{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T12:42:39Z","timestamp":1789908159546,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":56,"publisher":"American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)","issue":"6129","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,12]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Two partial vertebral columns of\n                    <jats:italic>Australopithecus sediba<\/jats:italic>\n                    grant insight into aspects of early hominin spinal mobility, lumbar curvature, vertebral formula, and transitional vertebra position.\n                    <jats:italic>Au. sediba<\/jats:italic>\n                    likely possessed five non\u2013rib-bearing lumbar vertebrae and five sacral elements, the same configuration that occurs modally in modern humans. This finding contrasts with other interpretations of early hominin regional vertebral numbers. Importantly, the transitional vertebra is distinct from and above the last rib-bearing vertebra in\n                    <jats:italic>Au. sediba<\/jats:italic>\n                    , resulting in a functionally longer lower back. This configuration, along with a strongly wedged last lumbar vertebra and other indicators of lordotic posture, would have contributed to a highly flexible spine that is derived compared with earlier members of the genus\n                    <jats:italic>Australopithecus<\/jats:italic>\n                    and similar to that of the Nariokotome\n                    <jats:italic>Homo erectus<\/jats:italic>\n                    skeleton.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1232996","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,4,11]],"date-time":"2013-04-11T14:05:45Z","timestamp":1365689145000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":74,"title":["The Vertebral Column of\n                    <i>Australopithecus sediba<\/i>"],"prefix":"10.1126","volume":"340","author":[{"given":"Scott A.","family":"Williams","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA."},{"name":"New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY 10024, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kelly R.","family":"Ostrofsky","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Box 90383, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nakita","family":"Frater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Steven E.","family":"Churchill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Box 90383, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA."},{"name":"Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"Schmid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland."},{"name":"Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lee R.","family":"Berger","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa."}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"221","reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_2_2_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"B. 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