14.04.2021 - 14:16
A  A
Contact

Department of Human Evolution

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology

Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig

phone: +49 (341) 3550 - 350
fax: +49 (0341) 3550 - 399

e-mail: streiber@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de


Zewdi Tsegai

Postdoctoral Researcher

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Department of Human Evolution
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
Germany

phone: 0049 (0) 341 3550 749
fax: 0049 (0) 341 3550 399
e-mail: zewdi_tsegai@[>>> Please remove the brackets! <<<]eva.mpg.de

Research Interests
Curriculum Vitae
Publications

Research Interests

Proximal femur of an immature chimpanzee. Images from CT scans showing the external (left) and internal (centre) bone structure and a 3D morphometric map showing the distribution of trabecular bone throughout the proximal femur (right).

I am a palaeoanthropologist, primarily interested in understanding the evolution of bipedalism and reconstructing locomotion among early hominins. My main research focus is on analysis of plastic features of the skeleton that adapt during life in response to behaviour.

I have investigated internal bone structure of the hand and ankle; compared patterns of trabecular bone across the skeleton of humans and chimpanzees; and explored changes in trabecular structure during growth in chimpanzees, gorillas and humans. I am particularly interested in understanding the various factors, other than behaviour, that impact the internal structure of the skeleton. My ongoing research is largely focused on reconstructing locomotion among fossil hominins from the internal structure of the foot, as well as exploring variability of foot bony morphology among recent human groups.

Curriculum Vitae

Education

2018Ph.D. Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and Leipzig University
Thesis title: Systemic and functional patterns of human and chimpanzee internal bone structure: a regional, systemic and ontogenetic approach
2012M.Sc. Human Evolution and Behaviour, University College London
Dissertation title: Does internal bone structure of the hominoid hand reflect locomotor behaviour?
2009B.A. Natural Sciences and Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
  

Research Interests

  • Origin of bipedalism
  • Functional morphology of the postcranial skeleton
  • Virtual anthropology
  • Internal cortical and trabecular bone structure
  • Biomechanics of locomotion

Professional Employment

2018-presentPostdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
2012-2013Research Assistant, Department of Anthropology, University College London

Grants and Awards

2020Synthesys+ Transnational Access, for research visit to Natural History Museum, London
2013-2017Doctoral Stipend, Department of Human Evolution,
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology 
2013Student Oral Presentation, 1st Prize, European Federation for Primatology,
Antwerp, Belgium
2012Masters Fieldwork Bursary, Department of Anthropology, University College London

Professional Contributions

Reviewer:

  • ELife 
  • American Journal of Physical Anthropology
  • The Anatomical Record
  • Journal of Anatomy
  • Comptes Rendus Palevol

Professional Membership:

  • European Society for the study of Human Evolution
  • Paleoanthropology Society
  • American Association of Physical Anthropologists

Publications

Articles

Colombo, A., Stephens, N. B., Tsegai, Z. J., Bettuzzi, M., Morigi, N. B., Belcastro, M. G., & Hublin, J.-J. (2019). Trabecular analysis of the distal radial metaphysis during the acquisition of crawling and bipedal walking in childhood: A preliminary study. BMSAP,31(1-2), 43-51.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2018). Ontogeny and variability of trabecular bone in the chimpanzee humerus, femur and tibia. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,167(4), 713-736.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2018). Systemic patterns of trabecular bone across the human and chimpanzee skeleton. Journal of Anatomy,232(4), 641-656.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Gee, A. H., Pahr, D. H., Treece, G. M., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2017). Trabecular and cortical bone structure of the talus and distal tibia in Pan and Homo. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,163(4), 784-805.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Stephens, N. B., Treece, G. M., Skinner, M. M., Kivell, T. L., & Gee, A. H. (2017). Cortical bone mapping: An application to hand and foot bones in hominoids. Comptes Rendus Palevol,16(5-6), 690-701.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Skinner, M. M., Stephens, N. B., Tsegai, Z. J., Foote, A. C., Nguyen, H. N., Gross, T., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2015). Response to Comment on “Human-like hand use in Australopithecus africanus”. Science Magazine,348(6239), 1101 -1101.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Skinner, M. M., Stephens, N. B., Tsegai, Z. J., Foote, A. C., Nguyen, H. N., Gross, T., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2015). Human-like hand use in Australopithecus africanus. Science,347(6220), 395-399.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   

Downloads

Tsegai, Z. J., Kivell, T. L., Gross, T., Nguyen, H. N., Pahr, D. H., Smaers, J. B., & Skinner, M. M. (2013). Trabecular bone structure correlates with hand posture and use in hominoids. PLoS One,8(11): e78781.
Open Access    DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   

Downloads

Top

Meeting Abstracts

Colombo, A., Tsegai, Z. J., Stephens, N. B., Bettuzzi, M., Morigi, M., Belcastro, M., & Hublin, J.-J. (in press). Autonomous bipedal walking acquisition in children: comparison of trabecular bone microarchitecture in the radial and femoral distal metaphyses. In 20th Conference of the British Association for Biological Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology.
Deckers, K., Tsegai, Z. J., Zeininger, A., Skinner, M. M., & Kivell, T. L. (2019). Ontogenetic changes in third metacarpal trabecular bone in western lowland (Gorilla gorilla) and mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei). In Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution (PESHE) (8, pp. 47).
BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Kivell, T. L., & Skinner, M. M. (2019). Trabecular structure of the third metatarsal head distinguishes between a grasping and non-grasping foot. In Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution (PESHE) (8, pp. 188).
BibTeX   Endnote   
Colombo, A., Stephens, N., Tsegai, Z. J., Bettuzzi Morigi MP, M., Belcastro, M., & Hublin, J.-J. (2018). Analyse micro-architecturale du développement de la marche bipède chez le jeune enfant. Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d'Anthropologie de Paris. BMSAP,30(Suppl. 1), 13-13.
Open Access    DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   

Downloads

Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Pahr, D., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2018). Trabecular bone ontogeny in the forelimb and hindlimb of chimpanzees. In Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution (PESHE) (7, pp. 190).
Open Access    BibTeX   Endnote   

Downloads

Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2016). Systemic patterns of trabecular structure in Homo and Pan: Evaluating inter- and intraspecific variability across anatomical sites. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,159(S62), 318-319.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Skinner, M. M., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Kivell, T. L. (2015). Trabecular bone architecture and distribution in the talus and distal tibia of Homo and Pan. In 5th Annual Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE) (pp. 221-221). European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE).
BibTeX   Endnote   
Kivell, T. L., Nguyen, H. N., Tsegai, Z. J., Gross, T., Pahr, D. H., Hublin, J.-J., & Skinner, M. M. (2014). Fossils, trabeculae and finite element modelling: A holistic approach to reconstructing behaviour in the past. American Journal of Physical Anthropology,153(S58), 158.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Kivell, T. L., Gross, T., Nguyen, H. N., Pahr, D. H., & Skinner, M. M. (2013). Identifying behavioural signals in trabecular bone structure of the hominoid third metacarpal. Folia primatologica,84, 334.
DOI    BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J., Kivell, T. L., Gross, T., Nguyen, H. N., Pahr, D. H., & Skinner, M. M. (2013). Trabecular bone distribution in the hominoid third metacarpal head reflects predicted loaded joint position. In European Society for the study of Human Evolution (Ed.), Proceedings of the European Society for the study of Human Evolution 2 (PESHE 2) (pp. 227-227). Retrieved from http://eshe.eu/static/eshe/files/ESHE_Vienna_2013_Abstracts.pdf.
BibTeX   Endnote   

Top

Thesis

Tsegai, Z. J. (2018). Systemic and functional patterns of human and chimpanzee internal bone structure: A regional, systemic and ontogenetic approach. PhD Thesis, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig.
BibTeX   Endnote   
Tsegai, Z. J. (2012). Does internal bone structure of the hominoid hand reflect locomotor behaviour? Master Thesis.
BibTeX   Endnote   

Top