Individual variation in the growth of captive infant gorillas

Serial anthropometric data were obtained during the first year of life of s ix nursery-reared infant gorillas in the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo. Two of the in fants are likely to be monozygotic twins as determined by DNA analysis. Gro wth curves were fitted to serial measures of cephalo-thoracic-abdominal len gth, arm length, leg length, head circumference, upper arm circumference, a nd weight from each gorilla, to describe individual patterns of variation i n skeletal growth and body composition. Growth in skeletal measures tended to be curvilinear to varying degrees over the first year of life. Body comp osition varied more than skeletal measures throughout the first year as a c onsequence of individual health status. Individual growth and body composit ion variations appear to reflect both genetic and environmental influences in this small sample of captive infant gorillas. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.