Histologic examination of bone development in juvenile chimpanzees

The purpose of this study is to determine whether histologic skeletal development in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) differs from that in humans. Currently, minimal quantitative data are available on the bone histology of great apes. In addition to providing baseline data on juvenile chimpanzee bone histology, the data generated by this study have potential applications for studying the comparative development between chimpanzees and humans and other primates, as well as investigating the evolution of human bone development, differences in development among limb elements, and differences in histology related to locomotor function. The study sample includes thin sections from the femoral, tibial, and fibular midshafts of 13 chimpanzees originally prepared by Kerley ([1966] Tulane Stud. Zool. 13:71-82) as part of a study on skeletal age changes in the chimpanzee. Twelve juveniles, ranging in known age from 2-15.3 years, and one adult, with a known age of 35 years, are represented. For each specimen, numbers of osteons, osteon fragments, and non-Haversian canals were counted, and percent lamellar bone was estimated. Results were compared with data extracted from Kerley ([1965] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 23:149-164) on a juvenile human sample. Results indicate that juvenile chimpanzees and humans exhibit similar age-related changes in histologic variables. However, age is not as strong a predictor of variation in microstructural variables in chimpanzees as it is in humans.