Body composition in baboons: Evaluating a morphometric method

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine whether noninvasive morphometric measurements of olive baboons (Papio cynocephalus anubis) can reliably predict lean body mass and fat mass in this species. Crown-rump length, triceps circumference, and skinfold measures at the neck, subscapular, suprailiac, and triceps sites were obtained prior to necropsy from 21 clinically normal infant baboons at 18 weeks of age and from 22 clinically normal adolescent baboons at 5 years of age. At necropsy, the lean body mass and body fat mass were measured using gravimetric methods. Pearson's correlations and regression analysis were used to test the relationship between direct measures of lean and fat mass obtained at necropsy with calculated estimates based on morphometric measures obtained prior to death. Our null hypothesis was that the morphometric measures (individually or in combination) were not related to direct measures of fat mass or lean mass. Non-linear and multiple regression estimators, by age and gender, were derived and provided increased predictability. Our results indicate that (1) morphometric measures can accurately predict lean body mass in male and female baboons; (2) morphometric measures used to predict lean body mass change with age; (3) morphometric measures are strongly associated with body fat mass at 18 weeks of age but are not as strongly associated with body fat mass in 5-year-old baboons; (4) triceps circumference provides the best single indicator of lean body mass for both genders and age periods; (5) baboons are like humans in that adolescent females tend to accumulate body fat while males of the same age tend to develop lean mass; and (6) combinations of these morphometric measurements explain between 70% and 100% of the variability and can be used to estimate lean and fat mass in baboons.