Forelimb Myology of the Kinkajou (Potos flavus)

Abstract

The highly arboreal kinkajou (Carnivora: Procyonidae) exhibits many characteristics representative of its locomotor function, including hind foot reversal, diagonal sequence gait, and a prehensile tail. Detailed examination of the myology of P. flavus will aid in the understanding of the terrestrial‐arboreal locomotor gradient and can provide potential phylogenetic characters clarifying musteloid relationships. Here, we present the dissection of the forelimb of a fresh‐frozen male kinkajou and document the musculature via description and muscle maps. Noteworthy findings include the absence of m. biceps brachii caput breve, fused m. extensor carpi radialis, and a distinct humeral origin of the m. flexor digitorum superficialis. The latter finding contradicts a more recent suggestion that identification of a humeral origin was due to oversight and outdated nomenclature. Overall, the kinkajou resembles our primary comparative taxon, the closely‐allied and arboreal red panda (Ailurus fulgens). Similarities include the two insertion sites of the m. latissimus dorsi and the arrangement of the deep extensor compartment. This new description of the kinkajou is an important step in evaluating phylogenetic and functional patterns in the myology of carnivorans. However, further dissection of representatives of additional taxonomic and locomotor groups is necessary to differentiate what is typical of arboreal taxa from ancestral musteloid characteristics.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.