Experimental Studies on Primate Locomotion

在过去的40年里，许多研究收集了记录类人灵长类动物(猴子和类人猿)运动行为方面的经验数据。这项研究的一些结果揭示了灵长类四足动物表现出的不同寻常的特征。这反过来又导致了灵长类动物在神经控制运动模式等方面与哺乳动物的区别。然而，在很大程度上仅基于类人猿的数据，如果没有关于原猴灵长类的可比数据，这样的结论还为时过早。因此，这项拟议研究的目标是进行一系列基于实验室的关于原猴灵长类动物运动行为方面的研究，以补充目前稀少的经验数据库，并允许与更好地记录的类人灵长类动物以及非灵长类哺乳动物的运动行为进行比较。这项研究将解决的具体问题包括记录各种原猴物种在四足动物运动时的肌肉招募模式，包括狐猴、卡塔和欧拉猴。Fulvus和E.rubriventer使用肌电技术分析了与跳跃有关的问题，这是一种运动行为，使用测力板记录在某些原猴物种中显示了其最专门的发育；以及使用运动分析、肌电和测力板记录相结合的方法研究了最神秘的原猴物种之一Daubentia madagascariensis的运动行为，试图解释其许多不寻常的后颅形态特征。这项研究的结果将极大地扩展我们关于灵长类运动行为的经验数据库，允许关于什么是或不是该目的特征的合法结论。这些信息将有助于更准确地定义作为灵长类动物意味着什么，以及该目的起源及其最终的分散和多样化涉及哪些因素。

Over the past forty years, many studies have collected empirical data documenting aspects of the locomotor behavior of anthropoid primates (monkeys and apes). The results of some of this research have revealed unusual characteristics of the form of quadrupedalism that primates display. This has in turn led to suggestions of distinctiveness in primates among mammals in such things as patterns of neural control of movement. However, based largely on data for anthropoids only, such conclusions are premature without comparable data on prosimian primates. The goals of the proposed study, therefore, are to undertake a set of laboratory based studies concerning aspects of locomotor behavior among prosimian primates in order to supplement the currently sparse empirical data base, and allow comparisons with the better-documented locomotor behavior of anthropoid primates as well as nonprimate mammals. The specific questions this study will address include documentation of patterns of muscle recruitment during quadrupedal locomotion in a variety of prosimian species including Lemur catta, Eulemur. fulvus, and E. rubriventer using the technique of electromyography (EMG); analysis of issues associated with the mechanics of leaping, a locomotor behavior that displays its most specialized development among certain prosimian species such as Propithecus coquereli using force-plate recordings; and examination of the locomotor behavior of Daubentonia madagascariensis, the Aye-aye, one of the most enigmatic of prosimian species, using a combination of motion analysis, EMG and force-plate recordings to attempt to interpret some of its many unusual postcranial morphological features. The results of this research will significantly expand our empirical data base on primate locomotor behavior, permitting legitimate conclusions regarding what is or isn't characteristic of the Order. Such information will contribute to a more precise definition of what it means to be a primate, and what factors were involved in the origins of the Order and its eventual dispersal and diversification.