Shapiro L J, Anapol F C, Jungers W L
Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin 78712, USA.
Am J Phys Anthropol. 1997 Feb;102(2):177-86. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1096-8644(199702)102:2<177::AID-AJPA3>3.0.CO;2-W.
Interlimb coordination is directly relevant to the understanding of the neural control of locomotion, but few studies addressing this topic for nonhuman primates are available, and no data exist for any hominoid other than humans. As a follow-up to Jungers and Anapol's ([1985] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 67:89-97) analysis on a lemur and talapoin monkey, we describe here the patterns of interlimb coordination in two chimpanzees as revealed by electromyography. Like the lemur and talapoin monkey, ipsilateral limb coupling in chimpanzees is characterized by variability about preferred modes within individual gaits. During symmetrical gaits, limb coupling patterns in the chimpanzee are also influenced by kinematic differences in hindlimb placement ("overstriding"). These observations reflect the neurological constraints placed on locomotion but also emphasize the overall flexibility of locomotor neural mechanisms. Interlimb coordination patterns are also species-specific, exhibiting significant differences among primate taxa and between primates and cats. Interspecific differences may be suggestive of phylogenetic divergence in the basic mechanisms for neural control of locomotion, but do not preclude morphological explanations for observed differences in interlimb coordination across species.
肢体间协调与理解运动的神经控制直接相关，但针对非人类灵长类动物这一主题的研究很少，除人类外，没有任何类人猿的相关数据。作为对荣格斯和阿纳波尔（[1985]《美国体质人类学杂志》67:89 - 97）对狐猴和侏长尾猴分析的后续研究，我们在此描述通过肌电图揭示的两只黑猩猩的肢体间协调模式。与狐猴和侏长尾猴一样，黑猩猩同侧肢体耦合的特点是在个体步态内围绕偏好模式存在变异性。在对称步态期间，黑猩猩的肢体耦合模式也受到后肢放置（“跨大步”）运动学差异的影响。这些观察结果反映了对运动施加的神经学限制，但也强调了运动神经机制的总体灵活性。肢体间协调模式也是物种特异性的，在灵长类分类群之间以及灵长类动物和猫之间表现出显著差异。种间差异可能暗示了运动神经控制基本机制的系统发育分歧，但并不排除对跨物种观察到的肢体间协调差异的形态学解释。
