Hominoid Hallucal Metatarsal Divergence and Tarsometatarsal Joint Morphology

The morphology of the hominoid hallucal tarsometatarsal joint reflects variation in ecology and locomotion. A large-bodied, forest-living ecological niche may select for hallucal grasping features in taxa that spend a large proportion of their locomotor budget on the ground because foraging for preferred foods and avoiding predators relies on vertical climbing, which is a relatively infrequent but potentially selectively advantageous locomotor behavior of African apes.