Correspondence Among Locomotor Profiles, Daily Stride Cycles, and Femoral Bone Robusticity in Taï Forest Cercopithecids
David J. Daegling, Jordan N. Traff, Tessa H. C. Wilde, E. Anderson Bitty, W. Scott McGrawABSTRACT
Objectives
This study explores linkages between daily locomotor cycles to structural and material biomechanical variables in four sympatric West African cercopithecid species. While functional studies of primate postcrania typically rely on locomotor and activity profiles to create a context for biomechanical interpretation, two variables not typically included in such studies are stride counts and rest intervals. The former provide information on cumulative daily loads, while the latter have been shown to have positive osteogenic effects.
Materials and Methods
Daily stride cycle counts in four adult females representing four sympatric cercopithecid species were collected over 30‐day periods. Individuals of the western red colobus (
Results
Differences in daily stride counts distinguish the four individuals, with higher stride counts characterizing the representatives of the two cercopithecine species. We do not observe a correspondence between stride counts and measures of long bone robusticity. Cumulative daily loads do not correspond to stronger or denser bones.
Discussion
The inclusion of information on rest duration and spacing may clarify functional linkages between locomotor behavior and skeletal mechanical properties.