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Bipedal versus Quadrupedal Hind Limb and Foot Kinematics in a Captive Sample of Papio anubis: Setup and Preliminary Results

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Abstract

Setups that integrate both kinematics and morpho-functional investigations of a single sample constitute recent developments in the study of nonhuman primate bipedalisms. We introduce the integrated setup built at the Primatology Station of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), which allows analysis of both bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion in a population of 55–60 captive olive baboons. As a first comparison, we present the hind limb kinematics of both locomotor modalities in 10 individuals, focusing on the stance phase. The main results are: 1) differences in bipedal and quadrupedal kinematics at the hip, knee, and foot levels; 2) a variety of foot contacts to the ground, mainly of semiplantigrade type, but also of plantigrade type; 3) equal variations between bipedal and quadrupedal foot angles; 4) the kinematics of the foot joints act in coordinated and stereotyped manners, but are triggered differently according to whether the support is bipedal or quadrupedal. Although very occasionally realized, the bipedal walk of olive baboon appears to be a habitual and nonerratic locomotor modality.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the editors of this volume and organizers of the symposium on Functional Morphology in Primates in Durham for inviting us to introduce our ongoing program on baboon locomotion; this contribution is based on this introductory presentation. We also thank the other members of the Primatology Station, especially Valérie Moulin, for her permanent help. The entire motion capture system was set up with the collaboration of P. Trannois (Opto France, France); the Streamstation was configured with the help of T. Lemaire. This research is supported by the Fyssen Foundation (Research Grant), and the Groupement de Recherche GDR 2655 of the CNRS (Dir. L. Rosetta). Finally, we thank E. Hirasaki and 2 anonymous reviewers who provided numerous and very constructive comments on previous versions of the manuscript as well as Joanna M. Setchell, who contributed to the revision of the English and the editing of the final version of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UPR 2147 CNRS, Dynamique de l’Évolution Humaine, 75014, Paris, France

    Gilles Berillon

  2. Département de Préhistoire, Musée de l’Homme, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, 75116, Paris, France

    Guillaume Daver

  3. Functional Morphology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Kristiaan D’Août

  4. Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

    Kristiaan D’Août

  5. Laboratoire M2S Mouvement, Sport, Santé (Physiologie et Biomécanique) UFR-APS, Université Rennes 2 – ENS Cachan, Rennes, France

    Guillaume Nicolas & Franck Multon

  6. LAPP, UMR 5199 PACEA, Université Bordeaux 1, Bordeaux, France

    Bénédicte de la Villetanet

  7. Station de primatologie, CNRS, Rousset sur Arc, France

    Georges Digrandi & Guy Dubreuil

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  1. Gilles Berillon
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  2. Guillaume Daver
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  3. Kristiaan D’Août
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Correspondence to Gilles Berillon.

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Berillon, G., Daver, G., D’Août, K. et al. Bipedal versus Quadrupedal Hind Limb and Foot Kinematics in a Captive Sample of Papio anubis: Setup and Preliminary Results. Int J Primatol 31, 159–180 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10764-010-9398-2

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