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Widrig KE, Bhullar BS, Field DJ. 3D atlas of tinamou (Neornithes: Tinamidae) pectoral morphology: Implications for reconstructing the ancestral neornithine flight apparatus. J Anat 2023; 243:729-757. [PMID: 37358291 PMCID: PMC10557402 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeognathae, the extant avian clade comprising the flightless ratites and flight-capable tinamous (Tinamidae), is the sister group to all other living birds, and recent phylogenetic studies illustrate that tinamous are phylogenetically nested within a paraphyletic assemblage of ratites. As the only extant palaeognaths that have retained the ability to fly, tinamous may provide key information on the nature of the flight apparatus of ancestral crown palaeognaths-and, in turn, crown birds-as well as insight into convergent modifications to the wing apparatus among extant ratite lineages. To reveal new information about the musculoskeletal anatomy of tinamous and facilitate development of computational biomechanical models of tinamou wing function, we generated a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the flight apparatus of the extant Andean tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii) using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT). Origins and insertions of the pectoral flight musculature of N. pentlandii are generally consistent with those of other extant volant birds specialized for burst flight, and the entire suite of presumed ancestral neornithine flight muscles are present in N. pentlandii with the exception of the biceps slip. The pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles are robust, similar to the condition in other extant burst-flying birds such as many extant Galliformes. Contrary to the condition in most extant Neognathae (the sister clade to Palaeognathae), the insertion of the pronator superficialis has a greater distal extent than the pronator profundus, although most other anatomical observations are broadly consistent with the conditions observed in extant neognaths. This work will help form a basis for future comparative studies of the avian musculoskeletal system, with implications for reconstructing the flight apparatus of ancestral crown birds and clarifying musculoskeletal modifications underlying the convergent origins of ratite flightlessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara E. Widrig
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Bhart‐Anjan S. Bhullar
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Peabody Museum of Natural HistoryYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Museum of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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2
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Choi S, Hauber ME, Legendre LJ, Kim NH, Lee YN, Varricchio DJ. Microstructural and crystallographic evolution of palaeognath (Aves) eggshells. eLife 2023; 12:e81092. [PMID: 36719067 PMCID: PMC9889092 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The avian palaeognath phylogeny has been recently revised significantly due to the advancement of genome-wide comparative analyses and provides the opportunity to trace the evolution of the microstructure and crystallography of modern dinosaur eggshells. Here, eggshells of all major clades of Palaeognathae (including extinct taxa) and selected eggshells of Neognathae and non-avian dinosaurs are analysed with electron backscatter diffraction. Our results show the detailed microstructures and crystallographies of (previously) loosely categorized ostrich-, rhea-, and tinamou-style morphotypes of palaeognath eggshells. All rhea-style eggshell appears homologous, while respective ostrich-style and tinamou-style morphotypes are best interpreted as homoplastic morphologies (independently acquired). Ancestral state reconstruction and parsimony analysis additionally show that rhea-style eggshell represents the ancestral state of palaeognath eggshells both in microstructure and crystallography. The ornithological and palaeontological implications of the current study are not only helpful for the understanding of evolution of modern and extinct dinosaur eggshells, but also aid other disciplines where palaeognath eggshells provide useful archive for comparative contrasts (e.g. palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, geochronology, and zooarchaeology).
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Choi
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State UniversityBozemanUnited States
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignUrbanaUnited States
| | - Lucas J Legendre
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
| | - Noe-Heon Kim
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
- Department of Geosciences, Princeton UniversityPrincetonUnited States
| | - Yuong-Nam Lee
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National UniversitySeoulRepublic of Korea
| | - David J Varricchio
- Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State UniversityBozemanUnited States
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3
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Deeming DC. Allometry of the pectoral flight muscles in birds: Flight style is related to variability in the mass of the supracoracoideus muscle. J Zool (1987) 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. C. Deeming
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories Lincoln UK
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4
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Shiels HA. Avian cardiomyocyte architecture and what it reveals about the evolution of the vertebrate heart. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210332. [PMID: 36189815 PMCID: PMC9527935 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bird cardiomyocytes are long, thin and lack transverse (t)-tubules, which is akin to the cardiomyocyte morphology of ectothermic non-avian reptiles, who are typified by low maximum heart rates and low pressure development. However, birds can achieve greater contractile rates and developed pressures than mammals, whose wide cardiomyocytes contain a dense t-tubular network allowing for uniform excitation-contraction coupling and strong contractile force. To address this apparent paradox, this paper functionally links recent electrophysiological studies on bird cardiomyocytes with decades of ultrastructure measurements. It shows that it is the strong transsarcolemmal Ca2+ influx via the L-type Ca2+ current (ICaL) and the high gain of Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), coupled with an internal SR Ca2+ release relay system, that facilitates the strong fast contractions in the long thin bird cardiomyocytes, without the need for t-tubules. The maintenance of an elongated myocyte morphology following the post-hatch transition from ectothermy to endothermy in birds is discussed in relation to cardiac load, myocyte ploidy, and cardiac regeneration potential in adult cardiomyocytes. Overall, the paper shows how little we know about cellular Ca2+ dynamics in the bird heart and suggests how increased research efforts in this area would provide vital information in our quest to understand the role of myocyte architecture in the evolution of the vertebrate heart. This article is part of the theme issue 'The cardiomyocyte: new revelations on the interplay between architecture and function in growth, health, and disease'. Please see glossary at the end of the paper for definitions of specialized terms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly A. Shiels
- Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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5
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Filogonio R, Dubansky BD, Dubansky BH, Wang T, Elsey RM, Leite CAC, Crossley DA. Arterial wall thickening normalizes arterial wall tension with growth in American alligators, Alligator mississippiensis. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:553-562. [PMID: 33629153 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01353-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Arterial wall tension increases with luminal radius and arterial pressure. Hence, as body mass (Mb) increases, associated increases in radius induces larger tension. Thus, it could be predicted that high tension would increase the potential for rupture of the arterial wall. Studies on mammals have focused on systemic arteries and have shown that arterial wall thickness increases with Mb and normalizes tension. Reptiles are good models to study scaling because some species exhibit large body size range associated with growth, thus, allowing for ontogenetic comparisons. We used post hatch American alligators, Alligator mississippiensis, ranging from 0.12 to 6.80 kg (~ 60-fold) to investigate how both the right aortic arch (RAo) and the left pulmonary artery (LPA) change with Mb. We tested two possibilities: (i) wall thickness increases with Mb and normalizes wall tension, such that stress (stress = tension/thickness) remains unchanged; (ii) collagen content scales with Mb and increases arterial strength. We measured heart rate and systolic and mean pressures from both systemic and pulmonary circulations in anesthetized animals. Once stabilized alligators were injected with adrenaline to induce a physiologically relevant increase in pressure. Heart rate decreased and systemic pressures increased with Mb; pulmonary pressures remained unchanged. Both the RAo and LPA were fixed under physiological hydrostatic pressures and displayed larger radius, wall tension and thickness as Mb increased, thus, stress was independent from Mb; relative collagen content was unchanged. We conclude that increased wall thickness normalizes tension and reduces the chances of arterial walls rupturing in large alligators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renato Filogonio
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil.
| | - Benjamin D Dubansky
- Department of Biological Sciences, Developmental Integrative Biology Cluster, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203-5220, USA
| | - Brooke H Dubansky
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences and Public Health, Tarleton State University, Fort Worth, TX, USA
| | - Tobias Wang
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Biosciences, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Ruth M Elsey
- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Grand Chenier, LA, 70643, USA
| | - Cléo A C Leite
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Dane A Crossley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Developmental Integrative Biology Cluster, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, 76203-5220, USA
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6
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Wang ZJ, Chen GJ, Zhang GJ, Zhou Q. Dynamic evolution of transposable elements, demographic history, and gene content of paleognathous birds. Zool Res 2021; 42:51-61. [PMID: 33124220 PMCID: PMC7840455 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2020.175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeognathae includes ratite and tinamou species that are important for understanding early avian evolution. Here, we analyzed the whole-genome sequences of 15 paleognathous species to infer their demographic histories, which are presently unknown. We found that most species showed a reduction of population size since the beginning of the last glacial period, except for those species distributed in Australasia and in the far south of South America. Different degrees of contraction and expansion of transposable elements (TE) have shaped the paleognathous genome architecture, with a higher transposon removal rate in tinamous than in ratites. One repeat family, AviRTE, likely underwent horizontal transfer from tropical parasites to the ancestor of little and undulated tinamous about 30 million years ago. Our analysis of gene families identified rapid turnover of immune and reproduction-related genes but found no evidence of gene family changes underlying the convergent evolution of flightlessness among ratites. We also found that mitochondrial genes have experienced a faster evolutionary rate in tinamous than in ratites, with the former also showing more degenerated W chromosomes. This result can be explained by the Hill-Robertson interference affecting genetically linked W chromosomes and mitochondria. Overall, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of the Palaeognathae populations, genes, and TEs. Our findings of co-evolution between mitochondria and W chromosomes highlight the key difference in genome evolution between species with ZW sex chromosomes and those with XY sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zong-Ji Wang
- Institute of Animal Sex and Development, Zhejiang Wanli University, Ningbo, Zhejiang 315100, China.,MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.,BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Guang-Ji Chen
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China
| | - Guo-Jie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Beishan Industrial Zone, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518083, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.,Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen DK-2100, Denmark.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China. E-mail:
| | - Qi Zhou
- MOE Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, Life Sciences Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.,Department of Neuroscience and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1090, Austria.,Center for Reproductive Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China. E-mail:
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7
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Ronaldson HL, Monticelli P, Cuff AR, Michel KB, d'Ovidio D, Adami C. Anesthesia and Anesthetic-Related Complications of 8 Elegant-Crested Tinamous ( Eudromia elegans) Undergoing Experimental Surgery. J Avian Med Surg 2020; 34:17-25. [PMID: 32237678 DOI: 10.1647/1082-6742-34.1.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to describe the anesthetic effects of an injectable anesthetic protocol, based on ketamine, midazolam, and medetomidine, followed by inhalational sevoflurane, in 8 elegant-crested tinamous (Eudromia elegans) undergoing experimental surgery. Initial doses for both injectable agents were tested in 1 bird and then refined with an algorithm based on the effects observed in the pilot procedure. Heart and respiratory rates, as well as nociceptive reflexes, were evaluated before anesthesia (baseline) and intraoperatively, at 10 minute intervals. The time from injection to anesthetic induction and surgical anesthesia, as well as the time from atipamezole injection to recovery, was recorded for each bird. The median doses of medetomidine and ketamine were 0.075 mg/kg and 33 mg/kg, respectively. Anesthetic induction was achieved within 10 (range, 4-45) minutes from intramuscular injection, whereas time to surgical anesthesia was 22 ±16 minutes. The baseline heart rate values were significantly higher than those measured intraoperatively at any time point (P = .001). Intraoperatively, 5 of 8 tinamous (63%) developed cardiac arrhythmias. Other encountered complications were regurgitation in 2 birds (25%), cardiac arrest in 1 bird (13%) soon after injection of the anesthetic agents, and prolonged recovery in another bird (13%), which was euthanized. Necropsy of the 2 fatal outcomes (25%) showed evidence of hepatic lipidosis in both (100%) and intramyocardial fat accumulation in 1 bird (50%). This report highlights the challenges of tinamou anesthesia. Cardiac complications are common in this species, and close monitoring of intraoperative cardiovascular variables is recommended for prompt recognition and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley L Ronaldson
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, AL9 7TA Hatfield, UK
| | - Paolo Monticelli
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, AL9 7TA Hatfield, UK
| | - Andrew R Cuff
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, AL9 7TA Hatfield, UK
| | - Krijn B Michel
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, AL9 7TA Hatfield, UK
| | - Dario d'Ovidio
- private practice, Via C Colombo 118, 80022 Arzano Haples, Italy
| | - Chiara Adami
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, AL9 7TA Hatfield, UK,
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8
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Cao T, Jin JP. Evolution of Flight Muscle Contractility and Energetic Efficiency. Front Physiol 2020; 11:1038. [PMID: 33162892 PMCID: PMC7581897 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.01038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The powered flight of animals requires efficient and sustainable contractions of the wing muscles of various flying species. Despite their high degree of phylogenetic divergence, flight muscles in insects and vertebrates are striated muscles with similarly specialized sarcomeric structure and basic mechanisms of contraction and relaxation. Comparative studies examining flight muscles together with other striated muscles can provide valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms of muscle contraction and energetic efficiency. Here, we conducted a literature review and data mining to investigate the independent emergence and evolution of flight muscles in insects, birds, and bats, and the likely molecular basis of their contractile features and energetic efficiency. Bird and bat flight muscles have different metabolic rates that reflect differences in energetic efficiencies while having similar contractile machinery that is under the selection of similar natural environments. The significantly lower efficiency of insect flight muscles along with minimized energy expenditure in Ca2+ handling is discussed as a potential mechanism to increase the efficiency of mammalian striated muscles. A better understanding of the molecular evolution of myofilament proteins in the context of physiological functions of invertebrate and vertebrate flight muscles can help explore novel approaches to enhance the performance and efficiency of skeletal and cardiac muscles for the improvement of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J.-P. Jin
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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9
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Filatova TS, Abramochkin DV, Shiels HA. Warmer, faster, stronger: Ca 2+ cycling in avian myocardium. J Exp Biol 2020; 223:jeb228205. [PMID: 32843363 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.228205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Birds occupy a unique position in the evolution of cardiac design. Their hearts are capable of cardiac performance on par with, or exceeding that of mammals, and yet the structure of their cardiomyocytes resembles those of reptiles. It has been suggested that birds use intracellular Ca2+ stored within the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) to power contractile function, but neither SR Ca2+ content nor the cross-talk between channels underlying Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) have been studied in adult birds. Here we used voltage clamp to investigate the Ca2+ storage and refilling capacities of the SR and the degree of trans-sarcolemmal and intracellular Ca2+ channel interplay in freshly isolated atrial and ventricular myocytes from the heart of the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). A trans-sarcolemmal Ca2+ current (ICa) was detectable in both quail atrial and ventricular myocytes, and was mediated only by L-type Ca2+ channels. The peak density of ICa was larger in ventricular cells than in atrial cells, and exceeded that reported for mammalian myocardium recorded under similar conditions. Steady-state SR Ca2+ content of quail myocardium was also larger than that reported for mammals, and reached 750.6±128.2 μmol l-1 in atrial cells and 423.3±47.2 μmol l-1 in ventricular cells at 24°C. We observed SR Ca2+-dependent inactivation of ICa in ventricular myocytes, indicating cross-talk between sarcolemmal Ca2+ channels and ryanodine receptors in the SR. However, this phenomenon was not observed in atrial myocytes. Taken together, these findings help to explain the high-efficiency avian myocyte excitation-contraction coupling with regard to their reptilian-like cellular ultrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana S Filatova
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye gory, 1, 12, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova str.,1, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Denis V Abramochkin
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Leninskiye gory, 1, 12, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Department of Physiology, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ostrovityanova str.,1, Moscow 117997, Russia
- Ural Federal University, Mira 19, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia
- Laboratory of Cardiac Physiology, Institute of Physiology of komi Science Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, FRC Komi SC UB RAS, Pervomayskaya str., 50, 167982 Syktyvkar, Komi Republic, Russia
| | - Holly A Shiels
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Core Technology Facility, 46 Grafton Street, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9NT, UK
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10
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McGuire RS, Ourfalian R, Ezell K, Lee AH. Development of limb bone laminarity in the homing pigeon ( Columba livia). PeerJ 2020; 8:e9878. [PMID: 33194361 PMCID: PMC7485507 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Birds show adaptations in limb bone shape that are associated with resisting locomotor loads. Whether comparable adaptations occur in the microstructure of avian cortical bone is less clear. One proposed microstructural adaptation is laminar bone in which the proportion of circumferentially-oriented vascular canals (i.e., laminarity) is large. Previous work on adult birds shows elevated laminarity in specific limb elements of some taxa, presumably to resist torsion-induced shear strain during locomotion. However, more recent analyses using improved measurements in adult birds and bats reveal lower laminarity than expected in bones associated with torsional loading. Even so, there may still be support for the resistance hypothesis if laminarity increases with growth and locomotor maturation. Methods Here, we tested that hypothesis using a growth series of 17 homing pigeons (15–563 g). Torsional rigidity and laminarity of limb bones were measured from histological sections sampled from midshaft. Ontogenetic trends in laminarity were assessed using principal component analysis to reduce dimensionality followed by beta regression with a logit link function. Results We found that torsional rigidity of limb bones increases disproportionately with growth, consistent with rapid structural compensation associated with locomotor maturation. However, laminarity decreases with maturity, weakening the hypothesis that high laminarity is a flight adaptation at least in the pigeon. Instead, the histological results suggest that low laminarity, specifically the relative proportion of longitudinal canals aligned with peak principal strains, may better reflect the loading history of a bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rylee S McGuire
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Raffi Ourfalian
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.,Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kelly Ezell
- Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
| | - Andrew H Lee
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.,Department of Anatomy, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ, USA
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11
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Wang Y, Yin Y, Ge S, Li M, Zhang Q, Li J, Wu Y, Li D, Dudley R. Limits to load-lifting performance in a passerine bird: the effects of intraspecific variation in morphological and kinematic parameters. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8048. [PMID: 31741797 PMCID: PMC6858814 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although more massive flight muscles along with larger wings, higher wingbeat frequencies and greater stroke amplitudes enhance force and power production in flapping flight, the extent to which these parameters may be correlated with other morphological features relevant to flight physiology and biomechanics remains unclear. Intraspecifically, we hypothesized that greater vertical load-lifting capacity would correlate with higher wingbeat frequencies and relatively more massive flight muscles, along with relatively bigger hearts, lungs, and stomachs to enhance metabolic capacity and energy supply, but also with smaller body size given the overall negative allometric dependence of maximum flight performance in volant taxa. To explore intraspecific correlates of flight performance, we assembled a large dataset that included 13 morphological and kinematic variables for a non-migratory passerine, the Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus). We found that heavier flight muscles and larger wings, heavier stomachs and shorter bills were the most important correlates of maximum load-lifting capacity. Surprisingly, wingbeat frequency, wing stroke amplitude and masses of the heart, lungs and digestive organs (except for the stomach) were non-significant predictor variables relative to lifting capacity. The best-fit structural equation model (SEM) indicated that load-lifting capacity was positively correlated with flight muscle mass, wing area and stomach mass, but was negatively correlated with bill length. Characterization of individual variability in flight performance in a free-ranging passerine indicates the subtlety of interaction effects among morphological features, some of which differ from those that have been identified interspecifically for maximum flight performance in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yuan Yin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Shiyong Ge
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Mo Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Juyong Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Yuefeng Wu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Dongming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Hebei Province, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China
| | - Robert Dudley
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
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12
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Cuff AR, Daley MA, Michel KB, Allen VR, Lamas LP, Adami C, Monticelli P, Pelligand L, Hutchinson JR. Relating neuromuscular control to functional anatomy of limb muscles in extant archosaurs. J Morphol 2019; 280:666-680. [PMID: 30847966 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Electromyography (EMG) is used to understand muscle activity patterns in animals. Understanding how much variation exists in muscle activity patterns in homologous muscles across animal clades during similar behaviours is important for evaluating the evolution of muscle functions and neuromuscular control. We compared muscle activity across a range of archosaurian species and appendicular muscles, including how these EMG patterns varied across ontogeny and phylogeny, to reconstruct the evolutionary history of archosaurian muscle activation during locomotion. EMG electrodes were implanted into the muscles of turkeys, pheasants, quail, guineafowl, emus (three age classes), tinamous and juvenile Nile crocodiles across 13 different appendicular muscles. Subjects walked and ran at a range of speeds both overground and on treadmills during EMG recordings. Anatomically similar muscles such as the lateral gastrocnemius exhibited similar EMG patterns at similar relative speeds across all birds. In the crocodiles, the EMG signals closely matched previously published data for alligators. The timing of lateral gastrocnemius activation was relatively later within a stride cycle for crocodiles compared to birds. This difference may relate to the coordinated knee extension and ankle plantarflexion timing across the swing-stance transition in Crocodylia, unlike in birds where there is knee flexion and ankle dorsiflexion across swing-stance. No significant effects were found across the species for ontogeny, or between treadmill and overground locomotion. Our findings strengthen the inference that some muscle EMG patterns remained conservative throughout Archosauria: for example, digital flexors retained similar stance phase activity and M. pectoralis remained an 'anti-gravity' muscle. However, some avian hindlimb muscles evolved divergent activations in tandem with functional changes such as bipedalism and more crouched postures, especially M. iliotrochantericus caudalis switching from swing to stance phase activity and M. iliofibularis adding a novel stance phase burst of activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Cuff
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Monica A Daley
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Krijn B Michel
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Vivian R Allen
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Luis Pardon Lamas
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Chiara Adami
- Queen Mother Hospital, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Paolo Monticelli
- Queen Mother Hospital, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Ludo Pelligand
- Queen Mother Hospital, Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - John R Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
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Joyce W. Flying is not for the small-hearted. J Exp Biol 2018. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.169912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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