Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Quantitative approaches to primate morphology.

H Preuschoft1

  • 1Institut für Anatomie, Medizinische Fakultät, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, BRD.

Folia Primatologica; International Journal of Primatology
|January 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Quantitative morphometrics, using simple measurements, is useful for taxonomy. Incorporating biomechanical data offers deeper insights into evolutionary mechanisms and the selective pressures driving organismal form.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The biomechanical construction of the horse's body and activity patterns of three important muscles of the trunk in the walk, trot and canter.

Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition·2017
Same author

The role of the zygomatic arch in the statics of the skull and its adaptive shape.

Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·2004
Same author

Functional structure of the skull in hominoidea.

Folia primatologica; international journal of primatology·2004
Same author

Function-dependent shape characteristics of the human skull.

Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur·2002
Same author

Pneumatized spaces, sinuses and spongy bones in the skulls of primates.

Anthropologischer Anzeiger; Bericht uber die biologisch-anthropologische Literatur·2002
Same author

Arboreal locomotion in small new-world monkeys.

Zeitschrift fur Morphologie und Anthropologie·2002

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biomechanics
  • Morphometrics

Background:

  • Quantitative morphometrics traditionally uses linear measurements for taxonomy.
  • Existing methods often underutilize shape description capabilities.
  • Understanding evolutionary drivers requires more than basic measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the limitations of traditional morphometrics.
  • To advocate for the integration of biomechanical data in evolutionary studies.
  • To propose a causal understanding of phylogenetic development through mechanics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of quantitative morphometric techniques.
  • Emphasis on the application of biomechanical principles (e.g., forces, stresses).
  • Integration of mathematical models describing mechanical laws in animal motion.

Main Results:

  • Traditional morphometrics, while valuable for taxonomy, has limitations.
  • Locomotor and jaw structures show significant variation, necessitating mechanical analysis.
  • Mathematical descriptions of mechanical functions are crucial for understanding evolution.

Conclusions:

  • A biomechanical approach, combined with morphometrics, provides deeper causal insights into evolution.
  • Understanding energy saving as a phylogenetic constraint is supported by mechanical principles.
  • Future evolutionary studies should integrate quantitative mechanics for a comprehensive view.

Related Experiment Videos