The semitendinosus muscle in lemurs and platyrrhine monkeys
Prejzner-Morawska, A.
Folia Morphologica 37(1): 103-112
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-5659 PMID: 100395 Document Number: 130783
In 9 lemurs [Lemur varius, L. macaco, L. bruneus and Nycticebus coucang] and 15 platyrrhine monkeys [Callithrix penicillata, Saimiri sciureus, Cebus capucinus, Leontocebus rosalia, Ateles ater, A. geoffroyi and Alouatta sp.] the semitendinosus muscle was constant. As in man, the semitendinosus muscle extended from the ischial tuberosity to the tibia. The ratio of the tendinous to the muscular part, however, was different than in man. The tendinous part constituted 1/3 (in lemurs) to 1/4 (in platyrrhine monkeys) of the whole length of the muscle. In some platyrrhines (C. penicillata, S. sciureus, L. rosalia) the semitendinosus muscle had an accessory, less strongly developed, initial insertion on the 1st caudal vertebra. The terminal insertion in all animals was on the proximal part of the anterior crest of the tibia, below its tuberosity, through a common tendon with the gracilis muscle. The degree of fusion of the tendons of the semitendinosus and gracilis muscles varies in different genera, from only adjacence to very strong adhesion. In N. coucang and in one L. varius, an interflexor muscle bundle running from the semitendinosus to the lateral ischiocrural muscle was remarked.