Shapiro L J, Jungers W L
Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin 78712.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1994 Apr;93(4):491-504. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.1330930408.
Despite the extensive electromyographic research that has addressed limb muscle function during primate quadrupedalism, the role of the back muscles in this locomotor behavior has remained undocumented. We report here the results of an electromyographic (EMG) analysis of three intrinsic back muscles (multifidus, longissimus, and iliocostalis) in the baboon (Papio anubis), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), and orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) during quadrupedal walking. The recruitment patterns of these three back muscles are compared to those reported for the same muscles during nonprimate quadrupedalism. In addition, the function of the back muscles during quadrupedalism and bipedalism in the two hominoids is compared. Results indicate that the back muscles restrict trunk movements during quadrupedalism by contracting with the touchdown of one or both feet, with more consistent activity associated with touchdown of the contralateral foot. Moreover, despite reported differences in their gait preferences and forelimb muscle EMG patterns, primates and nonprimate mammals recruit their back muscles in an essentially similar fashion during quadrupedal walking. These quadrupedal EMG patterns also resemble those reported for chimpanzees, gibbons and humans (but not orangutans) walking bipedally. The fundamental similarity in back muscle function across species and locomotor behaviors is consistent with other data pointing to conservatism in the evolution of the neural control of tetrapod limb movement, but does not preclude the suggestion (based on forelimb muscle EMG and spinal lesion studies) that some aspects of primate neural circuitry are unique.
尽管针对灵长类动物四足行走时肢体肌肉功能进行了广泛的肌电图研究，但背部肌肉在这种运动行为中的作用仍未得到记录。我们在此报告对狒狒（阿拉伯狒狒）、黑猩猩（黑猩猩）和猩猩（婆罗洲猩猩）在四足行走过程中三块背部固有肌肉（多裂肌、最长肌和髂肋肌）的肌电图（EMG）分析结果。将这三块背部肌肉的募集模式与非灵长类动物四足行走时相同肌肉的募集模式进行比较。此外，还比较了这两种类人猿在四足行走和两足行走时背部肌肉的功能。结果表明，在四足行走过程中，背部肌肉通过在一只或两只脚着地时收缩来限制躯干运动，对侧脚着地时的活动更为一致。此外，尽管在步态偏好和前肢肌肉肌电图模式上存在差异，但灵长类动物和非灵长类哺乳动物在四足行走时募集背部肌肉的方式基本相似。这些四足行走时的肌电图模式也与黑猩猩、长臂猿和人类两足行走时的模式相似（但猩猩除外）。跨物种和运动行为的背部肌肉功能的基本相似性与其他数据一致，这些数据表明四足动物肢体运动的神经控制进化具有保守性，但并不排除基于前肢肌肉肌电图和脊髓损伤研究得出的灵长类动物神经回路某些方面是独特的这一观点。
