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Patterns of asymmetry in primate long bone dimensions: a widespread pattern?
Author(s) -
Reeves Nicole,
Sylvester Adam,
Auerbach Benjamin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.183.1
Subject(s) - asymmetry , fluctuating asymmetry , primate , population , biology , anatomy , evolutionary biology , neuroscience , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics , environmental health
In studies of human limb bones, bilateral asymmetry becomes progressively greater in maximum lengths, then articular dimensions, and finally diaphyseal measures. It remains unclear whether this is representative of a more general primate model, wherein bilateral loading may minimize directional asymmetry. To investigate this, maximum lengths, articular measurements, and diaphyseal breadths were measured in 45 adult tamarins ( Sanguinas oedipus ). Percentage directional asymmetry (%DA) was calculated, and results indicate no population‐wide directional asymmetry, supporting the behavioral literature for tamarins indicating no population‐level handedness. However, examination of individuals with %DA magnitudes >0.5 reveals that, when ranked by dimension, the same pattern of asymmetry reported for humans holds for tamarins. Nondirectional asymmetries were also assessed. Using a two‐way mixed model ANOVA to partition out the measurement error from the remaining nondirectional asymmetry values, maximum lengths continue to be the most symmetrical and diaphyseal breadths the most asymmetrical measurements. These findings suggest that bone lengths may be less susceptible to developmental instability and less responsive to activity than diaphyseal measurements, and a widespread pattern among primates.