Allometric scaling and locomotor function in the primate pelvis

Bibliographic Data

ID8319490
AuthorsK L Lewton (0000-0003-0674-2454, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Boston University School of Medicine Boston MA 02118, corresponding author)
Year2015
Volume156
Issue4
Pages511-530
Publication date2015-04-01
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.22696
PMID25684745
OpenAlexW2125751059
LanguageEN
Citations received18
References cited97

Identification of positional behavior adaptation in the pelvis of primates is complicated by possible confounding effects of body size and phylogeny. Previous work on primate pelvic allometry has focused primarily on sexual dimorphism and its relationship to obstetric constraints in species with large fetal size relative to maternal size. This study investigates patterns of pelvic scaling with a specific aim to understand how pelvic scaling relates to locomotor function. Patterns of scaling of nine pelvic dimensions were examined in a broad comparative sample of 40 species of primates, covering both haplorhines and strepsirrhines, while accounting for phylogenetic nonindependence. Phylogenetic reduced major axis regressions on pelvic scaling patterns suggest that primate‐wide patterns are reflected in haplorhine‐ and strepsirrhine‐specific analyses. Many measures scale isometrically with pelvis size, but notably, features of the ilium tend to scale allometrically. As predicted, ilium width and lower ilium cross‐sectional area scale with positive allometry, while lower iliac height scales with negative allometry. Further regression analyses by locomotor group suggest that these ilium measures, as well as pubic symphysis and ischium lengths, differ in their scaling patterns according to locomotor mode. These results suggest that scaling differences within primates, when present, are related to functional differences in locomotor behavior and mechanics. This study supports recent work that identifies adaptations to locomotor loading in the ilium and highlights the need for a better understanding of the relationship between pelvic structural mechanics and the mechanical requirements of primate locomotion. Am J Phys Anthropol 156:511–530, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Allometry · Biology · Pelvis · Primate · Zoology · Anatomy · Bat Biology and Ecology Studies · Ecology · Human-Animal Interaction Studies · Primate Behavior and Ecology

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