A morphometric study of limb proportions in leaping prosimians

Bibliographic Data

ID8312458
AuthorsCharles Oxnard (University of Southern California), Charles E Oxnard, Rebecca Z German (0000-0001-9989-7847, University of Southern California), Rebecca German, Francoise‐K Jouffroy (University of Southern California), Jacques Lessertisseur
Year1981
Volume54
Issue3
Pages421-430
Publication date1981-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.1330540316
OpenAlexW2138184692
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited9

Study of individual limb proportions—most notably, for instance, of the intermembral index—distinguishes from most other primates those various prosimians capable of leaping. The present investigation analyzes 24 measures of limb proportions (taken by F.‐K. Jouffroy and J. Lessertisseur) from 161 specimens representing 12 species of prosimians, using the multivariate statistical method of multiple discriminant analysis (carried out by R. German and C.E. Oxnard). The results indicate that there are three major gradients: (1) indriids, (2) cheirogaleines, and (3) galagines plus Tarsius , radiating from a fourth centrally located group of species, Lemur , Lepilemur , and Hapalemur . It is likely that the morphometric relationships displayed here can be associated with behavioral (locomotor) parallels among these various forms. Though leaping is a most important adaptation among prosimians, it seems clear that it has evolved separately a number of times, and it seems at least likely that the biomechanical nature of the adaptation differs in different groups. The results, therefore, present certain new hypotheses about prosimian locomotion that can only be tested with further field and laboratory studies. This study also emphasizes the fact that anatomical adaptation is complex. Though the analysis of each anatomical region separately provides a similar qualitative picture of the variation among genera, it is only in the analysis of all measures taken together that the complete pattern described above appears. Though no new variables have been added in that analysis, new information is obviously contained within the results. Since this information stems from the interactions of the variables, it must be due to associations between these anatomical areas

Biology · Evolutionary biology · Lemur · Primate · Prosimian · Zoology · Ecology · Evolution and Paleontology Studies · Hemispheric Asymmetry in Neuroscience · Primate Behavior and Ecology