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Unique Aspects of Quadrupedal Locomotion in Nonhuman Primates

  • Chapter
Primate Locomotion

Abstract

Quadrupedal walking and running are certainly not the first things that come to mind when one considers unique aspects of primate locomotion. However, there is a growing body of information about how the form of quadrupedalism displayed by primates differs from that of nonprimate mammals (see Vilensky, 1987, 1989). One of the most distinctive characteristics of primate quadrupedalism is that they typically utilize a diagonal sequence/diagonal couplets walking gait pattern (i.e., foot falls in sequence: left hind, right fore, right hind, left fore, with diagonal limbs moving as a pair), in contrast to the almost universally employed lateral sequence walking gait (left hind, left fore, right hind, right fore) of nonprimate mammals (Howell, 1944; Prost, 1965, 1969; Hildebrand, 1967; Rollinson and Martin, 1981; Vilensky, 1989; Vilensky and Larson, 1989). This difference in gait pattern is not trivial, since a diagonal sequence/diagonal couplet walking gait creates a strong potential for interference between the ipsilateral hind and forelimbs (Figure 1). The potential for hind/forelimb interference is exacerbated in primates by their long limbs (due to their relatively longer limb bones, Alexander et al., 1979), and by their propensity to use relatively longer stride lengths than nonprimate quadrupeds (Vilensky, 1980; Alexander and Maloiy, 1984; Reynolds, 1987). As a result, many primate quadrupeds must regularly “overstride” during walking, that is, touch down with their hind foot ahead of their ipsilateral hand by passing it either “inside” or “outside” of the forelimb (Hildebrand, 1967; Reynolds, 1985b; Larson and Stern, 1987; see Figure 1). Another distinctive aspect of primate gait utilization is the infrequent use of a running trot (defined as diagonal limbs moving synchronously with relative stance duration of each limb less than 50%; see Hildebrand, 1967).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, 11794-8081, USA

    Susan G. Larson

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. California State University, Sacramento, Sacramento, California, USA

    Elizabeth Strasser

  2. State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    John G. Fleagle

  3. National Zoological Park, Washington, D.C, USA

    Alfred L. Rosenberger

  4. University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA

    Henry M. McHenry

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Larson, S.G. (1998). Unique Aspects of Quadrupedal Locomotion in Nonhuman Primates. In: Strasser, E., Fleagle, J.G., Rosenberger, A.L., McHenry, H.M. (eds) Primate Locomotion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0092-0_10

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