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Woldt KM, Pratt RB, Statham MJ, Barthman-Thompson LM, Sustaita D. Comparative skeletal anatomy of salt marsh and western harvest mice in relation to locomotor ecology. J Anat 2024; 245:289-302. [PMID: 38613221 PMCID: PMC11259749 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species, endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, that co-occurs with the more broadly distributed species, the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Despite their considerable external morphological similarities, the northern subspecies of salt marsh harvest mice have relatively longer and thicker tails than do western harvest mice, which may be related to their abilities to climb emergent marsh vegetation to avoid tidal inundation. We used micro-CT to compare post-cranial skeletal anatomy between the salt marsh and western harvest mouse, to examine whether the salt marsh harvest mouse's restriction to brackish marshes is associated with skeletal adaptations for scansorial locomotion. We found that salt marsh harvest mice exhibited a deeper 3rd caudal vertebra, a more caudally located longest tail vertebra, craniocaudally longer tail vertebrae, and a longer digit III proximal phalanx than western harvest mice. These phalangeal and vertebral characteristics are known to decrease body rotations during climbing, increase contact with substrates, and decrease fall susceptibility in arboreal mammals, suggesting that the salt marsh harvest mouse may be morphologically specialized for scansorial locomotion, adaptive for its dynamic wetland environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey M Woldt
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, San Marcos, San Marcos, California, USA
- Rocks Biological Consulting, San Diego, California, USA
| | - R Brandon Pratt
- Department of Biology, California State University, Bakersfield, Bakersfield, California, USA
| | - Mark J Statham
- Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Laureen M Barthman-Thompson
- California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Suisun Marsh Monitoring & Compliance Unit, Stockton, California, USA
| | - Diego Sustaita
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, San Marcos, San Marcos, California, USA
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2
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Granatosky MC, Toussaint SLD, Young MW, Panyutina A, Youlatos D. The northern treeshrew (Scandentia: Tupaiidae: Tupaia belangeri) in the context of primate locomotor evolution: A comprehensive analysis of gait, positional, and grasping behavior. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:645-665. [PMID: 35451573 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The locomotor behaviors of treeshrews are often reported as scurrying "squirrel-like" movements. As such, treeshrews have received little attention beyond passing remarks in regard to primate locomotor evolution. However, scandentians vary considerably in habitat and substrate use, thus categorizing all treeshrew locomotion based on data collected from a single species is inappropriate. This study presents data on gait characteristics, positional, and grasping behavior of the northern treeshrew (Tupaia belangeri) and compares these findings to the fat-tailed dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus medius) to assess the role of treeshrews as a model for understanding the origins of primate locomotor and grasping evolution. We found that northern treeshrews were primarily arboreal and shared their activities between quadrupedalism, climbing and leaping in rates similar to fat-tailed dwarf lemurs. During quadrupedal locomotion, they exhibited a mixture of gait characteristics consistent with primates and other small-bodied non-primate mammals and demonstrated a hallucal grasping mode consistent with primates. These data reveal that northern treeshrews show a mosaic of primitive mammalian locomotor characteristics paired with derived primate features. Further, this study raises the possibility that many of the locomotor and grasping characteristics considered to be "uniquely" primate may ultimately be features consistent with Euarchonta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Innovation, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | | | - Melody W Young
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Aleksandra Panyutina
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dionisios Youlatos
- Department of Zoology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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3
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Naylor ER, Kawano SM. Mudskippers modulate their locomotor kinematics when moving on deformable and inclined substrates. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac084. [PMID: 35679069 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ecological factors influence animal movement, including properties of the media that they move on or through. Animals moving in terrestrial environments encounter conditions that can be challenging for generating propulsion and maintaining stability, such as inclines and deformable substrates that can cause slipping and sinking. In response, tetrapods tend to adopt a more crouched posture and lower their center of mass on inclines and increase the surface area of contact on deformable substrates, such as sand. Many amphibious fishes encounter the same challenges when moving on land, but how these finned animals modulate their locomotion with respect to different environmental conditions and how these modifications compare with those seen within tetrapods is relatively understudied. Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae) are a particularly noteworthy group of amphibious fishes in this context given that they navigate a wide range of environmental conditions, from flat mud to inclined mangrove trees. They use a unique form of terrestrial locomotion called 'crutching', where their pectoral fins synchronously lift and vault the front half of the body forward before landing on their pelvic fins while the lower half of the body and tail are kept straight. However, recent work has shown that mudskippers modify some aspects of their locomotion when crutching on deformable surfaces, particularly those at an incline. For example, on inclined dry sand, mudskippers bent their bodies laterally and curled and extended their tails to potentially act as a secondary propulsor and/or anti-slip device. In order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the functional diversity and context-dependency of mudskipper crutching, we compared their kinematics on different combinations of substrate types (solid, mud, dry sand) and inclines (0°, 10°, 20°). In addition to increasing lateral bending on deformable and inclined substrates, we found that mudskippers increased the relative contact time and contact area of their paired fins while becoming more crouched, responses comparable to those seen in tetrapods and other amphibious fishes. Mudskippers on these substrates also exhibited previously undocumented behaviors, such as extending and adpressing the distal portions of their pectoral fins more anteriorly, dorsoventrally bending their trunk, "belly-flopping" on sand, and "gripping" the mud substrate with their pectoral fin rays. Our study highlights potential compensatory mechanisms shared among vertebrates in terrestrial environments while also illustrating that locomotor flexibility and even novelty can emerge when animals are challenged with environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Naylor
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052, U.S.A
| | - Sandy M Kawano
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052, U.S.A
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4
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Schapker NM, Chadwell BA, Young JW. Robust locomotor performance of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) in response to simulated changes in support diameter and compliance. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:417-433. [PMID: 34985803 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Arboreal environments require overcoming navigational challenges not typically encountered in other terrestrial habitats. Supports are unevenly distributed and vary in diameter, orientation, and compliance. To better understand the strategies that arboreal animals use to maintain stability in this environment, laboratory researchers must endeavor to mimic those conditions. Here, we evaluate how squirrel monkeys (Saimiri boliviensis) adjust their locomotor mechanics in response to variation in support diameter and compliance. We used high-speed cameras to film two juvenile female monkeys as they walked across poles of varying diameters (5, 2.5, and 1.25 cm). Poles were mounted on either a stiff wooden base ("stable" condition) or foam blocks ("compliant" condition). Six force transducers embedded within the pole trackway recorded substrate reaction forces during locomotion. We predicted that squirrel monkeys would walk more slowly on narrow and compliant supports and adopt more "compliant" gait mechanics, increasing stride lengths, duty factors, and an average number of limbs gripping the support, while the decreasing center of mass height, stride frequencies, and peak forces. We observed few significant adjustments to squirrel monkey locomotor kinematics in response to changes in either support diameter or compliance, and the changes we did observe were often tempered by interactions with locomotor speed. These results differ from a similar study of common marmosets (i.e., Callithrix jacchus, with relatively poor grasping abilities), where variation in diameter and compliance substantially impacted gait kinematics. Squirrel monkeys' strong grasping apparatus, long and mobile tails, and other adaptations for arboreal travel likely facilitate robust locomotor performance despite substrate precarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole M Schapker
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Rootstown, Ohio, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
| | - Brad A Chadwell
- Department of Anatomy, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine (ICOM), Meridian, Idaho, USA
| | - Jesse W Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), Rootstown, Ohio, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA
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5
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Higurashi Y, Kumakura H. Kinematic adjustments to arboreal locomotion in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). Primates 2021; 62:995-1003. [PMID: 34328595 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-021-00937-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Although biomechanical adaptations to arboreal locomotion have been well investigated in primates and other mammals in laboratory settings, the results are not consistent, and more species need to be studied to build a comprehensive picture of this. Here, we used three-dimensional videography to quantify kinematic parameters thought to be associated with locomotor stability while two Japanese macaques walked on terrestrial and simulated arboreal substrates (a horizontal pole, which was narrow relative to the animal's body width). The parameters investigated included temporal-spatial gait variables, those associated with compliant walking, the height of the shoulder and hip, and hand and foot clearance during the swing phase. We found that there were many individual differences in kinematic adjustments made by the monkeys during arboreal locomotion. More importantly, the results were consistent between the monkeys for three parameters: maximum hand clearance, maximum hip height, and maximum foot clearance. The monkeys showed lower maximum hand and foot clearances during arboreal locomotion than during terrestrial locomotion, indicating that the hands and feet were kept close to the substrate surface during the swing phase. They also showed lower maximum hip heights during arboreal locomotion, suggesting that their whole-body centers of mass were lowered. These consistent kinematic adjustments can be interpreted as strategies for enhancing stability and reducing the risk of falling from a height. Overall, these results show that Japanese macaques make significant biomechanical adaptations to arboreal locomotion that are not fully consistent with existing data for other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuo Higurashi
- Laboratory of System Physiology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan. .,Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Hiroo Kumakura
- Laboratory of Biological Anthropology, Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University, 1-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
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6
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Granatosky MC, Amanat S, Panyutina AA, Youlatos D. Gait mechanics of a blind echolocating rodent: Implications for the locomotion of small arboreal mammals and proto-bats. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 335:436-453. [PMID: 33830677 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Arboreal mammals have evolved a range of biomechanical adaptations that allow them to navigate trees effectively. One such feature that has received considerable attention is the importance of vision that helps arboreal animals assess gap distances, assure proper foot placement, and inspect potential risks. While there is considerable debate about the relative importance of the visual system specifics, there is little doubt that the ability to at least see the environment must confer some level of safety when navigating arboreal substrates. In this study, we explore spatiotemporal and kinematic patterns of arboreal locomotion in the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse (Typhlomys chapensis), a blind rodent that uses ultrasonic echolocation to navigate in tree canopies. We compare these data with five other species of arboreal rodents and primates. Spatiotemporal gait characteristics are largely similar between the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse and other small-bodied arboreal species analyzed. Most notable is the tendency for relatively high-speed asymmetrical gaits on large-diameter substrates and slower symmetrical lateral-sequence gaits on small-diameter substrates. Furthermore, for all species speed is primarily regulated by increasing stride frequency rather than length. Kinematics of the Vietnamese pygmy dormouse changed little in response substrate size and were primarily driven by speed. These findings suggest that the information gathered during ultrasonic scanning is sufficient to allow effective quadrupedal locomotion while moving on arboreal supports. The Vietnamese pygmy dormouse may serve as a model for the quadrupedal nocturnal ancestor of bats, which had started developing ultrasonic echolocation and reducing vision while likely occupying an arboreal niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.,College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Sonia Amanat
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Aleksandra A Panyutina
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Dionisios Youlatos
- Department of Zoology, School of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Wölfer J, Aschenbach T, Michel J, Nyakatura JA. Mechanics of Arboreal Locomotion in Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrels: A Potential Model for Early Euarchontoglires. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.636039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences between arboreal and terrestrial supports likely pose less contrasting functional demands on the locomotor system at a small body size. For arboreal mammals of small body size, asymmetrical gaits have been demonstrated to be advantageous to increase dynamic stability. Many of the extant arboreal squirrel-related rodents display a small body size, claws on all digits, and limited prehensility, a combination that was proposed to have characterized the earliest Euarchontoglires. Thus, motion analysis of such a modern analog could shed light onto the early locomotor evolution of eurarchontoglirans. In this study, we investigated how Swinhoe’s striped squirrels (Tamiops swinhoei; Scuiromorpha) adjust their locomotion when faced with different orientations on broad supports and simulated small branches. We simultaneously recorded high-Hz videos (501 trials) and support reaction forces (451 trials) of squirrels running on two types of instrumented trackways installed at either a 45° incline (we recorded locomotion on inclines and declines) or with a horizontal orientation. The striped squirrels almost exclusively used asymmetrical gaits with a preference for full bounds. Locomotion on simulated branches did not differ substantially from locomotion on the flat trackway. We interpreted several of the quantified adjustments on declines and inclines (in comparison to horizontal supports) as mechanisms to increase stability (e.g., by minimizing toppling moments) and as adjustments to the differential loading of fore- and hind limbs on inclined supports. Our data, in addition to published comparative data and similarities to the locomotion of other small arboreal rodents, tree shrews, and primates as well as a likely small body size at the crown-group node of Euarchontoglires, render a preference for asymmetrical gaits in early members of the clade plausible. This contributes to our understanding of the ancestral lifestyle of this mammalian ‘superclade’.
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8
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Schultz JT, Beck HK, Haagensen T, Proost T, Clemente CJ. Using a biologically mimicking climbing robot to explore the performance landscape of climbing in lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202576. [PMID: 33784869 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is a key aspect associated with ecologically relevant tasks for many organisms, therefore, survival often depends on their ability to perform well at these tasks. Despite this significance, we have little idea how different performance tasks are weighted when increased performance in one task comes at the cost of decreased performance in another. Additionally, the ability for natural systems to become optimized to perform a specific task can be limited by structural, historic or functional constraints. Climbing lizards provide a good example of these constraints as climbing ability likely requires the optimization of tasks which may conflict with one another such as increasing speed, avoiding falls and reducing the cost of transport (COT). Understanding how modifications to the lizard bauplan can influence these tasks may allow us to understand the relative weighting of different performance objectives among species. Here, we reconstruct multiple performance landscapes of climbing locomotion using a 10 d.f. robot based upon the lizard bauplan, including an actuated spine, shoulders and feet, the latter which interlock with the surface via claws. This design allows us to independently vary speed, foot angles and range of motion (ROM), while simultaneously collecting data on climbed distance, stability and efficiency. We first demonstrate a trade-off between speed and stability, with high speeds resulting in decreased stability and low speeds an increased COT. By varying foot orientation of fore- and hindfeet independently, we found geckos converge on a narrow optimum of foot angles (fore 20°, hind 100°) for both speed and stability, but avoid a secondary wider optimum (fore -20°, hind -50°) highlighting a possible constraint. Modifying the spine and limb ROM revealed a gradient in performance. Evolutionary modifications in movement among extant species over time appear to follow this gradient towards areas which promote speed and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna T Schultz
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia.,The Robotics and Autonomous Systems Group, CSIRO Data61, Pullenvale, Queensland, Australia
| | - Hendrik K Beck
- Biological Structures and Biomimetics, Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Bremen, Germany
| | - Tina Haagensen
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tasmin Proost
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
| | - Christofer J Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, Queensland, Australia
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Netto TFDS, Tavares WC. Historical, allometric and ecological effects on the shape of the lumbar vertebrae of spiny rats (Rodentia: Echimyidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In mammals, the lumbar vertebrae are important for sustaining the trunk, for allowing the trunk to flex and extend, and, during locomotion, for transferring forces from the sacroiliac region to the anterior region of the body. The Echimyidae is a group that comprises spiny rats, the coypu and hutias. It is the caviomorph rodent family with the greatest ecological diversity and species richness, as well as having a wide variation in body mass. Thus, echimyid rodents provide a promising model for understanding how phylogenetic, allometric and ecological factors associated with locomotion affect the evolution of the post-cranial skeleton. To assess the effect of these three factors on the morphology of the lumbar vertebrae, the penultimate lumbar vertebra of 26 echimyid species was photographed under five views and submitted to phylogenetically informed comparative analysis using 2D geometric morphometrics. Vertebral shape variation showed a low correlation with body mass and vertebral size, and a low to moderate phylogenetic signal. Remarkably, locomotory habit had a strong influence on lumbar morphology, particularly when analysed in lateral view. Our results indicate that the echimyid penultimate lumbar vertebra is potentially useful for future ecomorphological studies on living and fossil small mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Furtado Da Silva Netto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - William Corrêa Tavares
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, CCS, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Avenida Carlos Chagas Filho, S/N, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Campus Duque de Caxias Professor Geraldo Cidade, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rodovia Washington Luiz, Km 104,5, Santa Cruz da Serra, Duque de Caxias, RJ, Brazil
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10
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Delciellos AC, Ribeiro SE, Prevedello JA, Vieira MV. Changes in aboveground locomotion of a scansorial opossum associated to habitat fragmentation. J Mammal 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Habitat fragmentation may affect animal movement patterns due to changes in intra- and interspecific interactions as well as in habitat quality and structure. Although the effects of habitat fragmentation on terrestrial movements are relatively well-known, it is unclear whether and how they affect aboveground locomotion of individuals. We compared aboveground locomotion of a Neotropical small mammal, the gray four-eyed opossum, Philander quica, between two forest fragments and two areas of continuous forest in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We 1) quantified support availability and tested for active selection of different support diameters and inclinations by individuals; and 2) compared support diameters and inclinations used (observed values) among areas and between males and females. Both males and females selected supports based on diameters and inclinations in forest fragments. In continuous forests sites, females selected supports based on diameters and inclinations, but males selected only support diameters. Frequency of support diameter use differed significantly between forest fragments and continuous forest sites and between males and females. Frequency of support inclination use differed significantly between areas only for females, and between sexes only in continuous forest sites. Sex-related differences in support selection and use are likely related to differences in body size and conflicting energetic and behavioral demands related to use of arboreal space. Site-related differences in aboveground movements likely reflect the effects of forest edges that result in increased use of thinner supports in forest fragments. These results complement our previous findings that habitat fragmentation reduces daily home ranges and increases the total amount of aboveground locomotion of P. quica, and provide a more thorough picture of how forest-dependent species are able to use and persist in small forest fragments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cláudia Delciellos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Suzy Emidio Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jayme Augusto Prevedello
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Paisagens, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Maracanã, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcus Vinícius Vieira
- Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, CEP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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11
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Not all fine-branch locomotion is equal: Grasping morphology determines locomotor performance on narrow supports. J Hum Evol 2020; 142:102767. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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12
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Dunham NT, McNamara A, Shapiro LJ, Phelps T, Young JW. Asymmetrical gait kinematics of free-ranging callitrichines in response to changes in substrate diameter and orientation. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb.217562. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.217562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Arboreal environments present considerable biomechanical challenges for animals moving and foraging among substrates varying in diameter, orientation, and compliance. Most studies of quadrupedal gait kinematics in primates and other arboreal mammals have focused on symmetrical walking gaits and the significance of diagonal sequence gaits. Considerably less research has examined asymmetrical gaits, despite their prevalence in small-bodied arboreal taxa. Here we examine whether and how free-ranging callitrichine primates adjust asymmetrical gait kinematics to changes in substrate diameter and orientation, as well as how variation in gait kinematics affects substrate displacement. We used high-speed video to film free-ranging Saguinus tripartitus and Cebuella pygmaea inhabiting the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, Ecuador. We found that Saguinus used bounding and half-bounding gaits on larger substrates versus gallops and symmetrical gaits on smaller substrates, and also shifted several kinematic parameters consistent with attenuating forces transferred from the animal to the substrate. Similarly, Cebuella shifted from high impact bounding gaits on larger substrates to using more half-bounding gaits on smaller substrates; however, kinematic adjustments to substrate diameter were not as profound as in Saguinus. Both species adjusted gait kinematics to changes in substrate orientation; however, gait kinematics did not significantly affect empirical measures of substrate displacement in either species. Due to their small body size, claw-like nails, and reduced grasping capabilities, callitrichines arguably represent extant biomechanical analogues for an early stage in primate evolution. As such, greater attention should be placed on understanding asymmetrical gait dynamics for insight into hypotheses concerning early primate locomotor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Division of Conservation and Science, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, 4200 Wildlife Way, Cleveland, OH, 44109, USA
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Rd, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA
| | - Allison McNamara
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Liza J. Shapiro
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Taylor Phelps
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 4209 St. Rt. 44, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
| | - Jesse W. Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, 4209 St. Rt. 44, Rootstown, OH, 44272, USA
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13
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Cartmill M, Brown K, Atkinson C, Cartmill EA, Findley E, Gonzalez‐Socoloske D, Hartstone‐Rose A, Mueller J. The gaits of marsupials and the evolution of diagonal‐sequence walking in primates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:182-197. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matt Cartmill
- Department of Anthropology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham North Carolina
| | - Kaye Brown
- Department of Anthropology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
| | - Christopher Atkinson
- Department of Gastroenterology University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Albuquerque New Mexico
| | - Erica A. Cartmill
- Departments of Anthropology and Psychology University of California Los Angeles California
| | - Erica Findley
- Southwest Boulevard Family Health Care Kansas City Kansas
| | | | - Adam Hartstone‐Rose
- Department of Biology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina
| | - Joanne Mueller
- Department of Anthropology Boston University Boston Massachusetts
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14
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Nyakatura JA. Early primate evolution: insights into the functional significance of grasping from motion analyses of extant mammals. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- John A Nyakatura
- AG Morphologie und Formengeschichte, Institut für Biologie, Humboldt Universität, Philippstraße, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Miller CE, Johnson LE, Pinkard H, Lemelin P, Schmitt D. Limb phase flexibility in walking: a test case in the squirrel monkey ( Saimiri sciureus). Front Zool 2019; 16:5. [PMID: 30820237 PMCID: PMC6380004 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-019-0299-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous analyses of factors influencing footfall timings and gait selection in quadrupeds have focused on the implications for energetic cost or gait mechanics separately. Here we present a model for symmetrical walking gaits in quadrupedal mammals that combines both factors, and aims to predict the substrate contexts in which animals will select certain ranges of footfall timings that (1) minimize energetic cost, (2) minimize rolling and pitching moments, or (3) balance the two. We hypothesize that energy recovery will be a priority on all surfaces, and will be the dominant factor determining footfall timings on flat, ground-like surfaces. The ability to resist pitch and roll, however, will play a larger role in determining footfall choice on narrower and more complex branch-like substrates. As a preliminary test of the expectations of the model, we collected sample data on footfall timings in a primate with relatively high flexibility in footfall timings - the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) - walking on a flat surface, straight pole, and a pole with laterally-projecting branches to simulate simplified ground and branch substrates. We compare limb phase values on these supports to the expectations of the model. RESULTS As predicted, walking steps on the flat surface tended towards limb phase values that promote energy exchange. Both pole substrates induced limb phase values predicted to favor reduced pitching and rolling moments. CONCLUSIONS These data provide novel insight into the ways in which animals may choose to adjust their behavior in response to movement on flat versus complex substrates and the competing selective factors that influence footfall timing in mammals. These data further suggest a pathway for future investigations using this perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Henry Pinkard
- Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California USA
| | - Pierre Lemelin
- Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta Canada
| | - Daniel Schmitt
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina USA
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16
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Dunham NT, McNamara A, Shapiro L, Phelps T, Wolfe AN, Young JW. Locomotor kinematics of tree squirrels (
Sciurus carolinensis
) in free‐ranging and laboratory environments: Implications for primate locomotion and evolution. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 331:103-119. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Noah T. Dunham
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
| | - Allison McNamara
- Department of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas
| | - Liza Shapiro
- Department of Anthropology University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas
| | - Taylor Phelps
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
| | - Adrienne N. Wolfe
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
| | - Jesse W. Young
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology Northeast Ohio Medical University Rootstown Ohio
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17
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Taverne M, Fabre AC, Herbin M, Herrel A, Peigné S, Lacroux C, Lowie A, Pagès F, Theil JC, Böhmer C. Convergence in the functional properties of forelimb muscles in carnivorans: adaptations to an arboreal lifestyle? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Taverne
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Marc Herbin
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Peigné
- UMR 7207 – CR2P, CNRS/MNHN, Département Origines et Evolution, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Camille Lacroux
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Aurélien Lowie
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Fanny Pagès
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Theil
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
| | - Christine Böhmer
- UMR 7179, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Adaptations du Vivant, rue Buffon, Paris, France
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18
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Young JW, Shapiro LJ. Developments in development: What have we learned from primate locomotor ontogeny? AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 165 Suppl 65:37-71. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesse W. Young
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyNortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)Rootstown Ohio, 44272
| | - Liza J. Shapiro
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of TexasAustin Texas, 78712
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19
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Granatosky MC, Schmitt D, Hanna J. Comparison of spatiotemporal gait characteristics between vertical climbing and horizontal walking in primates. J Exp Biol 2018; 222:jeb.185702. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.185702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During quadrupedal walking, most primates utilize diagonal sequence diagonal couplet gaits, large limb excursions, and hindlimb-biased limb-loading. These gait characteristics are thought to be basal to the Order, but the selective pressure underlying these gait changes remains unknown. Some researchers have examined these characteristics during vertical climbing and propose that primate quadrupedal gait characteristics may have arisen due to the mechanical challenges of moving on vertical supports. Unfortunately, these studies are usually limited in scope and do not account for varying strategies based on body size or phylogeny. Here, we test the hypothesis that the spatiotemporal gait characteristics that are used during horizontal walking in primates are also present during vertical climbing irrespective of body size and phylogeny. We examined footfall patterns, diagonality, speed, and stride length in eight species of primates across a range of body masses. We found that during vertical climbing primates slow down, keep more limbs in contact with the substrate at any one time, and increase the frequency of lateral sequence gaits compared to horizontal walking. Taken together these characteristics are assumed to increase stability during locomotion. Phylogenetic relatedness and body size differences have little influence on locomotor patterns observed across species. These data reject the idea that the suite of spatiotemporal gait features observed in primates during horizontal walking are in some way evolutionarily linked to selective pressures associated with mechanical requirements of vertical climbing. These results also highlight the importance of behavioral flexibility for negotiating the challenges of locomotion in an arboreal environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C. Granatosky
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Daniel Schmitt
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NS, USA
| | - Jandy Hanna
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Lewisburg, WV, USA
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