The way animals move, varies between primate species. The way in which primates move around can be divided into several major categories: leaping, running, arboreal and terrestrial quadrupedalism (four limb walking), suspensory climbing, briachiation (swinging with the arms), knuckle walking (four limb walking with the front hands curled up to protect the digits - fingers - while walking), and bipedalism (habitually walking on two legs).
What type of locomotion is this
primate using?
Proportions of arms and legs illustrate
the specialization for brachiation. Shoulder joints also allow for flexible
rotation of the shoulders and arms. A short body and legs make gibbons relatively
light weight.
Walking on limbs creates a posture not too dissimilar to that for walking on the ground. The length of the hind-limbs will reflect the amount of running versus leaping that will be used.
Some lemurs leap so often from limb to limb that there hind-legs have become so long that they are uncomfortable walking on four-limbs. This ringtail lemur does not have as long hind-limbs as a Shifaka lemur who could not assume this posture.
What type of locomotion best fits this
skeletal structure?
Here you can see the difference between
how a gorilla walks and how we do.
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