Abstract
The morphology of the femur varies among the anthropoid primates reflecting different positional behaviors. Femora of cercopithecids are adaptive for cursorial locomotor patterns (e. g., running, leaping) but less adaptive for climbing or clambering. Femora of colobines are more specialized for leaping and arboreal balance as compared with those of cercopithecines. Femora of medium- and large-sized cebids, chimpanzee, and gibbon display morphological features related to quadrumanous climbing and acrobatic arboreal balance, but they demonstrate no specialized feature for cursorial locomotion and leaping. Outstanding characteristics in each taxon are as follows: projected greater trochanter and anteroposteriorly long distal epiphysis in cercopithecines; thick and more or less acutely angled neck, and symmetrically sized femoral condyles in colobines; low greater trochanter, gracile and highly angled neck, mediolaterally wide distal epiphysis, and expanded medial condyle in apes; gracile and highly angled neck, and mediolaterally wide distal epiphysis in medium- and large-sized cebids.
