1
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Chinsamy A. Palaeoecological deductions from osteohistology. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230245. [PMID: 37607578 PMCID: PMC10444344 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeoecological deductions are vital for understanding the evolution and diversification of species within prehistoric environments. This review highlights the multitude of ways in which the microanatomy and microscopic structure of bones enables palaeoecological deductions. The occurrence of growth marks in bones is discussed, and their usefulness in deducing the ontogenetic status and age of individuals is considered, as well as how such marks in bones permit the assessment of the growth dynamics of individuals and species. Here osteohistology is shown to provide insight into the structure of past populations, as well as ecological relationships between individuals. In addition, the response of bones to trauma, disease and moulting is considered. Finally, I explore how osteohistology can give insight into ecomorphological adaptations, such as filter feeding, probe feeding and saltatorial locomotion. Methodological advances in three-dimensional microtomography and synchrotron scanning bodes well for future studies in osteohistology and despite some compromises in terms of tissue identity, circumvents the crucial issue of destructive analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, John Day Building, University Avenue, Rondebosch 7700, South Africa
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2
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Sandel AA, Negrey JD, Arponen M, Clark IR, Clift JB, Reddy RB, Ivaska KK. The evolution of the adolescent growth spurt: Urinary biomarkers of bone turnover in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Hum Evol 2023; 177:103341. [PMID: 36905703 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Life history theory addresses how organisms balance development and reproduction. Mammals usually invest considerable energy into growth in infancy, and they do so incrementally less until reaching adult body size, when they shift energy to reproduction. Humans are unusual in having a long adolescence when energy is invested in both reproduction and growth, including rapid skeletal growth around puberty. Although many primates, especially in captivity, experience accelerated growth in mass around puberty, it remains unclear whether this represents skeletal growth. Without data on skeletal growth in nonhuman primates, anthropologists have often assumed the adolescent growth spurt is uniquely human, and hypotheses for its evolution have focused on other uniquely human traits. The lack of data is largely due to methodological difficulties of assessing skeletal growth in wild primates. Here, we use two urinary markers of bone turnover-osteocalcin and collagen-to study skeletal growth in a large, cross-sectional sample of wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. For both bone turnover markers, we found a nonlinear effect of age, which was largely driven by males. For male chimpanzees, values for osteocalcin and collagen peaked at age 9.4 years and 10.8 years, respectively, which corresponds to early and middle adolescence. Notably, collagen values increased from 4.5 to 9 years, suggesting faster growth during early adolescence compared to late infancy. Biomarker levels plateaued at 20 years in both sexes, suggesting skeletal growth continues until then. Additional data, notably on females and infants of both sexes, are needed, as are longitudinal samples. However, our cross-sectional analysis suggests an adolescent growth spurt in the skeleton of chimpanzees, especially for males. Biologists should avoid claiming that the adolescent growth spurt is uniquely human, and hypotheses for the patterns of human growth should consider variation in our primate relatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, WCP 4.102, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Primate Ethology and Endocrinology Lab, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 S. Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA; Department of Pathology/Section on Comparative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA
| | - Milja Arponen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
| | - Isabelle R Clark
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, WCP 4.102, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Primate Ethology and Endocrinology Lab, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Jeremy B Clift
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Rachna B Reddy
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 104 Biological Sciences, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Kaisa K Ivaska
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
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3
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Maho T, Bevitt JJ, Reisz RR. New specimens of the early Permian apex predator Varanops brevirostris at Richards Spur, Oklahoma, with histological information about its growth pattern. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14898. [PMID: 36819993 PMCID: PMC9938655 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
An articulated pelvic region and additional isolated material of Varanops brevirostris, which are indistinguishable from those of the generotype from the Cacops bonebed, demonstrate the presence of this large varanopid at the Richards Spur locality. The articulated specimen includes lumbar, sacral, and anterior caudal vertebrae, partial pelvis, femur, and proximal part of tibia, confirming the autapomorphies previously suggested for this species. These include the presence of distinct blade-like shapes of the neural spines in the sacral region, the presence of deeply excavated pubis, and the presence of a distinct transverse ridge on the ventral surface of the femur distal to the intertrochanteric fossa. It has also been found that the transverse ridges and grooves become larger during ontogeny since the juvenile specimen did not exhibit a well-developed ridge. Histological analysis of isolated limb bones and neutron computed tomography (nCT) of the articulated specimen indicate that the latter likely belonged to an adult individual. This is in contrast to the other varanopid at Richards Spur, the significantly smaller, more gracile predator Mesenosaurus efremovi, which also shows the presence of growth lines and the external fundamental system with an estimated minimum age of fourteen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Maho
- University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada,International Centre of Future Science, Dinosaur Evolution Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Joseph J. Bevitt
- Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Robert R. Reisz
- University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada,International Centre of Future Science, Dinosaur Evolution Research Center, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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4
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Campos-Medina J, Montoya-Sanhueza G, Moreno K, Bostelmann Torrealba E, García M. Paleohistology of Caraguatypotherium munozi (Mammalia, Notoungulata, Mesotheriidae) from the early late Miocene of northern Chile: A preliminary ontogenetic approach. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0273127. [PMID: 36928884 PMCID: PMC10019713 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The Miocene Caragua fossil fauna in northern Chile contains a considerable number (7) of articulated partial skeletons tentatively assigned to Caraguatypotherium munozi (Notoungulata, Mesotheriidae), which presents up to 40% body size difference. Since either inter- and intra- specific wide size range has been observed in the Mesotheriidae family in general, we wanted explore the ontogenic stage signature of the sample, by carrying out the first comprehensive paleohistological description of the appendicular system in Notoungulata. Results show that: 1) they can be classified as subadults and adults, based on the presence of bone tissues typical of ceased somatic growth; 2) there is a notorious inter-skeletal variation on bone growth rates (skeletal modularity), particularly, the humerus showed a slower diameter growth and less remodelling than the femur, resulting as a better element for ontogenetic analyses; 3) marked cyclical growth is observed, characterised by fast early ontogenic continuous growth, and subsequent fast/slow stratified bone tissue layering. In general, such growth pattern suggests that C. munozi had a similar ontogenetic growth process as other modern mammals, that it should also be influenced by other sex-related, ecological and environmental factors. Likely related to the presence of rapid climatic variations, due to orogenic uplift and concomitant re-organization of the drainage processes along the western tectonic front of the Central Andes at that time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Campos-Medina
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de Los Ríos, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), Coquimbo, Chile
- THERIUM SPA, Paleontología y Patrimonio, Curicó, Región del Maule
- * E-mail: (JCM); (KM); (GMS)
| | - Germán Montoya-Sanhueza
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- * E-mail: (JCM); (KM); (GMS)
| | - Karen Moreno
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de Los Ríos, Chile
- * E-mail: (JCM); (KM); (GMS)
| | - Enrique Bostelmann Torrealba
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de Los Ríos, Chile
- Doctorado en Ciencias Mención Ecología y Evolución, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Región de Los Ríos, Chile
- Museo Regional de Aysén, Coyhaique, Región de Aysén
| | - Marcelo García
- Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Cerrito P, Hu B, Goldstein JZ, Kalisher R, Bailey SE, Bromage TG. Elemental composition of primary lamellar bone differs between parous and nulliparous rhesus macaque females. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276866. [PMID: 36318529 PMCID: PMC9624403 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracting life history information from mineralized hard tissues of extant and extinct species is an ongoing challenge in evolutionary and conservation studies. Primary lamellar bone is a mineralized tissue with multidien periodicity that begins deposition prenatally and continues until adulthood albeit with concurrent resorption, thus maintaining a record spanning several years of an individual's life. Here, we use field-emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis to measure the relative concentrations of calcium, phosphorous, oxygen, magnesium and sodium in the femora of seven rhesus macaque with known medical and life-history information. We find that the concentration of these elements distinguishes parous from nulliparous females; that in females calcium and phosphorus are lower in bone formed during reproductive events; and that significant differences in relative magnesium concentration correlate with breastfeeding in infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Cerrito
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
- Collegium Helveticum, ETH, Zürich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Justin Z. Goldstein
- Department of Anthropology, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rachel Kalisher
- Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States of America
| | - Shara E. Bailey
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Timothy G. Bromage
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, New York, United States of America
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6
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Montoya-Sanhueza G, Bennett NC, Oosthuizen MK, Dengler-Crish CM, Chinsamy A. Long bone histomorphogenesis of the naked mole-rat: Histodiversity and intraspecific variation. J Anat 2020; 238:1259-1283. [PMID: 33305850 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 11/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lacking fur, living in eusocial colonies and having the longest lifespan of any rodent, makes naked mole-rats (NMRs) rather peculiar mammals. Although they exhibit a high degree of polymorphism, skeletal plasticity and are considered a novel model to assess the effects of delayed puberty on the skeletal system, scarce information on their morphogenesis exists. Here, we examined a large ontogenetic sample (n = 76) of subordinate individuals to assess the pattern of bone growth and bone microstructure of fore- and hindlimb bones by using histomorphological techniques. Over 290 undecalcified thin cross-sections from the midshaft of the humerus, ulna, femur, and tibia from pups, juveniles and adults were analyzed with polarized light microscopy. Similar to other fossorial mammals, NMRs exhibited a systematic cortical thickening of their long bones, which clearly indicates a conserved functional adaptation to withstand the mechanical strains imposed during digging, regardless of their chisel-tooth predominance. We describe a high histodiversity of bone matrices and the formation of secondary osteons in NMRs. The bones of pups are extremely thin-walled and grow by periosteal bone formation coupled with considerable expansion of the medullary cavity, a process probably tightly regulated and adapted to optimize the amount of minerals destined for skeletal development, to thus allow the female breeder to produce a higher number of pups, as well as several litters. Subsequent cortical thickening in juveniles involves high amounts of endosteal bone apposition, which contrasts with the bone modeling of other mammals where a periosteal predominance exists. Adults have bone matrices predominantly consisting of parallel-fibered bone and lamellar bone, which indicate intermediate to slow rates of osteogenesis, as well as the development of poorly vascularized lamellar-zonal tissues separated by lines of arrested growth (LAGs) and annuli. These features reflect the low metabolism, low body temperature and slow growth rates reported for this species, as well as indicate a cyclical pattern of osteogenesis. The presence of LAGs in captive individuals was striking and indicates that postnatal osteogenesis and its consequent cortical stratification most likely represents a plesiomorphic thermometabolic strategy among endotherms which has been suggested to be regulated by endogenous rhythms. However, the generalized presence of LAGs in this and other subterranean taxa in the wild, as well as recent investigations on variability of environmental conditions in burrow systems, supports the hypothesis that underground environments experience seasonal fluctuations that may influence the postnatal osteogenesis of animals by limiting the extension of burrow systems during the unfavorable dry seasons and therefore the finding of food resources. Additionally, the intraspecific variation found in the formation of bone tissue matrices and vascularization suggested a high degree of developmental plasticity in NMRs, which may help explaining the polymorphism reported for this species. The results obtained here represent a valuable contribution to understanding the relationship of several aspects involved in the morphogenesis of the skeletal system of a mammal with extraordinary adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Montoya-Sanhueza
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Nigel C Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Maria K Oosthuizen
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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7
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Becker M, Witzel C, Kierdorf U, Frölich K, Kierdorf H. Ontogenetic changes of tissue compartmentalization and bone type distribution in the humerus of Soay sheep. J Anat 2020; 237:334-354. [PMID: 32255514 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied ontogenetic changes of histomorphological features and bone type distribution in the humeral midshaft region of Soay sheep from three postnatal age classes (13, 25, and 33 months). Our study demonstrated a marked change of bone type distribution in the humeri with age. In the cortical midshaft region of 13-month-old individuals, periosteal fibrolamellar bone was the dominating bone type. This indicates a rapid bone growth during the first year of life, which was only interrupted by a seasonal growth arrest in the animals' first winter. In individuals from the two older age classes, periosteal lamellar-zonal bone and intermediate fibrolamellar bone had been formed at the periosteal surface, and endosteal lamellar-zonal bone at the endosteal surface. These bone types are indicative of a reduced bone growth rate. A marked reduction in radial growth was already recorded in the 25-month-old individuals. Distribution and extent of secondary bone showed a marked bilateral symmetry in the humeri of individual sheep. The presence of secondary bone was largely restricted to the anterior (cranial) and the medial cortical areas. This characteristic distribution of remodeling activity within the humeral cortex of sheep is consistent with the view that remodeling activity is largely caused by compressive stress. Our study further demonstrated the presence of a considerable cortical drift in the sheep humeri over the study period, with endosteal resorption occurring predominantly in the posterior (caudal) quadrant and formation of a prominent endosteal lamellar pocket in the anterior (cranial) and medial cortical quadrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margarethe Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Carsten Witzel
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | | | - Horst Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
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8
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Huttenlocker AK, Shelton CD. Bone histology of varanopids (Synapsida) from Richards Spur, Oklahoma, sheds light on growth patterns and lifestyle in early terrestrial colonizers. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190142. [PMID: 31928198 PMCID: PMC7017428 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Varanopids were a group of small to medium-sized synapsids whose fossil record spans the Carboniferous through middle Permian. Although their phylogenetic relationships have received some interest in recent years, little is known about other aspects of their palaeobiology, including their skeletal growth, allometry and habitat preference. Here, we describe varanopid long bone histology based on a sample of well-preserved femora from the lower Permian Richards Spur fissure fill locality, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA. The sample includes five femora from at least two varanopid taxa-Mycterosaurus and the large varanodontine Varanops brevirostris-and four additional mycterosaurine femora not diagnosed to genus. Prior work on femoral bone compactness provided a baseline to make lifestyle inferences and evaluate whether varanopids were ancestrally terrestrial. Moreover, the large availability of specimens spanning different sizes made possible an assessment of size-related ontogenetic histovariability. All specimens revealed moderately dense cortical bone tissues composed of sparsely vascularized parallel-fibred and lamellar bone with radially arranged rows of longitudinal canals (mostly simple), and many preserved regularly spaced growth marks (annuli and lines of arrested growth) as in modern varanids. We show that bone histology has the potential to explain how ballast was shed and the skeleton lightened for terrestrial mobility in ancestral synapsids and their basal amniote kin, as well as how adjustments in postnatal growth influenced the evolution of larger body sizes in the terrestrial frontier. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam K. Huttenlocker
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Christen D. Shelton
- Natural History Department, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, NJ 08625-0530, USA
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9
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Mapping Cheshire Cats' Leg: A histological approach of cortical bone tissue through modern GIS technology. Anat Sci Int 2019; 95:104-125. [PMID: 31535279 DOI: 10.1007/s12565-019-00503-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The present study concerns the histological examination of the hind limb of a cat (Felis sp.), with an emphasis on Haversian bone. Acknowledging the variety of obstacles to be confronted, during histological studies, it was decided the documentation, description, and comparison of the longitudinal distribution of the main microstructural characteristics. To reveal what remains hidden from the sight of knowledge, the novel Geographical Information Systems (GIS) methodology was followed. In means to provide conclusive and credible results, it was analyzed the full spectrum of the resulted cross sections and not just a statistical acceptable number or a specific region of interest. In addition, having used the right femur and tibia from the same animal, species and age discrepancies were eliminated. More thoroughly, osteon and Haversian canal size and circularity were calculated and spatially analyzed. Absolute and relative osteon population densities (OPDs) and tissue-type distributions were also estimated. The use of GIS software constituted the core of the current research, since its application transformed cross sections into informative maps, where inter-skeletal, inter-cortical, and intra-cortical distributional patterns were directly recognized and accordingly correlated to strain and load regimes. As result, it is provided the histomorphological and histomorphometrical profile of the samples, under the prism of the existing biomechanical regime. Finally, having further deployed the potentials of GIS software, it is verified and promoted the feasibility of histological mapping as an indispensable procedure, aligned with the necessities of modern science, regardless of discipline or background.
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10
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Fratzl-Zelman N, Roschger P, Kang H, Jha S, Roschger A, Blouin S, Deng Z, Cabral WA, Ivovic A, Katz J, Siegel RM, Klaushofer K, Fratzl P, Bhattacharyya T, Marini JC. Melorheostotic Bone Lesions Caused by Somatic Mutations in MAP2K1 Have Deteriorated Microarchitecture and Periosteal Reaction. J Bone Miner Res 2019; 34:883-895. [PMID: 30667555 PMCID: PMC8302214 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.3656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/02/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Melorheostosis is a rare non-hereditary condition characterized by dense hyperostotic lesions with radiographic "dripping candle wax" appearance. Somatic activating mutations in MAP2K1 have recently been identified as a cause of melorheostosis. However, little is known about the development, composition, structure, and mechanical properties of the bone lesions. We performed a multi-method phenotype characterization of material properties in affected and unaffected bone biopsy samples from six melorheostosis patients with MAP2K1 mutations. On standard histology, lesions show a zone with intensively remodeled osteonal-like structure and prominent osteoid accumulation, covered by a shell formed through bone apposition, consisting of compact multi-layered lamellae oriented parallel to the periosteal surface and devoid of osteoid. Compared with unaffected bone, melorheostotic bone has lower average mineralization density measured by quantitative backscattered electron imaging (CaMean: -4.5%, p = 0.04). The lamellar portion of the lesion is even less mineralized, possibly because the newly deposited material has younger tissue age. Affected bone has higher porosity by micro-CT, due to increased tissue vascularity and elevated 2D-microporosity (osteocyte lacunar porosity: +39%, p = 0.01) determined on quantitative backscattered electron images. Furthermore, nano-indentation modulus characterizing material hardness and stiffness was strictly dependent on tissue mineralization (correlation with typical calcium concentration, CaPeak: r = 0.8984, p = 0.0150, and r = 0.9788, p = 0.0007, respectively) in both affected and unaffected bone, indicating that the surgical hardness of melorheostotic lesions results from their lamellar structure. The results suggest a model for pathophysiology of melorheostosis caused by somatic activating mutations in MAP2K1, in which the genetically induced gradual deterioration of bone microarchitecture triggers a periosteal reaction, similar to the process found to occur after bone infection or local trauma, and leads to an overall cortical outgrowth. The micromechanical properties of the lesions reflect their structural heterogeneity and correlate with local variations in mineral content, tissue age, and remodeling rates, in the same way as normal bone. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadja Fratzl-Zelman
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK, and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Roschger
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK, and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Heeseog Kang
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Smita Jha
- Clinical and Investigative Orthopedics Surgery Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Program in Reproductive and Adult Endocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Andreas Roschger
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Stéphane Blouin
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK, and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Zuoming Deng
- Biodata Mining and Discovery Section, Office of Science and Technology, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wayne A Cabral
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aleksandra Ivovic
- Immunoregulation Section, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James Katz
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard M Siegel
- Immunoregulation Section, Autoimmunity Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Klaus Klaushofer
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Osteology at the Hanusch Hospital of WGKK, and AUVA Trauma Center Meidling, 1st Medical Department Hanusch Hospital, Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Fratzl
- Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Department of Biomaterials, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Timothy Bhattacharyya
- Clinical and Investigative Orthopedics Surgery Unit, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joan C Marini
- Section on Heritable Disorders of Bone and Extracellular Matrix, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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11
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Legendre LJ, Botha-Brink J. Digging the compromise: investigating the link between limb bone histology and fossoriality in the aardvark ( Orycteropus afer). PeerJ 2018; 6:e5216. [PMID: 30018860 PMCID: PMC6045922 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Bone microstructure has long been known as a powerful tool to investigate lifestyle-related biomechanical constraints, and many studies have focused on identifying such constraints in the limb bones of aquatic or arboreal mammals in recent years. The limb bone microstructure of fossorial mammals, however, has not been extensively described. Furthermore, so far, studies on this subject have always focused on the bone histology of small burrowers, such as subterranean rodents or true moles. Physiological constraints associated with digging, however, are known to be strongly influenced by body size, and larger burrowers are likely to exhibit a histological profile more conspicuously influenced by fossorial activity. Here, we describe for the first time the limb bone histology of the aardvark (Orycteropus afer), the largest extant burrowing mammal. The general pattern is very similar for all six sampled limb bones (i.e., humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula). Most of the cortex at midshaft is comprised of compacted coarse cancellous bone (CCCB), an endosteal tissue formed in the metaphyses through the compaction of bony trabeculae. Conversely, the periosteal bone is highly resorbed in all sections, and is reduced to a thin outer layer, suggesting a pattern of strong cortical drift. This pattern contrasts with that of most large mammals, in which cortical bone is of mostly periosteal origin, and CCCB, being a very compliant bone tissue type, is usually resorbed or remodeled during ontogeny. The link between histology and muscle attachment sites, as well as the influence of the semi-arid environment and ant-eating habits of the aardvark on its bone microstructure, are discussed. We hypothesize that the unusual histological profile of the aardvark is likely the outcome of physiological constraints due to both extensive digging behavior and strong metabolic restrictions. Adaptations to fossoriality are thus the result of a physiological compromise between limited food availability, an environment with high temperature variability, and the need for biomechanical resistance during digging. These results highlight the difficulties of deciphering all factors potentially involved in bone formation in fossorial mammals. Even though the formation and maintaining of CCCB through ontogeny in the aardvark cannot be unambiguously linked with its fossorial habits, a high amount of CCCB has been observed in the limb bones of other large burrowing mammals. The inclusion of such large burrowers in future histological studies is thus likely to improve our understanding of the functional link between bone growth and fossorial lifestyle in an evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J Legendre
- Karoo Palaeontology Department, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Botha-Brink
- Karoo Palaeontology Department, National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa.,Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
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Montoya‐Sanhueza G, Chinsamy A. Long bone histology of the subterranean rodent Bathyergus suillus (Bathyergidae): ontogenetic pattern of cortical bone thickening. J Anat 2017; 230:203-233. [PMID: 27682432 PMCID: PMC5244287 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Patterns of bone development in mammals are best known from terrestrial and cursorial groups, but there is a considerable gap in our understanding of how specializations for life underground affect bone growth and development. Likewise, studies of bone microstructure in wild populations are still scarce, and they often include few individuals and tend to be focused on adults. For these reasons, the processes generating bone microstructural variation at intra- and interspecific levels are not fully understood. This study comprehensively examines the bone microstructure of an extant population of Cape dune molerats, Bathyergus suillus (Bathyergidae), the largest subterranean mammal endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa. The aim of this study is to investigate the postnatal bone growth of B. suillus using undecalcified histological sections (n = 197) of the femur, humerus, tibia-fibula, ulna and radius, including males and females belonging to different ontogenetic and reproductive stages (n = 42). Qualitative histological features demonstrate a wide histodiversity with thickening of the cortex mainly resulting from endosteal and periosteal bone depositions, whilst there is scarce endosteal resorption and remodeling throughout ontogeny. This imbalanced bone modeling allows the tissues deposited during ontogeny to remain relatively intact, thus preserving an excellent record of growth. The distribution of the different bone tissues observed in the cortex depends on ontogenetic status, anatomical features (e.g. muscle attachment structures) and location on the bone (e.g. anterior or lateral). The type of bone microstructure and modeling is discussed in relation to digging behavior, reproduction and physiology of this species. This study is the first histological assessment describing the process of cortical thickening in long bones of a fossorial mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Montoya‐Sanhueza
- Department of Biological SciencesPalaeobiological Research GroupUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological SciencesPalaeobiological Research GroupUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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Keenan KE, Mears CS, Skedros JG. Utility of osteon circularity for determining species and interpreting load history in primates and nonprimates. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 162:657-681. [PMID: 28121024 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Histomorphological analyses of bones are used to estimate an individual's chronological age, interpret a bone's load history, and differentiate species. Among various histomorphological characteristics that can influence mechanical properties of cortical bone, secondary osteon (Haversian system) population density and predominant collagen fiber orientation are particularly important. Cross-sectional shape characteristics of secondary osteons (On.Cr = osteon circularity, On.El = osteon ellipticality) are considered helpful in these contexts, but more robust proof is needed. We sought to determine if variations in osteon shape characteristics are sufficient for accurately differentiating species, load-complexity categories, and regional habitual strain-mode distributions (e.g., tension vs. compression regions). MATERIALS AND METHODS Circularly polarized light images were obtained from 100-micron transverse sections from diaphyses of adult deer calcanei; sheep calcanei, radii, and tibiae; equine calcanei, radii, and third metacarpals (MC3s); chimpanzee femora; and human femora and fibulae. Osteon cross-sectional area (On.Ar), On.Cr, and On.El were quantified indiscriminately and in the contexts of load-complexity and regional strain-mode distributions. RESULTS On.Cr and On.El, when examined independently in terms of all data, or mean (nested) data, for each bone, exceeded 80% accuracy in the inter-species comparisons only with respect to distinguishing humans from nonhumans. Correct classification among the nonhuman species was <70%. When On.Cr and On.El were coupled together and with On.Ar in discriminant function analyses (nested and unnested data) there were high misclassifications in all but human vs. nonhuman comparisons. DISCUSSION Frequent misclassifications in nonhuman comparisons might reflect influences of habitual load complexity and/or strain-mode distributions, or other factors not accounted for by these two considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra E Keenan
- Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, George E. Whalen Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Chad S Mears
- Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, George E. Whalen Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - John G Skedros
- Bone and Joint Research Laboratory, George E. Whalen Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84132
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