Dimensions of the foot muscles in the lowland gorilla.
We dissected the hindlimb of a female western lowland gorilla and determined the muscle dimensions (mass, fascicle length, and physiological cross-sectional area: PCSA). Comparisons of the muscle parameters of the measured gorilla with corresponding reported human data demonstrated that the triceps surae muscles were larger and had more capacity to generate force than the other muscle groups in both species, but this tendency was more prominent in the human, probably as an adaptation to strong toe-off during bipedal walking. On the other hand, PCSAs of the extrinsic pedal digital flexors and digiti minimi muscles were larger in the western lowland gorilla, suggesting that the foot, particularly the fifth toe, has a relatively high grasping capability in the lowland gorilla.
Oishi
Motoharu
M
First Department of Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8501, Japan. dv0502@azabu-u.ac.jp
Ogihara
Naomichi
N
Endo
Hideki
H
Komiya
Teruyuki
T
Kawada
Shin-Ichiro
S
Tomiyama
Tae
T
Sugiura
Yosuke
Y
Ichihara
Nobutsune
N
Asari
Masao
M
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006071:Gorilla gorilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*