The term primate refers to a variety of species, from lemurs
to humans. Because of the great deal of
diversity among primates there is quite a bit of variation, but there are also
some similarities. One of those general
similarities is primate locomotion patterns.
This refers to the means of movement that primates utilize to get
around. Today’s blog post will discuss
the types of primate locomotion patterns.
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| Figure 1: Howler monkey demonstrating quadrupedalism |
There are five primate locomotion patterns. The first is quadrupedalism. This is the use of all four limbs to allow
the body to move (Figure 1). Several
different primate species utilize quadrupedalism, including langurs and howler
monkeys.
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| Figure 2: Ring-tailed lemur demonstrating vertical clinging and leaping on the ground |
The second is vertical clinging and leaping. This involves primates, such as the
ring-tailed lemur, to climb and jump through the trees (Figure 2). These primates often look like they’re
jumping or dancing when they are on land because they are not adapted to terrestrial
(land) dwelling.
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| Figure 3: Siamang demonstrating brachiation |
The third locomotion pattern is brachiation, which is where
a primate’s arms swing over each other (Figure 3). This is an adaptation for arboreal (tree
dwelling) primates. This locomotion
pattern is characteristic of siamangs and other gibbon species.
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| Figure 4: Gorilla demonstrating knuckle-walking |
The fourth locomotion pattern is knuckle (also sometimes
called fist) walking (Figure 4). This
mode of locomotion is a terrestrial one, and it is common among larger apes,
such as gorillas and chimpanzees. The
last locomotion pattern is bipedalism, which is walking on two legs. It is exclusive to humans, so no further
explanation is required.
