Abstract
The morphology of the cranial thoracic vertebrae has long been neglected in the study of primate skeletal functional morphology. This study explored the characteristics of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae among various positional behavioural primates. A total of 67 skeletal samples from four species of hominoids, four of cercopithecoids, and two of platyrrhines were used. Computed tomography images of the thoracic vertebrae were converted to a three-dimensional (3D) bone surface, and 104 landmarks were obtained on the 3D surface. For size-independent shape analysis, the vertebrae were scaled to the same centroid size, and the normalised landmarks were registered using the generalised Procrustes method. Principle components of shape variation among samples were clarified using the variance–covariance matrix of the Procrustes residuals. The present study revealed that the transverse processes were more dorsally positioned in hominoids compared to non-hominoids. The results showed that not only a dorsolaterally oriented but also a dorsally positioned transverse process in relation to the vertebral arch contribute to the greater dorsal depth in hominoids than in monkeys. The thoracic vertebrae of Ateles and Nasalis show relatively dorsoventrally low and craniocaudally long vertebrae with craniocaudally long zygapophyses and craniocaudally long base/short tip of the caudally oriented spinous process, accompanied by a laterally oriented and craniocaudally long base of the transverse process. Despite being phylogenetically separated, the vertebral features of Ateles (suspensory platyrrhine with its prehensile tail's aid) are similar to those of Nasalis (arboreal quadrupedal/jumping/arm-swing colobine). The morphology of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae tends to reflect the functional adaptation in relation to positional behaviour rather than the phylogenetic characteristics of hominoids, cercopithecoids, and platyrrhines.
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to associate editor, M. Nakatsukasa, and two anonymous reviewers for their useful comments and encouragements. We express our gratitude to M. Takai, T. Nishimura, E. Hirasaki, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan, for permitting us access to the primate samples, and use of the CT scanner. We also thank M. Nakamura, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, T. Takano, Japan Monkey Centre, and all staffs of Fukuoka city Zoological Garden and Nagoya-city Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical Gardens for allowing us to use primate specimens, especially great ape skeletons. This study was supported by the Cooperative Research Program of the Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Collaborative Research of Japan Monkey Centre, the Great Ape Information Network (GAIN), and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP 20K06835.
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Kikuchi, Y., Ogihara, N. Functional anatomy and adaptation of the third to sixth thoracic vertebrae in primates using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics. Primates 62, 845–855 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-021-00929-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-021-00929-3