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Heel contact as a function of substrate type and speed in primates
1Department of Anatomical Science, School of Medicine, State University of New York, Stony Brook 11794, USA.
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|January 1, 1995
Summary
African apes and humans are not uniquely plantigrade. Heel contact during locomotion is common in apes and atelines, suggesting arboreal adaptations, not necessarily terrestrial ancestry for hominid foot posture.
Area of Science:
- Primate locomotion
- Comparative biomechanics
- Paleoanthropology
Background:
- The question of whether African apes and humans are uniquely plantigrade (heel-striking) remains debated.
- Previous research has offered conflicting data on plantigrady in primates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide detailed data on the patterns and frequency of heel contact in primates.
- To investigate the occurrence of plantigrady across diverse primate species.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of biplanar and uniplanar videotapes of 32 primate species.
- Recording frequency and timing of heel contact during terrestrial and arboreal locomotion.
- Observation of primates at natural walking speeds.
Main Results:
- All apes and atelines (e.g., Ateles, Hylobates) exhibit heel contact with supports.
- Only great apes demonstrate a distinct "heel-strike" at the end of the swing phase.
- No other monkeys or prosimians in the study made heel contact during quadrupedalism.
Conclusions:
- Heel contact is common in arboreal primates and is likely a byproduct of hindlimb protraction during weight shift.
- The presence of heel contact in arboreal primates challenges the assumption of a direct link between terrestrial ancestry and hominid foot posture.