Growth of skeletal components in the young squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus boliviensis): A Longitudinal Experiment.

PUCCIARELLI HM, MUÑE MC, OYHENART EE, ORDEN AB, VILLANUEVA ME, RODRIGUEZ RR, PONS ER

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY

Willey Liss

Lugar: New York; Año: 2000 vol. 112 p. 57 - 68

0002-9483

A functional skeletal criterion, as a extention of the van der Klauw’s cranial theory, was adopted in the present study. The null hipothesis tested was: “The major skeletal components of the platyrrhine body growth linearly, regardless of their functional dependence to different demands.” The acceptance of the hipothesis will imply that all Saimiri skeletal growth may be satisfactorily explained by independent variables in a single equation. The rejection will suggest that such skeletal growth patterns have to be explained by variables in several different equations, and perhaps these equations may vary with the effect of sex and undernutrition. Control and undernourished squirrel monkeys were radiographed monthly for two years; they were also measured; and their volumetric and morphometric neurocranial, facial, and pelvic indices were calculated. The curves that the best described each of the 24-point sequences were obtained. Three main growth patterns were observed:1)Simple linear (for which the simple regression equation explained more than 95% of the variation); 2) Complex linear (more than 95% of tha variation was explained by one of the four –function type equations; and 3) Noncorrelated with age (which showed nonsignificant correlations with respect to age). The food intake and the oscillations of the environmental temperature might help to explain the undulating growth trajectory observed in the complex linear components