Publisher's Synopsis
Although a wealth of information about the locomotor patterns and the functional morphology of primates has been compiled, there have been relatively few studies of the ontogenetic aspects of primate locomotion. The specially selected papers in this publication analyze empirical and numerical data on the morphology of the locomotor system as well as on postural and locomotor activities. Some are mainly concerned with the basic analysis of musculoskeletal functional anatomy while others deal with locomotor ontogeny, and, in some cases, with its relevance to locomotor phylogeny. The last group of papers is concerned with control of movement and addresses the problem of analyzing the interactions among the mechanically determined, actively controlled movements. The hypotheses proposed are based on the hard facts of morphology, posture, and movements. Providing a detailed analysis of important aspects of primate locomotion, this special issue is of value to primatologists and other researchers who are ultimately seeking a better understanding of locomotion during hominoid evolution.
