Inferring the locomotor behavior of fossil hominoids from phalangeal curvature using a novel method: Lufengpithecus as a case study

doi:10.16359/j.cnki.cn11-1963/q.2020.0061

Abstract

Abstract:

Phalangeal curvature has long been used to infer locomotor behavior in fossil primates. Several methods, such as radius of curvature, included angle (IA), normalized curvature moment arm (NCMA), and high-resolution polynomial curve fitting (HR-PCF), have been employed to quantify and compare phalangeal curvature. However, each method has theoretical or technical limitations in the degree to which they are able to accurately quantify phalangeal curvature, and these undermine the applicability and utility of these methods. A novel method of analyzing phalangeal curvature, based on 4th order polynomial curve fitting on geometric morphometric landmark data (GM-PCF), is described here as an alternative method. GM-PCF avoids the problems with previously employed methods and provides a more accurate representation of phalangeal curvature. It uses normalized phalangeal curve height (NPCH) as a quantitative indicator of phalangeal curvature, and depicts the average normalized phalangeal curve for qualitative comparison of curvature. Furthermore, it provides additional information about phalangeal proportions that are crucial for interpreting the functional relationships of phalangeal curvature. GM-PCF is also capable of dealing with incomplete phalanges. To test the utility of the new method, fifteen groups of extant anthropoid primates are used as a reference sample for comparison with two species of Miocene hominoids from China, Lufengpithecus lufengensis and Lufengpithecus hudienensis. The results of the GM-PCF analysis are used to infer the most likely locomotor behavior of the fossil hominoids.

Key words: Phalangeal curvature, Polynomial curve fitting, Locomotion, Hominoids, Lufengpithecus

CLC Number:

981.3

ZHANG Yingqi, Terry HARRISON, JI Xueping. Inferring the locomotor behavior of fossil hominoids from phalangeal curvature using a novel method: Lufengpithecus as a case study[J]. Acta Anthropologica Sinica, 2020, 39(04): 532-554.

Figures/Tables 11

References 82

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	individual	manual phalanges			pedal phalanges			locomotion^*	arboreality vs. terrestriality^*
	individual	pollical proximal	ray II-V proximal	ray II-V intermediate	hallucal proximal	ray II-V proximal	ray II-V intermediate	locomotion^*	arboreality vs. terrestriality^*
Hylobatidae	56	53	222	213	49	192	170	suspension, brachiation, climbing	arboreal
Pongo spp.	41	41	162	162	38	157	158	suspension, climbing	arboreal
Gorilla spp.	36	28	122	118	28	115	103	knuckle-walking	terrestriality > arboreality
Pan spp.	45	40	160	156	41	170	157	knuckle-walking, suspension, climbing	terrestriality ≈ arboreality
Homo sapiens	67	67	268	268	67	267	223	bipedalism	terrestrial
Papio spp.	6	6	24	24	6	24	19	quadrupedalism	terrestrial
Macaca mulatta	35	35	140	140	35	140	140	quadrupedalism, climbing	terrestriality > arboreality
Trachypithecus spp.	8	5	28	20	8	32	24	quadrupedalism, climbing, leaping	arboreal
Semnopithecus spp.	3	2	11	5	3	11	5	quadrupedalism, climbing, leaping	arboreal or semi-terrestrial
Presbytis spp.	5	4	16	12	4	18	12	leaping, quadrupedalism	arboreal
Rhinopithecus roxellana	1	0	4	0	0	0	0	quadrupedalism, climbing, brachiation	arboreal
Colobus angolensis	1	0	4	4	0	4	4	quadrupedalism, leaping, climbing	arboreal
Ateles spp.	10	0	40	40	8	32	32	quadrupedalism, climbing, suspension	arboreal
Alouatta spp.	2	2	8	6	2	8	6	quadrupedalism, climbing	arboreal
Cebus spp.	12	12	48	48	7	48	40	quadrupedalism, climbing	arboreal
Total (5703)	328	295	1257	1216	296	1218	1093

	individual	manual phalanges			pedal phalanges			locomotion^*	arboreality vs. terrestriality^*
	individual	pollical proximal	ray II-V proximal	ray II-V intermediate	hallucal proximal	ray II-V proximal	ray II-V intermediate	locomotion^*	arboreality vs. terrestriality^*
Hylobatidae	56	53	222	213	49	192	170	suspension, brachiation, climbing	arboreal
Pongo spp.	41	41	162	162	38	157	158	suspension, climbing	arboreal
Gorilla spp.	36	28	122	118	28	115	103	knuckle-walking	terrestriality > arboreality
Pan spp.	45	40	160	156	41	170	157	knuckle-walking, suspension, climbing	terrestriality ≈ arboreality
Homo sapiens	67	67	268	268	67	267	223	bipedalism	terrestrial
Papio spp.	6	6	24	24	6	24	19	quadrupedalism	terrestrial
Macaca mulatta	35	35	140	140	35	140	140	quadrupedalism, climbing	terrestriality > arboreality
Trachypithecus spp.	8	5	28	20	8	32	24	quadrupedalism, climbing, leaping	arboreal
Semnopithecus spp.	3	2	11	5	3	11	5	quadrupedalism, climbing, leaping	arboreal or semi-terrestrial
Presbytis spp.	5	4	16	12	4	18	12	leaping, quadrupedalism	arboreal
Rhinopithecus roxellana	1	0	4	0	0	0	0	quadrupedalism, climbing, brachiation	arboreal
Colobus angolensis	1	0	4	4	0	4	4	quadrupedalism, leaping, climbing	arboreal
Ateles spp.	10	0	40	40	8	32	32	quadrupedalism, climbing, suspension	arboreal
Alouatta spp.	2	2	8	6	2	8	6	quadrupedalism, climbing	arboreal
Cebus spp.	12	12	48	48	7	48	40	quadrupedalism, climbing	arboreal
Total (5703)	328	295	1257	1216	296	1218	1093