Abstract:
The intent of the present study was to compare pelvic variability between males and females in
Macaca mulatta from Taihang mountains. Hip cuboid bone specimens were obtained from 37 skeletons of
Macaca mulatta (17 males and 20 females). 12 pelvic measurements and 2 femoral measurements were selected, and SPSS (Version 22.0) was used for statistical analysis. The one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the sexual differences for each pelvic variable, and the Levene's
t-test was used for the sexual differences in pelvic variability. Results showed that the size and direction of sexual dimorphism in some pelvic measurements were different. There were sexual differences in pelvic variability; on the other hand, there were no sexual differences in femoral variability. For
Macaca mulatta, some variables in the pelvic variability were significantly different, with males being more variable than females. These findings suggested that the patterns and pressures of selection in the pelvic variability, growth and development were likely different between the sexes. The anlage of the pelvis is bipotential in development with stabilizing selection and directional selection. Selection intensity and phenotypic variability are inversely related in general. Owing to opposing selection pressures on pelvic morphology in females between efficiency in locomotion and obstetric adequacy, as a combination of stabilizing and directional selection, female pelvic morphology is less variable than that in males.