"The proposed research project will examine the development of neck-shaft angle of the femur throughout the growth period in two archaeologically derived skeletal samples of Holocene foragers. Using 3D model specimens of the proximal femora of juvenile skeletons from Indian Knoll, Kentucky (n=37; 4143-6415 BP), and Later Stone Age Foragers from Southern Africa (n=50; 9120-220 BP). Neck-shaft angle will be measured using measurement tools in GeoMagic Design X software, and examined across the age ranges represented in each sample. The neck-shaft angle has been chosen as the focal point of this research project because it is thought, in current paleo-osteological research to represent hip movement and load-bearing. The Indian Knoll foragers are described as semi-sedentary, who expertly utilized a small resource set through hunting and gathering, and lived along the relatively flat topography of Green River, Kentucky. The Later Stone Age foragers also utilized hunting and foraging, as well marine resources along the coastal region Southern Africa, which presented this population with a more diverse terrain (varying altitudes) than the Indian Knoll Sample. This research project hopes to determine whether the femoral shaft angle during development may be affected by the different ecological contexts and subsequent loading patterns experienced by the individual, and whether, in two populations with similar lifestyle strategies, an observed difference can be observed and attributed to their environment or activity patterns."