Experimental Studies on Primate Locomotion

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The study of the origin and evolution of humans necessarily includes as subject matter our nearest relatives, the non human primates. Understanding how living primates use their bodies (muscles and bones) to move about in different ways provides the proper context for the reconstruction of ancient lifestyles of our ancestors. We need to understand the relationship between body form and function, and know different structures work, or what it is for, if we are to be able to interpret fossil finds correctly. This project concerns the application of certain experimental methods to such analyses of anatomical form and function in living non human primates, using bone strain analysis, telemetered electromyography, and the analysis of kinematics and kinetics through triplanr videotaping and the use of an electronic pressure measurement system. These are all extremely sophisticated ways of monitoring muscle activity and bone stress and strain of animals perform different sets of movements - walking, arm swinging, knuckle walking, and so on. The information obtained will be used to help interpret the adaptive significance of features distinguishing living monkeys, apes and humans, and to apply that understanding to the interpretation of the fossil evidence for human and primate evolution.