Comparative morphogenesis in the great apes and human through pre- and postnatal stages: evolutionary origins of postcranial similarities

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26251048
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical anthropology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Nakatsukasa Masato 京都大学, 理学研究科, 教授 (00227828)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森本 直記 京都大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (70722966) ; 山田 重人 京都大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (80432384) ; 荻原 直道 慶應義塾大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (70324605)
• Research Collaborator: KOBAYASHI Satoshi 京都大学, 大学院理学研究科
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 人類進化 / 大型類人猿 / 比較解剖学 / バーチャル解剖 / 個体発生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We compared skeletal growth patterns during the pre- and postnatal stages in the great apes and human to clarify developmental mechanism of lineage specific traits and to distinguish homoplastic skeletal features from homologous ones. Several interesting findings came out. Both human and chimpanzee exhibit positive allometric growth of the hind limb prenatally (relative to the forelimb). However, only human retains the positive allometric growth pattern postnatally to acquire its uniquely elongated hind limb. Femora of great apes reached more advanced growth stages at birth if their growth patterns are projected on the human growth trajectory. Growth patterns of the diaphyseal cortical bone distribution in the femur were unique in each of these species irrespective of locomotor similarity in the African apes.

Free Research Field

自然人類学