Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces

Mechanical loading of finger bones (phalanges) can induce angular curvature, which benefits arboreal primates by dissipating forces and economising the recruitment of muscles during climbing. The recent discovery of extremely curved phalanges in a hominin, Homo naledi, is puzzling, for it suggests...

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Autores principales:	Michael C. Everett, Marina C. Elliott, David Gaynor, Austin C. Hill, Samar M. Syeda, Jesse Casana, Bernhard Zipfel, Jeremy M. DeSilva, Nathaniel J. Dominy
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Academy of Science of South Africa 2021
Materias:	human evolution locomotion climbing suspension bone curvature Science Q Science (General) Q1-390 Social Sciences H Social sciences (General) H1-99
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/77a32e8eec3347ac908836b72f87645b
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id	oai:doaj.org-article:77a32e8eec3347ac908836b72f87645b
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:77a32e8eec3347ac908836b72f87645b2021-12-02T06:15:02ZMechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces10.17159/sajs.2021/104091996-7489https://doaj.org/article/77a32e8eec3347ac908836b72f87645b2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://sajs.co.za/article/view/10409https://doaj.org/toc/1996-7489 Mechanical loading of finger bones (phalanges) can induce angular curvature, which benefits arboreal primates by dissipating forces and economising the recruitment of muscles during climbing. The recent discovery of extremely curved phalanges in a hominin, Homo naledi, is puzzling, for it suggests life in an arboreal milieu, or, alternatively, habitual climbing on vertical rock surfaces. The importance of climbing rock walls is attested by several populations of baboons, one of which uses a 7-m vertical surface to enter and exit Dronkvlei Cave, De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. This rock surface is an attractive model for estimating the probability of extreme mechanical loading on the phalanges of rock-climbing primates. Here we use three-dimensional photogrammetry to show that 82–91% of the climbable surface would generate high forces on the flexor tendon pulley system and severely load the phalanges of baboons and H. naledi. If such proportions are representative of vertical rock surfaces elsewhere, it may be sufficient to induce stress-mitigating curvature in the phalanges of primates. Significance: • We present the first three-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of a vertical rock surface climbed by a non-human primate, the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). • Our results show that a large proportion of a vertical rock wall would compel crimp and slope hand positions during climbing – grips that could explain the extraordinary phalangeal curvature expressed by a Middle Pleistocene hominin, Homo naledi. Michael C. EverettMarina C. ElliottDavid GaynorAustin C. HillSamar M. SyedaJesse CasanaBernhard ZipfelJeremy M. DeSilvaNathaniel J. DominyAcademy of Science of South Africaarticlehuman evolutionlocomotionclimbingsuspensionbone curvatureScienceQScience (General)Q1-390Social SciencesHSocial sciences (General)H1-99ENSouth African Journal of Science, Vol 117, Iss 11/12 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	human evolution locomotion climbing suspension bone curvature Science Q Science (General) Q1-390 Social Sciences H Social sciences (General) H1-99
spellingShingle	human evolution locomotion climbing suspension bone curvature Science Q Science (General) Q1-390 Social Sciences H Social sciences (General) H1-99 Michael C. Everett Marina C. Elliott David Gaynor Austin C. Hill Samar M. Syeda Jesse Casana Bernhard Zipfel Jeremy M. DeSilva Nathaniel J. Dominy Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
description	Mechanical loading of finger bones (phalanges) can induce angular curvature, which benefits arboreal primates by dissipating forces and economising the recruitment of muscles during climbing. The recent discovery of extremely curved phalanges in a hominin, Homo naledi, is puzzling, for it suggests life in an arboreal milieu, or, alternatively, habitual climbing on vertical rock surfaces. The importance of climbing rock walls is attested by several populations of baboons, one of which uses a 7-m vertical surface to enter and exit Dronkvlei Cave, De Hoop Nature Reserve, South Africa. This rock surface is an attractive model for estimating the probability of extreme mechanical loading on the phalanges of rock-climbing primates. Here we use three-dimensional photogrammetry to show that 82–91% of the climbable surface would generate high forces on the flexor tendon pulley system and severely load the phalanges of baboons and H. naledi. If such proportions are representative of vertical rock surfaces elsewhere, it may be sufficient to induce stress-mitigating curvature in the phalanges of primates. Significance: • We present the first three-dimensional photogrammetric analysis of a vertical rock surface climbed by a non-human primate, the chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). • Our results show that a large proportion of a vertical rock wall would compel crimp and slope hand positions during climbing – grips that could explain the extraordinary phalangeal curvature expressed by a Middle Pleistocene hominin, Homo naledi.
format	article
author	Michael C. Everett Marina C. Elliott David Gaynor Austin C. Hill Samar M. Syeda Jesse Casana Bernhard Zipfel Jeremy M. DeSilva Nathaniel J. Dominy
author_facet	Michael C. Everett Marina C. Elliott David Gaynor Austin C. Hill Samar M. Syeda Jesse Casana Bernhard Zipfel Jeremy M. DeSilva Nathaniel J. Dominy
author_sort	Michael C. Everett
title	Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
title_short	Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
title_full	Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
title_fullStr	Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
title_full_unstemmed	Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
title_sort	mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces
publisher	Academy of Science of South Africa
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/77a32e8eec3347ac908836b72f87645b
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Mechanical loading of primate fingers on vertical rock surfaces

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