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- Title
Testing mechanisms for weight support distribution during inverted quadrupedalism in primates.
- Authors
Dickinson, Edwin; Young, Melody W.; Granatosky, Michael C.
- Abstract
A key characteristic of primate above‐branch arboreal locomotion is hindlimb‐biased weight support, subverting the typical mammalian condition in which the majority of the body weight is supported by the forelimb. This shift is thought to reflect an adaptation toward the arboreal niches exploited by early primates. However, above‐branch quadrupedalism represents only one locomotor mode employed by primates in arboreal contexts. Inverted quadrupedal gaits, in which primates are suspended beneath branches by their hands and feet, have been documented in more than 50 primate taxa. This gait is characterized by a return to forelimb‐biased weight distributions and a transition from peak vertical forces being greatest in the hindlimb to being greatest in the forelimb, which may occur to protect the hindlimb from high magnitudes of tensile loading when inverted. In this study, we compare kinetic and kinematic data during upright and inverted quadrupedalism in Lemur catta, Varecia variegata, Cebus capucinus, and Saimiri sciureus. These data are referenced against a classical inverted quadrupedal model: the two‐toed sloth (Choloepus didactylus). Our findings show that inverted quadrupedalism in primates is differentiated from above‐branch quadrupedalism by increases in forelimb weight support, forelimb contact times, and both forelimb and hindlimb joint excursions. Previously postulated biomechanical models outlining mechanisms relating to the control of weight support during upright walking do not translate well to inverted quadrupedal walking. We suggest that inverted primates may simply be adopting basal neuromuscular gait characteristics and applying them facultatively to this infrequent locomotor behavior. Research Highlights: Inverted quadrupedalism has evolved several times in mammals, and is relatively widespread among primates. We compare kinematic and kinetic data during upright and inverted quadrupedal walking in four primate speciess, showing that inverted quadrupedalism is characterized by increases in forelimb weight support, forelimb contact times, and both forelimb and hindlimb joint excursions.
- Subjects
QUADRUPEDALISM; BIPEDALISM; PRIMATES; HINDLIMB; FORELIMB
- Publication
Journal of Experimental Zoology: Part A Ecological & Integrative Physiology, 2022, Vol 337, Issue 7, p699
- ISSN
2471-5638
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/jez.2605