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Gorilla calcaneal morphological variation and ecological divergence.

Christine M Harper1, Christopher B Ruff1, Adam D Sylvester1

  • 1Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|September 2, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Gorilla calcaneus shape varies significantly between subspecies, reflecting adaptations for different locomotor behaviors like arboreality and terrestriality. These findings highlight the evolutionary diversity within gorilla foot morphology.

Keywords:
arborealityfoottarsalsterrestriality

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Area of Science:

  • Primate paleontology
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Biomechanics

Background:

  • The primate foot is crucial for weight-bearing, yet the gorilla calcaneus remains understudied.
  • Understanding calcaneal morphology provides insights into locomotor adaptations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the external shape of gorilla calcanei across different subspecies.
  • To investigate the relationship between calcaneal shape and locomotor behavior in gorillas.

Main Methods:

  • Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and sliding semilandmark analysis were applied to scanned gorilla calcanei (n=78).
  • Shape variation was assessed using principal components analysis (PCA).
  • Pairwise differences between taxa were statistically tested using resampling statistics.

Main Results:

  • Significant morphological differences were found among all three gorilla subspecies (p < .001).
  • Gorilla gorilla gorilla exhibits an elongated calcaneus adapted for arboreality.
  • Gorilla beringei beringei possesses a calcaneus suited for terrestrial locomotion, while G. b. graueri shows intermediate features potentially indicating a secondary arboreal transition.

Conclusions:

  • Gorilla calcaneal morphology is strongly correlated with locomotor behaviors, differentiating subspecies along an arboreal-terrestrial gradient.
  • Distinct calcaneal shapes reflect specialized adaptations for specific environmental niches and movement patterns.