Abstract
X-ray examinations of Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) in two groups on Awajishima Island revealed that 11 of 46 monkeys from the Kaminada group and 5 of 37 monkeys from the Shirasaki group had limb anomalies. All the cleft hands, which comprised most of the anomalies in these Awajishima monkeys, involved reduction of one, two, or three fingers. The digital reductions showed a definite pattern: cleft hands with four, three, or two fingers lacking the digital rays III, III & IV, or II, III & IV, respectively. A similar teratological pattern has been recognized in the anomalies of other troops of Japanese monkeys. The presence of such a common teratological pattern among Japanese monkeys may be related to the high incidence of the anomalies and suggests that they may have a common etiological factor.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blauth, W. &J. Gekeler, 1971. Zur Morphologie und Klassifikation der Symbrachydaktylie.Handchirurgie, 3: 123–128.
———— & ————, 1973. Symbrachydaktylien.Handchirurgie, 5: 121–171.
Boyes, J. H., 1970.Bunnell’s Surgery of the Hand. J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Furuya, Y., 1966. On the malformation occurred in the Gagyusan troop of wild Japanese monkeys.Primates, 7: 488–492.
Henkel, L. &H. Willert, 1969. Dysmelia: a classification and a pattern of malformation in a group of congenital defects of the limbs.J. Bone Joint Surg., 51(B): 399–414.
Itani, J. &H. Mizuhara, 1957. Notes on malformed individuals found in the wild group of Japanese macaques at Takasakiyama.Bull. Exp. Anim., 4: 105–107. (in Japanese)
————,K. Tokuda, Y. Furuya, K. Kano, &Y. Shin, 1963. The social construction of natural troops of Japanese monkeys in Takasakiyama.Primates, 4(1): 1–42.
Iwamoto, M., 1967. Morphological observations on the congenital malformation of limbs in the Japanese monkey.Primates, 8: 247–270.
————,N. Shigehara, &N. Nagura, 1975. Congenital malformation of limbs in the Shiga A troop of Japanese monkeys.Physiol. & Ecol., 16: 77–79. (in Japanese with English abstract)
Kansai Study Group on Japanese Monkeys, 1976. The Kaminada group. In:A Report on the Survey of Japanese Monkeys in Awajishima Island,Kansai Nipponsaru Kenkyu Kai (ed.), pp. 10–54. (in Japanese)
----, 1977. The number and composition of the group members. In:A Report on the Second Survey of Japanese Monkeys in Awajishima Island,Kansai Nipponsaru Kenkyu Kai (ed.), pp. 3–10. (in Japanese)
Kelikian, H., 1974.Congenital Deformities of the Hand and Forearm. W. B. Saunders, Philadelphia.
Kikeimondaikenkyukai, 1977. The rate of the incidence of the anomalies. In:The Communication on Teratological Problems, No. 10 (Kikeimondai-tsushin, No. 10),Kikeimondaikenkyukai (ed.), pp. 1–2. (in Japansese)
Morris, L. N., 1971. Spontaneous congenital limb malformations in nonhuman primates: a review of the literature.Teratology, 4: 335–342.
———— &B. A. Kerr, 1971. Split hand and foot anomaly inMacaca mulatta: a report of two cases.Am. J. Anat., 130: 481–494.
Nishida, T., 1966. A sociological study of solitary male monkeys.Primates, 7: 141–204.
Pearson, K., 1931. On the existence of the digital deformity—so-called “lobster-claw”—in the apes.Ann. Eugen., 4: 339–340. pl. I–X.
Primack, A., D. Young, &E. Homan, 1972. Syndactyly in a rhesus monkey: a case report.Teratology, 5: 137–142.
Schultz, A. H., 1956. The occurrence and frequency of pathological and teratological conditions and of twinning among non-human primates. In:Primatologia, Vol. 1,H. Hofer, A. H. Schultz, & D. Starl (eds.), Karger, pp. 965–1014.
Wilson, J. G. &J. A. Gavan, 1967. Congenital malformations in nonhuman primates: spontaneous and experimentally induced.Anat. Rec., 158: 99–110.
Yamauchi, Y., T. Homma, S. Yoshihiro, &H. Sugita, 1977. Radiological appearance of the hand and foot anomalies seen among the monkeys on Awajishima Island.Orthop. Surg. (Seikei Geka), 28: 1485–1489. (in Japanese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Homma, T. Sequential pattern of limb anomalies in Japanese monkeys on Awajishima Island. Primates 21, 20–30 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02383821
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02383821