Multitvariate analysis of three-dimensional trabecular bone architecture in living and fossil primates.
Open Access
- Author:
- Perchalski, Bernadette Alyce
- Area of Honors:
- Biological Anthropolgy
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Timothy Michael Ryan, Thesis Supervisor
Timothy Michael Ryan, Thesis Honors Advisor
Nina G Jablonski, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Fossil primates
Trabecular bone
Locomotor behavior
biological anthropology
primatology - Abstract:
- Trabecular bone architecture changes in response to mechanical loading from repetitive locomotor behaviors. This has been demonstrated in mammals and birds, and trabecular characteristics have been used in past studies to comment on behaviors of extinct species. This study analyzed the trabecular architecture of the femoral heads of individuals from a sample of small bodied extant primates (n=125) from 14 genera (Avahi, Callithrix, Cebus, Cheirogaleus, Galago, Hapalemur, Lemur, Loris, Microcebus, Otolemur, Perodicticus, Propithecus, Saimiri, and Tarsius) that engage in three distinct types of locomotor behavior: vertical clinging and leaping, slow climbing, and arboreal quadrupedalism. Using the known locomotor behaviors of these primates, a discriminant function analysis was used to determine whether there were significant differences in the femoral head trabecular structure among the extant locomotor groups. In addition, this multivariate analysis was used to predict the locomotor behaviors of several fossil Eocene primates (Adapis, Apidium, Karanisia, Parapithecus, Omomys, and Shoshonius) based on their femoral head trabecular bone architecture. The results of this study suggest that there are significant structural differences in the trabecular architecture of primates engaging in vertical clinging and leaping, slow climbing, and arboreal quadrupedalism. Three of the fossils, Karanisia, Omomys, and Shoshonius, had well preserved trabecular structure. Karanisia was consistently grouped with extant arboreal quadrupeds, and Shoshonius with slow climbers, while the group affiliation of Omomys depended on the type of DFA analysis. This taxon was predicted as both a slow climber and a vertical clinger and leaper.