Experimental Studies on Primate Locomotion

本研究的主要目的是确定肌肉和骨骼特征区分人类与非人类灵长类动物的适应性意义，以及区分一种灵长类动物与另一种灵长类动物。这将有助于更准确地重建古代灵长类动物的生活方式，尤其是人类祖先的生活方式。关于灵长类祖先的生活方式和区分人类、猿类和猴子的特征的适应性意义的大多数有影响力的理论，都依赖于确定现存灵长类动物之间的结构差异，这些差异在行为上是不同的。但是，如果没有缺失的功能元素，结构和行为之间的联系仍然很脆弱。研究人员的方法是通过专注于遥测肌电图的体内生理技术（适当时结合力板和运动分析）来提供这一缺失的元素。对非人类灵长类动物和人类进行的常规运动和自主行为的研究将建立个体肌肉在这些行为中的实际作用，并提供必要的数据来解释包括人类在内的灵长类动物的许多肌肉和骨骼特殊化。对骨骼特征的解释将有助于更准确地重建化石的生活方式；对人类独特肌肉特征的解释将指向那些导致我们物种特征的主要解剖学重构的行为。

The primary objective of this research is to determine the adaptive significance of muscular and bony features distinguishing humans from nonhuman primates, and distinguishing one primate from another. This will enable a more accurate reconstruction of the lifestyles of ancient primates, particularly the ancestors of humans. Most of the influential theories about ancestral primate ways of life and the adaptive significance of features distinguishing humans, apes, and monkeys have relied on the determination of structural differences between living primates that differ in their behaviors. But, the link between structure and behavior remains tenuous without the missing element of function. The approach of the investigators provides this missing element by concentrating on the in vivo physiological technique of telemetered electromyography (combined, when appropriate, with force-plate and motion analyses). Studies conducted on nonhuman primates and humans during regular locomotor and voluntary behaviors will establish the actual roles of individual muscles in these behaviors and provide data necessary to explain many of the muscular and bony specializations of primates, including humans. Explanation of bony features will promote more accurate reconstruction of fossil lifestyles; explanations of uniquely human muscular traits will point to those behaviors that led to the major anatomical reconstruction characterizing our species.