COMPARISON OF DYNAMICS OF BIPEDAL WALKING IN CHIMPANZEES AND HUMANS

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Other Title
  • チンパンジーとヒトにおける二足歩行の運動力学的比較

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Abstract

The dynamics of bipedal walking were studied in chimpanzees and compared with those in humans. The viewpoint of ontogenetical development was stressed. Five chimpanzees, ranging from an infant less than one year of age to an adult, were observed semilongitudinally. Voluntary bipedal locomotions were observed in an infant from one to two years of age and another four years of age. Telemetrical accelerometer and force plate techniques were applied to measure the acceleration of the body's center of gravity. Velocity and displacement were calculated from the acceleration. The foot force was measured with the force plate. Kinetic movements were recorded by a 16mm cinecamera and/or a VTR camera. The sagittal displacement of the center of gravity showed differences between the chimpanzees of all ageg roups and the humans. In the transverse switchover pattern of the center of gravity from one foot to the other, the chimpanzees of all age groups were different from the humans. These differences were related to different segmental movements in their walkings. In the vertical displacement of human walking, the center of gravity of the body is high during the single stance phase and low during the double stance phase. The human type movement of the body center economizes energy expenditure. In the bipedal walking of macaques, the center of gravity was high during the double stance phase and low during the single stance phase. The macaque type of vertical movement was observed in the voluntary bipedal walking of a chimpanzee before two years of age. In the chimpanzee, human type movement had started already in the two-year-old, and it was frequently observed in individuals four and five years of age. Though it is not asserted that the low energy expenditure was one of the principal factors during the process of acquiring human bipedalism, the low energy cost will make bipedal walking easier. As a model in studying the human acquisition of bipedal walking, the chimpanzee is more competent than the macaque.

Journal

  • Biomechanisms

    Biomechanisms 10 (0), 97-105, 1990

    Society of Biomechanisms

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