Positional behavior in the Hominoidea |
| |
Authors: | Kevin D Hunt |
| |
Institution: | (1) Peabody Museum, Harvard University, 02138 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| |
Abstract: | Quantitative studies on the positional behavior of members of the Hominoidea are compared in order (1) to identify consistencies
across the superfamily, (2) to contrast ape positional behavior with that of Old World monkeys (forest-livingPapio anubis were chosen for study to reduce body size effects), and (3) to identify distinctive behaviors in each of the ape taxa. Differences
in the way behaviors were sampled in the various studies necessitated considering posture and locomotion separately. Unimanual
arm-hanging and vertical climbing were the most distinctive shared postural and locomotor modes among the apes (the gorilla
excepted), constituting ≥5.0% and ≥4.9% of all behavior in each species. Arm-hanging and brachiation (sensu stricto) frequencies were the highest by far in hylobatids. Hand-foot hanging, bipedal posture, and clambering, an orthograde suspensory
locomotion assisted by the hindlimbs, were more common in orangutans than in any other hominoid. Sitting and walking were
observed in the highest frequencies in the African apes but were no more common than in the baboon. Relatively high frequencies
of brachiation (sensu stricto) were reported for all apes except chimpanzees and gorillas. Brachiation and arm-hanging were kinematically different in
apes and baboons, involving complete humeral abduction only in the former, whereas vertical climbing appeared to be kinematically
similar in apes and baboons. It is concluded that the morphological specializations of the apes may be adaptations to (1)
the unique physical demands of arm-hanging and (2) less kinematically distinct, but still quantitatively significant, frequencies
of vertical climbing. |
| |
Keywords: | locomotion posture brachiation climbing arm-hanging |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|