The Biomechanics of Arboreal Stability: An Integrated Analysis

树栖稳定性的生物力学：综合分析

• 批准号: 1126790
• 负责人: Jesse Young
• 金额: $ 25.01万
• 依托单位: Northeast Ohio Medical University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2016-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1126790&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Biomechanics; Arboreal; Stability; Integrated; Analysis

Biological anthropologists have long maintained a keen interest in the adaptations that allowed primates to successfully invade the arboreal habitat, where stability is paramount. Decades of research have identified anatomical features, such as grasping hands and feet, and behavioral mechanisms, such as the use of distinctive walking styles, which arguably facilitate stability on branches. Nevertheless, we still have an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms by which primates actually keep balance when moving about in the trees. The proposed research will remedy this gap by carrying out a series of experiments to understand balance performance in both New and Old World monkeys. In so doing, we will gain deeper insight into several fundamental issues of primate, and human, evolution -- such as the functional importance of grasping hands and feet and the possible consequences of tail loss among the apes. Basic data on the balance capabilities of common laboratory primates may also be of use to researchers studying primate stability in more clinical settings, perhaps shedding light on human balance disorders. Moreover, the collaborations engendered by this research will broaden educational experiences of STEM students at the host institution and neighboring colleges and universities, helping to build a collaborative network of research and training throughout the region.Investigators will address three specific research aims. First, to determine the relationship between morphological variation and the capacity for grasping force production, functionally-informed hand and foot musculoskeletal anatomy will be combined with experimental data on maximum grip strength. Second, to generate quantitative measures of stability, researchers will collect detailed biomechanical data from monkeys moving over simulated arboreal substrates. Finally, a series of force sensors mounted on compression springs will be used to gauge balance performance on mobile branches, providing a measure of arboreal balance control in a more naturalistic setting. This fundamental biomechanical research will 1) allow testing of long-held assumptions about the nature of primate locomotor adaptation, 2) inform reconstructions of grasping ability and locomotor performance in the primate fossil record, and 3) introduce a novel set of research methodologies to the discipline of biological anthropology.

长期以来，生物人类学家一直对灵长类动物成功入侵树栖栖息地的适应性保持着浓厚的兴趣，在树栖栖息地，稳定性是至关重要的。几十年的研究已经确定了解剖学特征，比如抓握的手和脚，以及行为机制，比如使用独特的行走方式，这可以证明有助于在树枝上保持稳定。然而，我们对灵长类动物在树上移动时实际保持平衡的机制仍然知之甚少。拟议中的研究将通过开展一系列实验来了解新旧世界猴子的平衡表现，从而弥补这一差距。通过这样做，我们将对灵长类动物和人类进化的几个基本问题有更深入的了解，比如手和脚抓握的功能重要性，以及类人猿失去尾巴的可能后果。关于普通实验室灵长类动物平衡能力的基本数据也可能对研究人员在更多的临床环境中研究灵长类动物的稳定性有帮助，也许有助于了解人类平衡障碍。此外，这项研究产生的合作将扩大STEM学生在主办机构和邻近学院和大学的教育经验，有助于在整个地区建立一个研究和培训的合作网络。研究人员将讨论三个具体的研究目标。首先，为了确定形态变化与抓取力产生能力之间的关系，将功能信息手和足的肌肉骨骼解剖与最大握力的实验数据相结合。其次，为了产生稳定性的定量测量，研究人员将收集猴子在模拟树木基质上移动的详细生物力学数据。最后，安装在压缩弹簧上的一系列力传感器将用于测量移动树枝的平衡性能，在更自然的环境中提供树木平衡控制的措施。这项基础的生物力学研究将1)允许测试长期以来关于灵长类动物运动适应本质的假设，2)为灵长类动物化石记录中抓取能力和运动表现的重建提供信息，3)为生物人类学学科引入一套新的研究方法。