés para la terapia ocupacional, como disciplina que activa los recursos centrados en el horizonte ocupacional y laboral, y también supone un reto para estos profesionales, e incluso para la misma profesión y su ubicación en los servicios. Pero el desafío alcanza al mismo modelo experto que fundamenta la actividad de los servicios sectorizados y también a todas las profesiones que ejercen su actividad en los mismos, independientemente de su área asistencial.

The beginning of a new socioeconomic crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic allows us to anticipate a time of change, including relational lifestyles and economic recession. A possible decrease in resources suggests an increase in difficult situations for individuals and families in many vital areas. People without resources to survive and care for their loved ones are at the extreme end of a range of hardship situations. Hardship, an adversity in itself, is the origin of many other types of adversity, and a risk factor in many areas of life. In these situations, people display behaviors that result strange and pose a challenge for professionals and support systems. Hardship requires an understanding of this condition, which is receiving increasing attention from a psychosocial perspective, in order to provide effective help. These situations of poverty are of special interest for occupational therapy, as a discipline that activates resources focused on the occupational and work horizon, and also means a challenge for these professionals, and even for the profession itself and its place in services. But this challenge reaches the "expert model" itself, that underpins the activity of sectorized services and also to the whole professions that carry out their activity in them, regardless of their practice area.

Calcar femorale variation in extant and fossil hominids: Implications for identifying bipedal locomotion in fossil hominins.

The calcar femorale is an internal bony structure of the proximal femur considered to be functionally related to bipedal locomotion. Among extant primates, the presence of a calcar femorale has been so far documented in extant humans and Pan and, among extinct hominins, in the Late Miocene Orrorin, in a Pliocene Australopithecus, and in a Middle Pleistocene Homo specimen. Using high-resolution microcomputed tomography, we investigated the occurrence and morphology (i.e., shape, location, and size) of the calcar femorale in an adult sample of extant humans, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla, Pongo sp., and Papio ursinus. We also investigated for the first time the occurrence and morphology of a calcar femorale in the adult proximal femoral remains of a Late Miocene great ape (Rudapithecus) and five Plio-Pleistocene hominins from Southern and Eastern Africa (Australopithecus and Paranthropus). We took four measurements: periosteal-to-tip maximum length, maximum length excluding cortical thickness, maximum vertical height, and the distance between the most anterior and posterior limits of the root. To allow for intergeneric comparisons, estimated body size was used to standardize all measurements. Nine of 10 extant humans have a well-developed calcar femorale. Among the African apes, 6 of 10 Pan and 6 of 10 Gorilla also show a distinct calcar femorale. In Pongo (n = 9), it is only present in one captive individual. None of the five investigated Papio specimens show any trace of this structure. Only calcar femorale height, which is systematically taller and extends into the lower part of the lesser trochanter, discriminates humans from extant great apes, except for one Gorilla. The calcar femorale was absent in one Paranthropus robustus and variably developed in all other investigated fossils. These results indicate that this structure cannot be considered as a diagnostic feature of habitual bipedal locomotion and emphasize the need for further investigations of its functional role.

El marco de trabajo para la práctica profesional de la AOTA y otras teorías, encuentros y desencuentros / AOTA's occupational therapy practice framework and other theories, encounters and divergences

En un momento en el que las profesiones sanitarias evolucionan prestando cada vez más importancia a la función y participación ocupacional, la AOTA ha publicado la última actualización de su Marco de Trabajo. El objetivo de este artículo es crear una discusión sobre cómo esta actualización se relaciona con otras teorías, marcos o modelos utilizados actualmente en terapia ocupacional. A pesar de las características únicas de cada teoría, el Marco de la AOTA continúa cercano a los modelos más tradicionales de la profesión en cuanto a valores, conceptos, evolución y enfoque. Sin embargo, se ha desarrollado menos que otrosmodelos actuales en cuanto aevidencia científica y el uso de varios enfoques o conocimiento externo a la profesión. (AU)

As health care professions move towards emphasizing function and occupational participation, AOTA has published the last version of its Occupational Therapy Framework. The aim of this article is to facilitate a discussion about how the framework relates toother actual theories, frameworks or models in occupational therapy. Despite the unique characteristics of each theory, the framework continues in line with the profession traditional models in relation to values, concepts, development and focus. However,the framework lacks evidence-based practice and the use of a variety of approaches or related knowledge to the profession than actual models. (AU)

El marco de trabajo para la práctica de terapia ocupacional de la AOTA, ¿el «esperanto» de la profesión? / AOTA's occupational therapy practice framework, the «esperanto» of the profession?

El marco de trabajo para la práctica de terapia ocupacional de la Asociación Americana de Terapia Ocupacional (AOTA) ha llegado a su cuarta revisión. Es un documento en constante evolución, que fue creado originariamente para describir la singular perspectiva y la contribución de terapia ocupacional en la promoción de la salud y el compromiso de las personas en la participación en ocupaciones. Pretende ser una herramienta para la comunicación con la población y otros profesionales, proporcionando un lenguaje que lo permita. El objetivo de éste artículo es reflexionar y analizar si el marco cumple el objetivo de proporcionar un lenguaje uniforme y conocer otras propuestas de lenguaje profesional. (AU)

The Occupational Therapy Framework of the AOTA reaches to its fourth edition. This is an ever-evolving document that was originally developed to describe occupational therapy ́s distinct perspective and contribution to promoting health and engagement of persons participating in occupations. It intends to be a tool for the communication with population and others professionals, providing a language to facilitate it. The aim of this article is to reflect and analyze whether the framework fulfills the objective of providing a uniform language and to learn about other professional languages proposals. (AU)

Críticas al marco de trabajo para la práctica profesional de la AOTA / Critiquing AOTA’s occupational therapy practice framework

En 2020 la Asociación Americana de Terapia Ocupacional (AOTA) publicó la cuarta edición de su Marco de Trabajo para la Práctica de Terapia Ocupacional: Dominio y Proceso. Más de 40 años hace ya del lanzamiento de su predecesor, la Terminología Uniforme de Terapia Ocupacional, creado con una finalidad diferente a la actual. Desde entonces y hasta ahora, es evidente la evolución de este documento a lo largo de sus diferentes ediciones para tratar de adaptarse a los cambios y necesidades de la profesión y reflejar la evolución en la práctica, siendo objeto tanto de alabanzas como de críticas. El presente artículo pretende analizarlas diferentes críticas recogidas en la literatura de terapia ocupacional en relación a las diversas ediciones del Marco de Trabajo para la Práctica Profesional de la AOTA y sus documentos predecesores (Terminología Uniforme de Terapia Ocupacional I, II y III). Se recoge también una crítica somera de las autoras de este artículo y se invita a abrir un espacio para la reflexión y futuras investigaciones acerca del uso y validez de este documento para la globalidad de la comunidad de terapia ocupacional. (AU)

In 2020, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) published the fourth edition of its Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. Its predecessor, The Uniform Occupational Therapy Terminology, was created and launched more than 40 years ago with a different purpose than the current one. Since then until now, the document development is clear through its different editions while trying to adapt to changes and needs of the profession and to reflect the evolution in practice, being the object of both praise and criticism. This article tries to analyze different criticisms gathered in occupational therapy literature regarding the different editions of AOTA’s Occupational TherapyPractice Framework and its previous documents (Uniform Occupational Therapy Terminology I, II and III). It also includes a brief critique by the authors of this article and invites to an open space for reflection and future research on the use and validity of this document for the occupational therapy community as a whole. (AU)

Comparative anatomy of the carotid canal in the Miocene small-bodied catarrhine Pliobates cataloniae.

The small-bodied Miocene catarrhine Pliobates cataloniae (11.6 Ma, Spain) displays a mosaic of catarrhine symplesiomorphies and hominoid synapomorphies that hinders deciphering its phylogenetic relationships. Based on cladistic analyses, it has been interpreted as a stem hominoid or as a pliopithecoid. Intriguingly, the carotid canal orientation of Pliobates was originally described as hylobatid-like. The variation in carotid canal morphology among anthropoid clades shown in previous studies suggests that this structure might be phylogenetically informative. However, its potential for phylogenetic reconstruction among extinct catarrhines remains largely unexplored. Here we quantify the orientation, proportions, and course of the carotid canal in Pliobates, extant anthropoids and other Miocene catarrhines (Epipliopithecus, Victoriapithecus, and Ekembo) using three-dimensional morphometric techniques. We also compute phylogenetic signal and reconstruct the ancestral carotid canal course for main anthropoid clades. Our results reveal that carotid canal morphology embeds strong phylogenetic signal but mostly discriminates between platyrrhines and catarrhines, with an extensive overlap among extant catarrhine families. The analyzed extinct taxa display a quite similar carotid canal morphology more closely resembling that of extant catarrhines. Nevertheless, our results for Pliobates highlight some differences compared with the pliopithecid Epipliopithecus, which displays a somewhat more platyrrhine-like morphology. In contrast, Pliobates appears as derived toward the modern catarrhine condition as the stem cercopithecid Victoriapithecus and the stem hominoid Ekembo, which more closely resemble one another. Moreover, Pliobates appears somewhat derived toward the reconstructed ancestral hominoid morphotype, being more similar than other Miocene catarrhines to the condition of great apes and the hylobatid Symphalangus. Overall, our results rule out previously noted similarities in carotid canal morphology between Pliobates and hylobatids, but do not show particular similarities with pliopithecoids either-as opposed to extant and other extinct catarrhines. Additional analyses will be required to clarify the phylogenetic relationships of Pliobates, particularly given its dental similarities with dendropithecids.

New femoral remains of Nacholapithecus kerioi: Implications for intraspecific variation and Miocene hominoid evolution.

The middle Miocene stem kenyapithecine Nacholapithecus kerioi (16-15 Ma; Nachola, Kenya) is represented by a large number of isolated fossil remains and one of the most complete skeletons in the hominoid fossil record (KNM-BG 35250). Multiple fieldwork seasons performed by Japanese-Kenyan teams during the last part of the 20th century resulted in the discovery of a large sample of Nacholapithecus fossils. Here, we describe the new femoral remains of Nacholapithecus. In well-preserved specimens, we evaluate sex differences and within-species variation using both qualitative and quantitative traits. We use these data to determine whether these specimens are morphologically similar to the species holotype KNM-BG 35250 (which shows some plastic deformation) and to compare Nacholapithecus with other Miocene hominoids and extant anthropoids to evaluate the distinctiveness of its femur. The new fossil evidence reaffirms previously reported descriptions of some distal femoral traits, namely the morphology of the patellar groove. However, results also show that relative femoral head size in Nacholapithecus is smaller, relative neck length is longer, and neck-shaft angle is lower than previously reported for KNM-BG 35250. These traits have a strong functional signal related to the hip joint kinematics, suggesting that the morphology of the proximal femur in Nacholapithecus might be functionally related to quadrupedal-like behaviors instead of more derived antipronograde locomotor modes. Results further demonstrate that other African Miocene apes (with the exception of Turkanapithecus kalakolensis) generally fall within the Nacholapithecus range of variation, whose overall femoral shape resembles that of Ekembo spp. and Equatorius africanus. Our results accord with the previously inferred locomotor repertoire of Nacholapithecus, indicating a combination of generalized arboreal quadrupedalism combined with other antipronograde behaviors (e.g., vertical climbing).

A comparative analysis of the vestibular apparatus in Epipliopithecus vindobonensis: Phylogenetic implications.

Pliopithecoids are an extinct group of catarrhine primates from the Miocene of Eurasia. More than 50 years ago, they were linked to hylobatids due to some morphological similarities, but most subsequent studies have supported a stem catarrhine status, due to the retention of multiple plesiomorphic features (e.g., the ectotympanic morphology) relative to crown catarrhines. More recently, some morphological similarities to hominoids have been noted, raising the question of whether they could be stem members of this clade. To re-evaluate these competing hypotheses, we examine the morphology of the semicircular canals of the bony labyrinth of the middle Miocene pliopithecid Epipliopithecus vindobonensis. The semicircular canals are suitable to test between these hypotheses because (1) they have been shown to embed strong phylogenetic signal and reliably discriminate among major clades; (2) several potential hominoid synapomorphies have been identified previously in the semicircular canals; and (3) semicircular canal morphology has not been previously described for any pliopithecoid. We use a deformation-based (landmark-free) three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach to compare Epipliopithecus with a broad primate sample of extant and extinct anthropoids. We quantify similarities in semicircular canal morphology using multivariate analyses, reconstruct ancestral morphotypes by means of a phylomorphospace approach, and identify catarrhine and hominoid synapomorphies based on discrete characters. Epipliopithecus semicircular canal morphology most closely resembles that of platyrrhines and Aegyptopithecus due to the retention of multiple anthropoid symplesiomorphies. However, Epipliopithecus is most parsimoniously interpreted as a stem catarrhine more derived than Aegyptopithecus due to the possession of a crown catarrhine synapomorphy (i.e., the rounded anterior canal), combined with the lack of other catarrhine and any hominoid synapomorphies. Some similarities with hylobatids and atelids are interpreted as homoplasies likely related to positional behavior. The semicircular canal morphology of Epipliopithecus thus supports the common view that pliopithecoids are stem catarrhines.

A propósito de "en la vida diaria": terapia ocupacional, recuperación y rehabilitación psiquiátrica / On "doing daily life": occupational therapy, recovery and psychiatric rehabilitation

INTRODUCCIÓN: ésta es una reflexión a propósito de un artículo importante acerca de las aportaciones teóricas y prácticas de la terapia ocupacional a la rehabilitación psiquiátrica, en base al potencial actual de su saber y experiencia, y por la relación entre ocupación, salud y bienestar, que abarca la participación y el compromiso en ocupaciones. Desarrollando el concepto de justicia ocupacional, los autores y autoras sugieren un cambio de paradigma, que promociona un sistema transdisciplinar de atención a las personas con trastorno mental grave, orientado a la recuperación, donde el enfoque colaborativo, el modelo centrado en la persona y el trabajo realizado sobre el mundo de la vida son aspectos fundamentales y congruentes con la terapia ocupacional. MÉTODO: realizamos una recensión somera del artículo que sintetiza, resalta y orienta el papel relevante que puede desempeñar la terapia ocupacional tanto en la rehabilitación psiquiátrica como en la recuperación de las personas diagnosticadas con trastornos mentales, y vertimos una reflexión a propósito del mismo incluyendo unas ideas críticas al objeto de ampliar su alcance. CONCLUSIÓN: el modelo propuesto sugiere considerar que la ocupación debe trascender aún más cierta perspectiva finalista y adaptarse al proceso personal, y superar las limitaciones inherentes a la concepción biomédica, resaltando que el diálogo y la empatía necesitan encauzar la relación con la persona a la que se brinda ayuda

INTRODUCTION: This is a reflection on an important article about the theoretical and practical contributions of occupational therapy to psychiatric rehabilitation: the current potential of its knowledge and experience and the relationship between occupation, health and well-being, including participation and commitment to occupations. By developing the concept of occupational justice, the authors propose a paradigm shift in which a transdisciplinary care system for people with severe mental disorder is promoted. Fundamental features of this new paradigm are the collaborative approach, the person-centered model and the work done on the world of life, which are also consistent with the principles that guide occupational therapy interventions. METHOD: We did a brief review of the article that synthesizes, highlights and guides the relevant role that occupational therapy can play both in psychiatric rehabilitation as well as in the recovery of people diagnosed with a mental disorder. Finally, we reflected on it adding some critical ideas in order to expand its scope. CONCLUSION: The model suggests that occupation must go beyond its finalistic perspective and adapt to the patient's personal evolution, overcoming the inherent limitations of the biomedical concept of health. It also highlights the key role that dialogue and empathy play in channeling the relationship with the person being helped

Real-World T790M Mutation Frequency and Impact of Rebiopsy in Patients With EGFR-Mutated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction The T790M resistance mutation is present in about one-half of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients at disease progression. We aimed to assess the prevalence of this mutation in a real-world setting and the clinical impact of repeated biopsies in its detection. Methods This was a single-center retrospective cohort study of patients with EGFR-positive advanced NSCLC diagnosed between 2016 and 2018, who experienced radiographic disease progression during first-line treatment with first- or second-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI). The frequency of T790M detection and the number of rebiopsies were determined. Results A total of 88 patients were included, with a median age of 65 years (range: 38-84 years). The majority of the participants were females (63 (72%)) and non-smokers (70 (81%)). Upon disease progression, 80 (91%) patients were tested for T790M mutation, and the resistance mutation was detected in 57 (71%) cases (58% in plasma samples and 42% in tissue/cytology samples). In 14 (25%) cases, T790M mutation was only detected after rebiopsy (57% by liquid biopsy), which increased the rate of mutation detection in 17%. Subsequent treatment with third-generation EGFR-TKI was possible in 42 (74%) of T790M-positive cases. Detection of T790M mutation was more likely in patients who were less than 65 years old, with EGFR exon 19 deletions and duration of first-line treatment of more than 12 months (p < 0.05). Conclusions The frequency of T790M mutation in this study was higher than previously reported, suggesting that repeated biopsies after a negative result are beneficial. This allowed a greater percentage of patients to receive sequential osimertinib in our clinical practice.

Femoral neck cortical bone distribution of dryopithecin apes and the evolution of hominid locomotion.

Only a few postcranial remains have been assigned to the Miocene great ape Dryopithecus fontani, leading to uncertainties in the reconstruction of its overall body plan and positional behavior. Here we shed light on the locomotor repertoire of this species through the study of the femoral neck cortical bone (FNCB) distribution of IPS41724, a partial proximal femur from the Abocador de Can Mata locality ACM/C3-Az (11.9 Ma, middle Miocene; Vallès-Penedès Basin, Spain) attributed to this taxon. This specimen was scanned through computed tomography to measure the superior (SUP) and inferior (INF) cortical thicknesses at the middle and the base of the femoral neck. Measurements were compared with a sample of extant primates and the femur IPS18800.29 from the younger great ape Hispanopithecus laietanus from Can Llobateres 2 (9.6 Ma, late Miocene; Vallès-Penedès Basin), previously shown to display a homogeneous FNCB distribution at the midneck section coupled with postcranial adaptations to below-branch suspensory behaviors. Our analyses indicate an asymmetric FNCB distribution for IPS41724 (SUP/INF index = âˆ¼0.4 at the midneck and base of the neck sections), comparable with that of quadrupedal primates and bipedal hominins (including early australopiths), but contrasting with the homogeneous FNCB distribution of Hispanopithecus and extant great apes. An asymmetrical FNCB distribution has been associated with stereotyped loads at the hip joint (as in both quadrupedal and bipedal taxa). Our results therefore support a significant quadrupedal component of the positional behavior of Dryopithecus, thus strengthening the argument that plesiomorphic generalized quadrupedalism was still a major locomotor behavior for Miocene great apes. If that were the case, it could have deep implications for the origins of hominin bipedalism.

Bio- and magnetostratigraphic correlation of the Miocene primate-bearing site of Castell de Barberà to the earliest Vallesian.

Castell de Barberà, located in the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), is one of the few European sites where pliopithecoids (Barberapithecus) and hominoids (cf. Dryopithecus) co-occur. The dating of this Miocene site has proven controversial. A latest Aragonian (MN7+8, ca. 11.88-11.18 Ma) age was long accepted by most authors, despite subsequent reports of hipparionin remains that signaled a Vallesian age. On the latter basis, Castell de Barberà was recently correlated to the early Vallesian (MN9, ca. 11.18-10.3 Ma) on tentative grounds. Uncertainties about the provenance of the Hippotherium material and the lack of magnetostratigraphic data precluded more accurate dating. After decades of inactivity, fieldwork was resumed in 2014-2015 at Castell de Barberà, including the original layer (CB-D) that previously delivered most of the fossils. Here we report magnetostratigraphic results for the original outcrop and another nearby section. Our results indicate that CB-D is located in a normal polarity magnetozone in the middle of a short (∼20 m-thick) stratigraphic section. The composite magnetostratigraphic section (∼50 m) has as many as four to six magnetozones. These multiple reversals, coupled with the in situ recovery of a Hippotherium humerus from CB-D in 2015, make it unlikely that any of the sampled normal polarity magnetozones correlate with the long normal polarity subchron C5n.2n (11.056-9.984 Ma), which is characteristic of the early Vallesian. Our results support instead a correlation of CB-D with C5r.1n (11.188-11.146 Ma), where the Aragonian/Vallesian boundary is situated, and therefore indicate an earliest Vallesian age of ∼11.2 Ma for Castell de Barberà. Our results settle the longstanding debate about the Aragonian vs. Vallesian age of this site, which appears roughly coeval with the Creu de Conill 20 locality (11.18 Ma), where hipparionins are first recorded in the Vallès-Penedès Basin.

Personalised 3D Printed Medicines: Which Techniques and Polymers Are More Successful?

The interindividual variability is an increasingly global problem when treating patients from different backgrounds with diverse customs, metabolism, and necessities. Dose adjustment is frequently based on empirical methods, and therefore, the chance of undesirable side effects to occur is high. Three-dimensional (3D) Printed medicines are revolutionsing the pharmaceutical market as potential tools to achieve personalised treatments adapted to the specific requirements of each patient, taking into account their age, weight, comorbidities, pharmacogenetic, and pharmacokinetic characteristics. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing consists of a wide range of techniques classified in many categories but only three of them are mostly used in the 3D printing of medicines: printing-based inkjet systems, nozzle-based deposition systems, and laser-based writing systems. There are several drawbacks when using each technique and also the type of polymers readily available do not always possess the optimal properties for every drug. The aim of this review is to give an overview about the current techniques employed in 3D printing medicines, highlighting their advantages, disadvantages, along with the polymer and drug requirements for a successful printing. The major application of these techniques will be also discussed.

First record of Mesopithecus (Cercopithecidae, Colobinae) from the Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula.

We report dental remains of the extinct colobine monkey Mesopithecus from the Turolian (MN13, Late Miocene, ca. 6.23 Ma) locality of Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain). They include most of the deciduous dentition and the unerupted germs of the first molars of a single infantile individual, as well as two lower left lateral incisors from two additional individuals. On the basis of morphometric comparisons, mainly based on the M1s, these remains are attributed to the Late Miocene species Mesopithecus pentelicus. They represent a significant addition to the knowledge of the deciduous dentition of this taxon, much less well-known than the permanent dentition. Although this genus was widely distributed from the Late Miocene through the Pliocene across Europe, southwestern Asia, Pakistan, and China, until now its occurence in the Late Miocene of the Iberian Peninsula had not been documented conclusively. Hence, the reported remains considerably enlarge southwestwards the known geographic distribution of Mesopithecus. The presence of this genus at Venta del Moro must be understood within the framework of the significant faunal turnover that took place in European faunas during the latest Turolian (the second Messinian mammalian dispersal), which is further documented at this locality by the occurrence of other eastern immigrants. At the same time, the presence of M. pentelicus at this site agrees well with previous paleoenvironmental and sedimentological evidence, indicating a lacustrine depositional environment with strong hydrologic seasonality.

Miocene small-bodied ape from Eurasia sheds light on hominoid evolution.

Miocene small-bodied anthropoid primates from Africa and Eurasia are generally considered to precede the divergence between the two groups of extant catarrhines­hominoids (apes and humans) and Old World monkeys­and are thus viewed as more primitive than the stem ape Proconsul. Here we describe Pliobates cataloniae gen. et sp. nov., a small-bodied (4 to 5 kilograms) primate from the Iberian Miocene (11.6 million years ago) that displays a mosaic of primitive characteristics coupled with multiple cranial and postcranial shared derived features of extant hominoids. Our cladistic analyses show that Pliobates is a stem hominoid that is more derived than previously described small catarrhines and Proconsul. This forces us to reevaluate the role played by small-bodied catarrhines in ape evolution and provides key insight into the last common ancestor of hylobatids (gibbons) and hominids (great apes and humans).

The Middle Miocene ape Pierolapithecus catalaunicus exhibits extant great ape-like morphometric affinities on its patella: inferences on knee function and evolution.

The mosaic nature of the Miocene ape postcranium hinders the reconstruction of the positional behavior and locomotion of these taxa based on isolated elements only. The fossil great ape Pierolapithecus catalaunicus (IPS 21350 skeleton; 11.9 Ma) exhibits a relatively wide and shallow thorax with moderate hand length and phalangeal curvature, dorsally-oriented metacarpophalangeal joints, and loss of ulnocarpal articulation. This evidence reveals enhanced orthograde postures without modern ape-like below-branch suspensory adaptations. Therefore, it has been proposed that natural selection enhanced vertical climbing (and not suspension per se) in Pierolapithecus catalaunicus. Although limb long bones are not available for this species, its patella (IPS 21350.37) can potentially provide insights into its knee function and thus on the complexity of its total morphological pattern. Here we provide a detailed description and morphometric analyses of IPS 21350.37, which are based on four external dimensions intended to capture the overall patellar shape. Our results reveal that the patella of Pierolapithecus is similar to that of extant great apes: proximodistally short, mediolaterally broad and anteroposteriorly thin. Previous biomechanical studies of the anthropoid knee based on the same measurements proposed that the modern great ape patella reflects a mobile knee joint while the long, narrow and thick patella of platyrrhine and especially cercopithecoid monkeys would increase the quadriceps moment arm in knee extension during walking, galloping, climbing and leaping. The patella of Pierolapithecus differs not only from that of monkeys and hylobatids, but also from that of basal hominoids (e.g., Proconsul and Nacholapithecus), which display slightly thinner patellae than extant great apes (the previously-inferred plesiomorphic hominoid condition). If patellar shape in Pierolapithecus is related to modern great ape-like knee function, our results suggest that increased knee mobility might have originally evolved in relation to enhanced climbing capabilities in great apes (such as specialized vertical climbing).

The femur of Orrorin tugenensis exhibits morphometric affinities with both Miocene apes and later hominins.

Orrorin tugenensis (Kenya, ca. 6 Ma) is one of the earliest putative hominins. Its proximal femur, BAR 1002'00, was originally described as being very human-like, although later multivariate analyses showed an australopith pattern. However, some of its traits (for example, laterally protruding greater trochanter, medially oriented lesser trochanter and presence of third trochanter) are also present in earlier Miocene apes. Here, we use geometric morphometrics to reassess the morphological affinities of BAR 1002'00 within a large sample of anthropoids (including fossil apes and hominins) and reconstruct hominoid proximal femur evolution using squared-change parsimony. Our results indicate that both hominin and modern great ape femora evolved in different directions from a primitive morphology represented by some fossil apes. Orrorin appears intermediate between Miocene apes and australopiths in shape space. This evidence is consistent with femoral shape similarities in extant great apes being derived and homoplastic and has profound implications for understanding the origins of human bipedalism.

Brief communication: Paleobiological inferences on the locomotor repertoire of extinct hominoids based on femoral neck cortical thickness: The fossil great ape hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study.

The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is related to locomotor behavior. This relationship has been employed to infer bipedalism in fossil hominins, although bipeds share the same pattern of generalized quadrupeds, where the superior cortex is thinner than the inferior one. In contrast, knuckle-walkers and specialized suspensory taxa display a more homogeneous distribution of cortical bone. These different patterns, probably related to the range of movement at the hip joint and concomitant differences in the load stresses at the femoral neck, are very promising for making locomotor inferences in extinct primates. To evaluate the utility of this feature in the fossil record, we relied on computed tomography applied to the femur of the Late Miocene hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study. Both an orthograde body plan and orang-like suspensory adaptations had been previously documented for this taxon on different anatomical grounds, leading to the hypothesis that this fossil ape should display a modern ape-like distribution of femoral neck cortical thickness. This is confirmed by the results of this study, leading to the conclusion that Hispanopithecus represents the oldest evidence of a homogeneous cortical bone distribution in the hominoid fossil record. Our results therefore strengthen the utility of femoral neck cortical thickness for making paleobiological inferences on the locomotor repertoire of fossil primates. This feature would be particularly useful for assessing the degree of orthograde arboreal locomotor behaviors vs. terrestrial bipedalism in putative early hominins.