RRC ID 85046
Author Kinoshita Y, Hirasaki E.
Title Variation of thoracolumbar vertebral morphology in anthropoid primates.
Journal Am J Biol Anthropol
Abstract OBJECTIVES:Morphological variation among extant primates in the lumbar vertebral column is well studied. However, knowledge concerning the thoracic spine, an important region responsible for supporting and facilitating movement in the upper trunk, remains relatively scarce. Consequently, our comprehension of the functional differentiation exhibited throughout the thoracolumbar vertebral column among various primate species remains constrained. In this study, we examined patterns of morphological variation in the thoracolumbar vertebral column of extant hominoids, cercopithecoids, and Ateles.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:We collected external shape data on 606 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae from Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Hylobates lar, Macaca fuscata, Chlorocebus aethiops, Colobus guereza, Ateles geoffroyi, and A. belzebuth. Forty-four landmarks were obtained on the three-dimensional surface. Geometric morphometrics was used to quantify the centroid size and variation of the shapes of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.
RESULTS:Cercopithecoids exhibited greater variation in the size and shape of their thoracic and lumbar vertebrae compared to hominoids and Ateles. Although many vertebral features contributed to the observed variation throughout the thoracolumbar vertebral column within the taxon, the transverse and spinous processes exhibited relatively major contributions.
DISCUSSION:Our results suggest that quadrupedal locomotion requires the functional differentiation between thoracic and lumbar vertebrae, and for hominoids, functional adaptation to orthograde posture necessitates a relatively more uniform shape of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.
Volume 184(1)
Pages e24904
Published 2024-5-1
DOI 10.1002/ajpa.24904
PMID 38305568
MeSH Animals Atelinae* Chlorocebus aethiops Hominidae* / anatomy & histology Locomotion Lumbar Vertebrae / diagnostic imaging Pan troglodytes Posture
Resource
GAIN