Meeting Abstract

P1.168  Monday, Jan. 4  Locomotor mechanics of the kinkajou (Potos flavus) LEMELIN, P.; Univ. of Alberta plemelin@ualberta.ca

Kinkajous are highly arboreal South American procyonids that travel and feed on relatively thin branches (1 to 5 cm in diameter) for mammals of that body size (1.4 to 4.6 kg). In several ways, kinkajous converged with primates in behavior and ecology. Therefore, they represent a critical species to test functional links between primate-like biomechanics and arboreal locomotion. Synchronized high-speed digital video (125 Hz) and force platform data were recorded in two individuals of similar body mass when walking quadrupedally on a 25-mm pole and runway. Over 200 strides were analyzed and locomotor parameters were measured, including footfall pattern, limb kinematics, and substrate reaction forces on the limbs. Like primates, kinkajous relied primarily on diagonal-sequence and trotting gaits during walking. At forelimb touchdown, arm protraction was well within the range reported for primates. Slightly more body weight (bw) was borne by the hindlimbs (66.9% bw on pole; 69.1% bw on runway) comparatively to the forelimbs (64% bw on pole; 68.6% bw on runway). Overall, the locomotor profile of kinkajous resembles that of primates. However, differences in limb force and duty factor ratios parallel fundamental differences in pedal structure between primates and kinkajous. Funded by NSERC.