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Bone mineral density in chimpanzees, humans, and Japanese macaques

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Abstract

We performed a comparative study of bone mechanical properties in the radii of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), humans (Homo sapiens), and Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) using peripheral quantitative computed tomography. We investigated: (1)cortical bone area relative to the total periosteal area (PrA); (2) trabecular bone area relative to PrA; (3) cortical bone density; and (4) trabecular bone density. The cortical bone area index for chimpanzees was almost the same as that of Japanese macaques, whereas the equivalent value in humans was about the two-fifths that of the others. Values for the other three properties were constant among these three catarrhine species. Chimpanzees do not particularly resemble humans, but are more similar to digitigrade macaques in terms of bone properties. The constant trabecular bone area index and trabecular density value in these species may suggest that a certain amount of trabecular bone (20–30% of total bone area at the distal 4% level of the forearm) is necessary to achieve normal bone turnover. The physiological metabolism of bone, including cortical bone density, might be conserved in these catarrhines.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the staff of the Kumamoto Primate Park, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, for allowing experimentation and for helping to measure the subjects. Special thanks to Miss Yoshiko Emi and Mr. Yusuke Mori of the Park, Dr. Suchinda Malaivijitnond, Primate Research Unit, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and Dr. Osamu Takenaka, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, for joining the study as volunteers. We express gratitude to Dr. Juri Suzuki, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, for helping with the anesthesia. Y. Kikuchi thanks Dr. Hidemi Ishida of Kyoto University, for allowing him to carrying out this research freely. Y. Kikuchi is also grateful to Dr. Tsunehiko Hanihara and Dr. Ken-ichi Shinoda, Department of Anatomy, Saga Medical School, for providing excellent environments in which this study could be performed. Finally, Y. Kikuchi sincerely thanks Dr. Hidemi Ishida and Dr. Masato Nakatsukasa of Kyoto University for his advice. This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for COE Research 2001 and a Grant-in-Aid for Specially Promoted Research (COE) 2002 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Saga Medical School, 5-1-1 Nabeshima, Saga 849-8501, Japan

    Yasuhiro Kikuchi

  2. Kumamoto Primates Research Park, Sanwa-Kagaku-Kenkyusho, 990 Nishikuroiwa, Ohtao Misumi-chou, Uto-gun, Kumamoto, Japan

    Toshifumi Udono

  3. Section of Morphology, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan

    Yuzuru Hamada

Authors
  1. Yasuhiro Kikuchi
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  2. Toshifumi Udono
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  3. Yuzuru Hamada
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Correspondence to Yasuhiro Kikuchi.

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Kikuchi, Y., Udono, T. & Hamada, Y. Bone mineral density in chimpanzees, humans, and Japanese macaques. Primates 44, 151–155 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-002-0031-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10329-002-0031-7

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