A comparison of axial trunk rotation during bipedal walking between humans and Japanese macaques
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Sciences Osaka University Osaka Japan, Section of Evolutionary Morphology Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University Inuyama Japan |
| ANO | 2021 |
| TIPO | Artigo |
| PERIÓDICO | American Journal of Physical Anthropology |
| ISSN | 0002-9483 |
| E-ISSN | 1096-8644 |
| EDITORA | Berghahn Journals (United Kingdom) |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajpa.24136 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
ObjectivesHuman walking involves out‐of‐phase axial rotations of the thorax and pelvis. It has long been believed that this rotational capability is a distinctive feature of the genus Homo. However, Thompson et al. (2015) showed that chimpanzees also counter‐rotate their thorax relative to the pelvis during bipedal walking, which raised questions regarding the origins and development of this characteristic. In this study, we measured the axial rotation of the trunk during bipedal walking in humans and macaques to investigate if intra‐trunk axial rotations are observed in non‐hominoid primate species.Materials and methodsWe collected three‐dimensional trunk kinematic data during bipedal walking in six humans and five Japanese macaques. The human subjects walked on a treadmill, and the animal subjects walked on a 5‐m runway. During walking, the positions of cluster markers, which defined trunk segments, were recorded by multiple video cameras. Segmental xyz coordinates were digitized, and transverse rotations were calculated using motion analysis software.ResultsAlthough trunk rotations in the global coordinate system were greater in macaques than in humans, the intra‐trunk rotation and range of motion showed a similar pattern in the two species.ConclusionsThoracic rotation relative to the pelvis during bipedal walking is not unique to the hominid lineage but rather a characteristic generated by the mechanical requirements of bipedal walking. The fact that the range of motion of counter rotation is similar in these species infers that an optimal range of rotation exists for bipedal walking.