De novo

Question

Quadrupedalism de novo? An examination of the problem of convergence in early Hominidae origin and diversity.I have two questions about the text above, which forms a title:- Should 'de novo' come before quadrupedalism or after it? I think de novo in this context means 'did quadrupedalism' evolve twice, independently, at different times - it this correct?- Should Hominidae be Hominin instead?Thank you.

Clive · Accepted Answer

- Should 'de novo' come before quadrupedalism or after it? Either position seems fine to me. It's an adverbial phrase.

I think de novo in this context means 'did quadrupedalism' evolve twice, independently, at different times - it this correct? Yes

- Should Hominidae be Hominin instead?Read this.

Several revisions in classifying the great apes have caused the use of the term "hominid" to vary over time. The original meaning of "hominid" referred only to humans (****) and their closest extinct relatives. However, by the 1990s both humans, apes, and their ancestors were considered to be "hominids". The earlier restrictive meaning has now been largely assumed by the term "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominin", which comprises all members of the human clade after the split from the chimpanzees (Pan). The current, 21st-century meaning of "hominid" includes all the great apes including humans. Usage still varies, however, and some scientists and laypersons still use "hominid" in the original restrictive sense; the scholarly literature generally shows the traditional usage until around the turn of the 21st century.^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae#cite_note-5}

^{https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hominidae}

Anonymous · Answer

anonymousShould 'de novo' come before quadrupedalism or after it?

After. It means "anew", and you can't have anew quadrapedalism. If you place it before, it looks like an adjective.

anonymousI think de novo in this context means 'did quadrupedalism' evolve twice, independently, at different times - it this correct

I took it to mean that the ancestors of mankind were quadrapedal, then they went bipedal, and it would be remarkable if they did not go back to being quadrapedal in appropriate environments.

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