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Comparative and Functional Morphology of the Primate Hand Integument

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The Evolution of the Primate Hand

Part of the book series: Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects ((DIPR))

Abstract

The integument of primate hands (i.e., skin and nails) are specialized to interact with the outside world. The integument of the palm is arranged into a series of fleshy volar pads, while hardened nails grow from the skin overlying the tips of the digits. The volar skin provides friction which enhances climbing ability and the prehension of objects, but also contains important mechanoreceptors for tactile acuity. Primate nails are highly diverse in structure and likely play a number of different roles related to locomotion, grasping, and tactile sensitivity. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of the integument of primate hands. First, the structure of volar skin and nails is discussed. This is followed by a review of the anatomical diversity among nonhuman primates and a discussion of the functional significance of different specializations. The chapter ends with avenues for future study.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to David Begg, Tracy Kivell, Brian Richmond, and Daniel Schmitt for providing insightful comments on a draft of this chapter. S.M. acknowledges Neil Duncan and especially Eileen Westwig for access to the mammalogy collections at the American Museum of Natural History and Drs. John Fleagle and Susan Larson for access to specimens held at Stony Brook University. Her work was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (BCS-1341075) and the Leakey Foundation. A.K. acknowledges Drs. Susan Larson (University at Stony Brook), Magdalena Muchlinski (University of Kentucky), and Nathan Kley (University at Stony Brook) and the Duke Lemur Center for guidance, access to study specimens, and access to histology equipment. Her work was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (BCS-1097438). P.L. acknowledges Drs. Matt Cartmill (Boston University), John Fleagle (University at Stony Brook), Norman Taslitz (University of New Mexico), and Hans Thewissen (Northeast Ohio Medical University), the Duke Lemur Center, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Sue MacLaren) for access to primate and non-primate volar skin specimens, Jeannette Killius and Janice Walas (Northeast Ohio Medical University) for their expertise and help during preparation of the histological slides, Dr. Daniel Livy (University of Alberta) for access to photomicroscopic equipment, and Elizabeth Hodges for her invaluable help with bibliographical research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Stephanie A. Maiolino

  2. Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-4364, USA

    Stephanie A. Maiolino & Amanda K. Kingston

  3. Division of Anatomy, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 5-05A Medical Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, Canada, T6G 2H7

    Pierre Lemelin

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Correspondence to Pierre Lemelin .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary An, Leipzig, Germany

    Tracy L. Kivell

  2. Division of Anatomy Department of Surgery Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Pierre Lemelin

  3. Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA

    Brian G. Richmond

  4. Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University , Durham, North Carolina, USA

    Daniel Schmitt

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Maiolino, S.A., Kingston, A.K., Lemelin, P. (2016). Comparative and Functional Morphology of the Primate Hand Integument. In: Kivell, T., Lemelin, P., Richmond, B., Schmitt, D. (eds) The Evolution of the Primate Hand. Developments in Primatology: Progress and Prospects. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3646-5_8

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