This study aimed to examine the occurrence of osteophytic upping (irregular bone formation around the vertebral bodies) and flexion of the vertebral column (wedge-shaped vertebral bodies) using measurements of Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata fuscata, 22 males and 24 females) lumbar vertebral bodies. It was assumed a priori that osteophytic lipping is reflected in the sagittal and transverse diameters of the vertebral body. In order to evaluate the flexion of the vertebral column, the angle between the cranial and caudal plateaus was measured from the lateral view.
Aged female subjects exhibited remarkable lipping. Outstanding disordered values were found particularly in sagittal diameters. The cumulation of the angles revealed the occurrence of wedge shaped vertebral bodies in the caudal lumbar region among aged male subjects. These vertebral bodies might cause hunched curvature of the vertebral column.
Those two aspects of vertebral deformation are also found in aged human skeletons. The result shows the affinity between the degenerative deformations of aged human vertebral bodies and those of aged Japanese macaques'. This affinity indicates their importance as an animal model for human aging studies.

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The social repertoire of Sulawesi macaques is presented, based upon data recorded both in the wild and from captive populations. The repertoire describes behaviors observed in social contexts, including communication patterns, movement patterns, sexual patterns, infant-related and play behaviors, and triadic interactions. Most of these behavior patterns are shared by all known Sulawesi taxa. The form or function of certain patterns depart significantly from what has been reported in other macaques, while particular similarities may be linked to phylogenetic relationships within the genus Macaca.

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