Biomechanics

In the study of primate adaptation, although the mechanics of the locomotor and masticatory systems in particular are dominant elements in determining their form, biomechanics, more often than not, is given nothing more than lip service. In this volume, we have gathered together papers from both a theoretical and practical perspective, illustrating how biomechanics can help us understand aspects of primate adaptation as diverse as the form and architecture of bones, the shape of the facial skeleton, the universal existence of a zygomatic arch, the muscle forces required for locomotion and the effect of body posture on these forces, the relationship of plantar contact forces and speed of locomotion, and even the activity patterns of free-ranging primates. We hope that these studies may suggest new directions, as well as new methods, for research and perhaps even inspire some lateral thinking.