Effect of body mass distribution on the ontogeny of positional behaviors in non-human primates: Longitudinal follow-up of infant captive olive baboons (Papio anubis).
The diversity of primates' positional capabilities is unique among mammals. Indeed, they exhibit a daily repertoire composed of various locomotor and postural modes that may be linked to their particular morphological pattern. Because ontogeny undergoes parallel behavioral and morphological modifications, it may be useful to investigate the biomechanical consequences of the changing body shape. We, therefore, collected accurate quantitative and longitudinal data on positional behaviors, body mass distribution patterns, activities, and environment on a sample of six infant olive baboons, Papio anubis. These baboons are kept at the Primatology Station of the CNRS, France, where they live within the same social group. Individual behaviors were quantified using the focal sampling method. The body mass distribution was estimated according to a geometric model based on direct external measurements. Multivariate analysis enabled us to analyze the interactions between the data. Our results show that body mass distribution changes together with the ontogenetic changes in positional behaviors. At an early age, individuals have distally heavy segment masses in the limbs and an important fraction of the behavioral repertoire involves efficient grasping abilities. At the end of infancy, the same individuals have relatively more mass in proximal segments of the limbs and the proportion of quadrupedal walking is significantly higher while other climbing and suspensory behaviors decreased substantially. The present study experimentally confirms the association between body mass distribution and the positional repertoire of primates. These relationships, when interpreted in the context of basic biomechanical concepts, may improve our understanding of primate locomotion. We discuss further the implications of these functional relationships when modeling the evolutionary pathway of primates. Am. J. Primatol. 78:1201-1221, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Department of Biology, Functional Morphology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium. francois.druelle@yahoo.fr.|Primatology Station CNRS, Rousset-sur-Arc, France. francois.druelle@yahoo.fr.|UPR 2147 CNRS, Dynamique de l'Evolution Humaine, Paris, France. francois.druelle@yahoo.fr.
François
F
Druelle
Department of Biology, Functional Morphology Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Antwerpen, Belgium.|Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Biomechanics and Motor Control of Human Movement, University of Ghent, Gent, Belgium.
Peter
P
Aerts
Primatology Station CNRS, Rousset-sur-Arc, France.|UPR 2147 CNRS, Dynamique de l'Evolution Humaine, Paris, France.|UMR 7194 du CNRS, Département de Préhistoire, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France.
Gilles
G
Berillon
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D049628:Body Size; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008124:Locomotion; D048530:Papio anubis
body shape; locomotor development; positional repertoire; primate evolution