Cross-sectional geometry of the limb bones of the Hominoidea by biplanar radiography and moulding techniques (original) (raw)
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"Cheiridia are valuable indicators of positional behavior, as they directly contact the substrate, but systematic comparison of the structural properties of both metacarpals and metatarsals has never been carried out. Differences in locomotor behavior among the great apes (knuckle-walking vs. quadrumanous climbing) can produce biomechanical differences that may be elucidated by the parallel study of cross-sectional characteristics of metacarpals and metatarsals. The aim of this work is to study the cross-sectional geometric properties of these bones and their correlation with locomotor behavior in large-bodied hominoids. The comparisons between bending moments of metacarpals and metatarsals of the same ray furnished interesting results. Metacarpals III and especially IV of the knuckle-walking African apes were relatively stronger than those of humans and orangutans, and metatarsal V of humans was relatively stronger than those of the great apes. Interestingly, the relative robusticity of the metacarpal IV of the quadrumanous orangutan was between that of the African apes and that of humans. The main conclusions of the study are: 1) cross-sectional dimensions of metacarpals and metatarsals are influenced by locomotor modes in great apes and humans; 2) interlimb comparisons of cross-sectional properties of metacarpals and metatarsals are good indicators of locomotor modes in great apes and humans; and 3) the results of this study are in accord with those of previous analyses of plantar pressure and morphofunctional traits of the same bones, and with behavioral studies. These results provide a data base from which it will be possible to compare the morphology of the fossils in order to gain insight into the locomotor repertoires of extinct taxa."
Relative strength of the tibia and fibula and locomotor behavior in hominoids
"The fibula has rarely been considered in comparative morphological studies, probably due to its relatively minor role in carrying mechanical loads. However, some differences in morphology (and inferred function) of the fibula between humans and apes, and within apes, have been noted and related to differences in positional behavior. Therefore, the study of tibiofibular relations may be useful in characterizing such differences. This study examines cross-sectional geometric (CSG) properties (cortical area and polar section modulus, Zp) of the tibia and fibula at mid-diaphysis across a sample (n ¼ 87) of humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons. The fibula is compared against the tibia in the different taxa. The results indicate that the robusticity of the fibula relative to that of the tibia can be explained in terms of differences in positional behavior. In particular, hominoids that are more arboreal (i.e., gibbons, orangutans, and chimpanzees) possess a relatively more robust fibula than do hominoids that are more terrestrial (i.e., gorillas and humans). The difference appears to be a consequence of the more mobile fibula and more adducted position of the hindlimb necessary in an arboreal environment. Apart from providing the first CSG data on the fibula, these results may be helpful in reconstructing the locomotor behavior of fossil hominoids."
American Journal of …, 2012
The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is related to locomotor behavior. This relationship has been employed to infer bipedalism in fossil hominins, although bipeds share the same pattern of generalized quadrupeds, where the superior cortex is thinner than the inferior one. In contrast, knuckle-walkers and specialized suspensory taxa display a more homogeneous distribution of cortical bone. These different patterns, probably related to the range of movement at the hip joint and concomitant differences in the load stresses at the femoral neck, are very promising for making locomotor inferences in extinct primates. To evaluate the utility of this feature in the fossil record, we relied on computed tomography applied to the femur of the Late Miocene hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus as a test-case study.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 2012
The relationship between femoral neck superior and inferior cortical thickness in primates is related to locomotor behavior. This relationship has been employed to infer bipedalism in fossil hominins, although bipeds share the same pattern of generalized quadrupeds, where the superior cortex is thinner than the inferior one. In contrast, knuckle‐walkers and specialized suspensory taxa display a more homogeneous distribution of cortical bone. These different patterns, probably related to the range of movement at the hip joint and concomitant differences in the load stresses at the femoral neck, are very promising for making locomotor inferences in extinct primates. To evaluate the utility of this feature in the fossil record, we relied on computed tomography applied to the femur of the Late Miocene hominoid Hispanopithecus laietanus as a test‐case study. Both an orthograde body plan and orang‐like suspensory adaptations had been previously documented for this taxon on different anato...
Human Evolution, 1991
Seventy six metrical traits measured on the femur and tibia of three higher primate groups-Ceboidea, Cercopitbecoidea, Hominoidea have been processed by various univariate and multivariate statistical methods to survey the process of evolution of the morphology of the femur and tibia in higher primates. Intragroup and intergroup variability, similarity and differences as well as various aspects of scaling and sexual dimorphism have been analyzed to study adaptive trends and phylogenetic diversity in higher primates, in individual superfamilies and to explore the adaptive morphological pattern of early hominids and basic differences between hominids and pongids. Two basic morphotypes of the femur and tibia in higher primates have been determined. They are (1) advanced hominoid morphotype (hominids and pongids) and (2) ancestral higher primate morphotype (platyrrhine and cattarrhine monkeys, early hominoids, and hylobatids). Cebid lower limb bones are adapted to arboreal quadrupedalism with antipronograde features while femur and tibia of cercopitbecid monkeys are basically adapted to the semi-arboreal locomotion. Early hominoids (Proconsul) and hylobatids are morphologically different from pongids; some features are close to Ateles or other monkey species. Pongids and hominids are taken as one major morphological group with different scaling and some functional and morphological similarities. Numerous analogous features were described on the lower limb skeleton of Pan and Pongo showing analogous ecological parameters in their evolution. Major morphological and biomechanical trends are analyzed. It is argued that early advanced hominoid morphology is ancestral both to the pongids and to early hominids. The progressive morphological trend in early hominids has been found from A. a/arensis with ancestral hominid morphology, to H. habilis with an elongated femur and structural features similar to advanced hominids. A detailed phylogenetic analysis of higher primate femur and tibia is also presented. Higher primate group Number of individuals
Trabecular architecture was assessed by 3D micro-computed tomography from spherical volumes of interest located within the head and base of metacarpals (MC) 1, 2, and 5 from n 5 19 adult common chimpanzees. Two subspecies, West African Pan troglodytes verus from the Taï Forest, Côte d'Ivoire (n 5 12) and Central African P. t. troglodytes from Cameroon (n 5 7), were studied. For the combined sample, the metacarpal head is distinguished by greater bone volume fraction across all metacarpals, though the MC 1 is distinctive in having thicker, more plate-like trabeculae. The architecture in the MC 2 and MC 5 can be related to strains associated with terrestrial knucklewalking. In particular, the relatively robust MC 5 head . As a tissue, trabecular bone has received considerable research within biomedicine and biomechanics, emphasizing the relation of properties of volume, mineral density, and structure to material properties such as strength, stiffness, and resistance to failure . At the microstructural level, studies have demonstrated that the amount of trabecular bone (characterized as bone volume fraction) is a robust predictor of structural strength measured as Young's modulus (e.g., . Moreover, specific architectural features such as trabecular number, thickness, orientation, and degree of ''plate-ness'' versus ''rod-ness'' have been shown in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com).