Ape-like locomotor adaptations in the radius of the stem catarrhine Pliobates shed light on hominoid evolution

iScience 2026 Open access

Read full text
Authors: Julia Arias‐Martorell, Georgina Raventós-Izard, Oriol Monclús-Gonzalo, Alessandro Urciuoli, Jesús Gamarra, Masato Nakatsukasa, Salvador Moya-Solà, David M. Alba
DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.114622
Cited by: 1
References: 59

Abstract

was more adapted for climbing than forelimb-dominated suspension and unable to perform gibbon-like ricochetal brachiation. Our results illustrate the mosaic and stepwise evolution of the catarrhine elbow and support the view that an apelike proximal radial morphology evolved multiple times as a climbing rather than suspensory adaptation. This agrees with the possibility that several features of the hominoid elbow were originally selected for climbing and subsequently co-opted for suspensory locomotion.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Primate Behavior and Ecology Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology Evolution and Paleontology Studies

Publication details

Journal / source
iScience
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
29
Issue
2
Pages
114622–114622
Publication date
3 January 2026
Language
EN