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The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta.

Publication ,  Journal Article
O'Neill, MC; Schmitt, D
Published in: The Journal of experimental biology
May 2012

Most primates, including lemurs, have a broad range of locomotor capabilities, yet much of the time, they walk at slow speeds and amble, canter or gallop at intermediate and fast speeds. Although numerous studies have investigated limb function during primate quadrupedalism, how the center of mass (COM) moves is not well understood. Here, we examined COM energy, work and power during walking, cantering and galloping in ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta (N=5), over a broad speed range (0.43-2.91 m s(-1)). COM energy recoveries were substantial during walking (35-71%) but lower during canters and gallops (10-51%). COM work, power and collisional losses increased with speed. The positive COM works were 0.625 J kg(-1) m(-1) for walks and 1.661 J kg(-1) m(-1) for canters and gallops, which are in the middle range of published values for terrestrial animals. Although some discontinuities in COM mechanics were evident between walking and cantering, there was no apparent analog to the trot-gallop transition across the intermediate and fast speed range (dimensionless v>0.75, Fr>0.5). A phenomenological model of a lemur cantering and trotting at the same speed shows that canters ensure continuous contact of the body with the substrate while reducing peak vertical COM forces, COM stiffness and COM collisions. We suggest that cantering, rather than trotting, at intermediate speeds may be tied to the arboreal origins of the Order Primates. These data allow us to better understand the mechanics of primate gaits and shed new light on primate locomotor evolution.

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Published In

The Journal of experimental biology

DOI

EISSN

1477-9145

ISSN

0022-0949

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

215

Issue

Pt 10

Start / End Page

1728 / 1739

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Primates
  • Physiology
  • Movement
  • Models, Statistical
  • Male
  • Lemur
  • Kinetics
  • Gravitation
 

Citation

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O’Neill, M. C., & Schmitt, D. (2012). The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta. The Journal of Experimental Biology, 215(Pt 10), 1728–1739. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.052340
O’Neill, Matthew C., and Daniel Schmitt. “The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta.The Journal of Experimental Biology 215, no. Pt 10 (May 2012): 1728–39. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.052340.
O’Neill MC, Schmitt D. The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta. The Journal of experimental biology. 2012 May;215(Pt 10):1728–39.
O’Neill, Matthew C., and Daniel Schmitt. “The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta.The Journal of Experimental Biology, vol. 215, no. Pt 10, May 2012, pp. 1728–39. Epmc, doi:10.1242/jeb.052340.
O’Neill MC, Schmitt D. The gaits of primates: center of mass mechanics in walking, cantering and galloping ring-tailed lemurs, Lemur catta. The Journal of experimental biology. 2012 May;215(Pt 10):1728–1739.
Journal cover image

Published In

The Journal of experimental biology

DOI

EISSN

1477-9145

ISSN

0022-0949

Publication Date

May 2012

Volume

215

Issue

Pt 10

Start / End Page

1728 / 1739

Related Subject Headings

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Primates
  • Physiology
  • Movement
  • Models, Statistical
  • Male
  • Lemur
  • Kinetics
  • Gravitation