Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia Unitat d’Antropologia Biològica STRUCTURAL AND BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSES OF THE UPPER LIMB SKELETON IMPLICATIONS FOR FUNCTIONAL RECONSTRUCTION IN HOMINOIDS Pere Ibáñez-Gimeno PhD dissertation 2015 This research received support from Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte (Programa de Formación de Profesorado Universitario, AP2009-5102, awarded to Pere Ibáñez-Gimeno), and from the SYNTHESYS Project (http://www.synthesys.info/) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 "Capacities" Program. STRUCTURAL AND BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSES OF THE UPPER LIMB SKELETON: IMPLICATIONS FOR FUNCTIONAL RECONSTRUCTION IN HOMINOIDS Dissertation presented by Pere Ibáñez-Gimeno in fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate in Biodiversity of Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, directed by: Dr. Assumpció Malgosa, Chair Professor at Unitat d’Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d’Ecologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Dr. Ignasi Galtés, Forensic Physician and Anthropologist at Servei de Patologia Forense, Unitat d'Antropologia Forense, Institut de Medicina Legal de Catalunya, and Associate Professor at Unitat de Medicina Legal i Forense, Departament de Psiquiatria i de Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Dr. Xavier Jordana, Postdoctoral Researcher at Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Dr. Assumpció Malgosa Dr. Ignasi Galtés Dr. Xavier Jordana Pere Ibáñez-Gimeno The materials at present within my command hardly appeared adequate to so arduous an undertaking; but I doubted not that I should ultimately succeed. I prepared myself for a multitude of reverses; my operations might be incessantly baffled, and at last my work be imperfect; yet, when I considered the improvement which every day takes place in science and mechanics, I was encouraged to hope my present attempts should at least lay the foundations of future success. Mary Shelley Frankenstein