Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effects of Substrate Size, Orientaton and Compliance Upon Prosimian Arboreal Quadrupedalism

博士论文研究：基质尺寸、方向和顺应性对原猿树栖四足动物的影响

• 批准号: 0086835
• 负责人: Susan Larson
• 金额: $ 1.19万
• 依托单位: SUNY at Stony Brook
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-11-01 至 2002-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0086835&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Effects; Substrate

Primates, the order of mammals to which humans belong, are characterized by arboreal locomotion. This is also a key feature that differentiates primates from most other groups of animals. As such, understanding the development of this locomotor pattern is important in understanding our own roots. This project examines primate locomotion on arboreal supports. Life in the trees presents many challenges for balance and movement. Arboreal supports differ in diameter (size), in angular orientation, and in the degree to which they move under the weight of an animal (compliance). While a number of studies have identified behavioral and morphological specializations correlated with the use of an arboreal habitat, detailed locomotor data are necessary to better understand the postural strategies primates use to maintain balance in an arboreal setting. Since precise locomotor data are difficult to collect in the wild, laboratory studies on simulated branches allow us to examine these issues. This study examines locomotor adjustments that members of three families of prosimian primates make in response to differences in arboreal support type. Subjects have been chosen from six species to compare locomotor responses in animals of different body sizes and proportions, to address adaptations to arboreality that have been suggested to characterize the earliest primates.

灵长类动物是哺乳动物的一个目，人类属于灵长类动物，其特征是在树上移动。 这也是灵长类动物区别于大多数其他动物的一个关键特征。 因此，理解这种运动模式的发展对于理解我们自己的根源很重要。这个项目研究灵长类动物在树的支持下的运动。树上的生活对平衡和运动提出了许多挑战。树木支撑物在直径（大小）、角度方向以及它们在动物重量下移动的程度（顺应性）上不同。虽然一些研究已经确定了行为和形态的专业化与使用的树栖栖息地，详细的运动数据是必要的，以更好地了解灵长类动物使用的姿势策略，以保持平衡的树栖环境。由于精确的运动数据很难在野外收集，模拟树枝的实验室研究使我们能够研究这些问题。本研究探讨原猴亚目灵长类三个家庭的成员在应对树栖支持类型的差异运动的调整。从六个物种中选择了受试者，以比较不同体型和比例的动物的运动反应，以解决适应树栖性的问题，这些适应性被认为是最早的灵长类动物的特征。