Doctoral Dissertation Research: Biomechanical Investigation of African Apes and Influences of Positional Behavior

这项提议的研究利用了最近发表的细粒度位置行为数据，这样就可以推断出非洲猿类行为和形态之间的联系，即使是在亚特异性水平上。由于最早的人类祖先表现出一些类人猿的特征，因此更全面地了解非洲猿长骨形态（例如，肱骨和股骨干形状）对于推断早期原始人的位置适应是必要的。这项研究的意义超出了提炼非洲猿类和原始人的行为-形态学联系，提供了洞察所有哺乳动物结构和功能的途径。提出的调查是及时的，因为最近一直在争论位置行为和长骨形态之间存在直接关系。PI和学生对33个非洲猿类标本进行了初步分析，揭示了它们的行为和形态之间的联系。例如，在几个测量位置，较高百分比的树动行为，如攀爬，与较大的长骨圆度（即主面积矩比）相关。为了完成299个额外标本的数据收集，已经安排了参观博物馆藏品和每个博物馆藏品附近的CT扫描设施。在初步分析中，样本的轴形态变化趋势取决于用来估计体重的测量方法。如本文所建议的那样，通过扩大样本，可以解决体重估计值之间的这种明显差异，并解释轴的形态。

The proposed research takes advantage of recently published fine-grained positional behavior data so that connections between African ape behavior and morphology, even at the subspecific level, can be inferred. Because the earliest human ancestors exhibit some ape-like features, a more complete understanding of African ape long bone morphology (e.g., humeral and femoral shaft shape) is necessary to infer early hominid positional adaptations. Implications of the proposed research extend beyond refining the behavior-morphology link in African apes and hominids by offering avenues of insight into the structure and function of all mammals. The proposed investigation is timely since the existence of a straightforward relationship between positional behaviors and long bone morphology has been debated recently.The PI and student have performed a preliminary analysis using 33 African ape specimens and revealed links between their behavior and morphology. For instance, higher percentages of arboreal locomotor behaviors, such as scrambling, correlated with greater long bone circularity (i.e., ratio of principle moments of area) at several measured locations. In order to complete data collection from 299 additional specimens, access to museum collections and to CT scanning facilities near each of these museum collections has been arranged. In the preliminary analysis, sample trends in shaft morphology differed depending on the measure that was used to estimate body mass. By expanding the sample, as proposed here, such apparent discrepancies between body mass estimators might be resolved and shaft morphology interpreted.