Brachiation

Brachiation

Brachiation (from "limb" or "branch") is a form of arboreal locomotion in which primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms.

Brachiators

The only true brachiators are the lesser apes (gibbons and siamangs). A gibbon can brachiate at speeds as high as 35 mph and can travel as far as 20 feet with each swing. Spider monkeys and orangutans are considered semibrachiators.

Brachiation-aiding traits

Some of the traits that allow gibbons, siamangs, and other primates to brachiate include the following: short fingernails instead of claws, inward-closing, hook-like fingers, opposable thumbs, long forelimbs, and freely rotating shoulder joints.

Brachiation and humans

Modern humans retain many physical characteristics that suggest a protobrachiator ancestor, including flexible shoulder joints and fingers well-suited for grasping. In apes, these characteristics were adaptations for brachiation. Although humans do not normally brachiate, our anatomy suggests that brachiation may be a preadaptation to bipedalism, and healthy modern humans are still capable of brachiating. Some children’s parks include monkey bars which children play on by brachiating.

References

# Rice, Patricia C.; Norah Moloney (2005). "Biological Anthropology and Prehistory: Exploring our Human Ancestry". Pearson Education, Inc., pp. 178-179, 192. ISBN 0205381960
# [http://www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9016092 Brittanica.com]
# [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/brachiation Dictionary.com]
# [http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761566394_2/Human_Evolution.html#p303 MSN Encarta]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • brachiation — [ brakjasjɔ̃ ] n. f. • 1964; probablt angl. brachiation (1889); du lat. brachium « bras » ♦ Zool. Mode de déplacement de certains singes arboricoles à l aide des bras par balancement de branche en branche. ● brachiation nom féminin Mode de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • brachiation — noun Movement by swinging the arms from one hold to the next. Species that normally move by brachiation (swinging from hand to hand while hanging from supports) or vertical leaping and clinging require substantially different cage designs from… …   Wiktionary

  • Brachiation — La brachiation est la manière dont se déplacent certains singes en se balançant d une branche à l autre à l aide des bras. Portail des mammifères Catégories : LocomotionSinge …   Wikipédia en Français

  • brachiation — noun see brachiate …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • brachiation — /bray kee ay sheuhn, brak ee /, n. Zool. locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another. [BRACHIATE + ION] * * * ▪ animal behaviour       in animal behaviour, specialized form of arboreal locomotion in which movement is… …   Universalium

  • brachiation — bra·chi·a·tion (bra″ke aґshən) [brachi + ation suffix implying action] locomotion in a position of suspension by means of the hands and arms, as exhibited by monkeys when swinging from branch to branch …   Medical dictionary

  • brachiation — n. process of branching out, process of putting forth arms …   English contemporary dictionary

  • brachiation — brach·i·a·tion …   English syllables

  • brachiation — bra•chi•a•tion [[t]ˌbreɪ kiˈeɪ ʃən, ˌbræk i [/t]] n. zool. locomotion accomplished by swinging by the arms from one hold to another bra′chi•a tor, n …   From formal English to slang

  • brachiation — The act of swinging through the trees, such as performed by monkeys …   Grandiloquent dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”