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Fletcher B, Phillips R, Faust A, Cook JL, Nuelle JAV. Physical exercise to promote regeneration after peripheral nerve injury in animal models: A systematic review. J Orthop Res 2024; 42:1608-1622. [PMID: 38282091 DOI: 10.1002/jor.25792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injuries are common injuries that often have a drastic effect on patient's activities of daily living and physical function. While techniques for the surgical repair of these injuries have improved over time, rehabilitation methods following these repairs have been non-standardized and under researched. Electronic searches were conducted in Ovid/Medline and SCOPUS to identify articles that discuss rehabilitation and exercise following peripheral nerve injury in animal models and its effects on peripheral nerve regeneration and recovery of function. Thirty-eight articles met inclusion criteria; all were prospective studies in animal models. This systematic review suggests that exercise is a useful tool in returning autonomy to the individual and has beneficial effects in the recovery from peripheral nerve injury. It is beneficial to use rehabilitation exercises following the repair of peripheral nerve injuries to promote regeneration, and timing of that exercise may be just as important as the exercise prescribed. However, further studies with standardized models and outcome measures need to be conducted before translation to clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryce Fletcher
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Rachel Phillips
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Amanda Faust
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - James L Cook
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
| | - Julia A V Nuelle
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, USA
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2
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Morin E, Winterhalder B. Ethnography and ethnohistory support the efficiency of hunting through endurance running in humans. Nat Hum Behav 2024; 8:1065-1075. [PMID: 38740986 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01876-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Humans have two features rare in mammals: our locomotor muscles are dominated by fatigue-resistant fibres and we effectively dissipate through sweating the metabolic heat generated through prolonged, elevated activity. A promising evolutionary explanation of these features is the endurance pursuit (EP) hypothesis, which argues that both traits evolved to facilitate running down game by persistence. However, this hypothesis has faced two challenges: running is energetically costly and accounts of EPs among late twentieth century foragers are rare. While both observations appear to suggest that EPs would be ineffective, we use foraging theory to demonstrate that EPs can be quite efficient. We likewise analyse an ethnohistoric and ethnographic database of nearly 400 EP cases representing 272 globally distributed locations. We provide estimates for return rates of EPs and argue that these are comparable to other pre-modern hunting methods in specified contexts. EP hunting as a method of food procurement would have probably been available and attractive to Plio/Pleistocene hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugène Morin
- Department of Anthropology, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
- PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Pessac, France.
| | - Bruce Winterhalder
- Anthropology and Graduate Group in Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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3
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Luciano F, Ruggiero L, Minetti AE, Pavei G. The work to swing limbs in humans versus chimpanzees and its relation to the metabolic cost of walking. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8970. [PMID: 38637567 PMCID: PMC11026468 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59171-8] [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: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Compared to their closest ape relatives, humans walk bipedally with lower metabolic cost (C) and less mechanical work to move their body center of mass (external mechanical work, WEXT). However, differences in WEXT are not large enough to explain the observed lower C: humans may also do less work to move limbs relative to their body center of mass (internal kinetic mechanical work, WINT,k). From published data, we estimated differences in WINT,k, total mechanical work (WTOT), and efficiency between humans and chimpanzees walking bipedally. Estimated WINT,k is ~ 60% lower in humans due to changes in limb mass distribution, lower stride frequency and duty factor. When summing WINT,k to WEXT, between-species differences in efficiency are smaller than those in C; variations in WTOT correlate with between-species, but not within-species, differences in C. These results partially support the hypothesis that the low cost of human walking is due to the concerted low WINT,k and WEXT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Luciano
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Ruggiero
- Human Performance Research Centre, Department of Sports Science, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Alberto E Minetti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaspare Pavei
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20133, Milan, Italy
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4
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Swinnen W, Lievens E, Hoogkamer W, De Groote F, Derave W, Vanwanseele B. Muscle fibre typology affects whole-body metabolic rate during isolated muscle contractions and human locomotion. J Physiol 2024; 602:1297-1311. [PMID: 38493355 DOI: 10.1113/jp285846] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The wide variation in muscle fibre type distribution across individuals, along with the very different energy consumption rates in slow versus fast muscle fibres, suggests that muscle fibre typology contributes to inter-individual differences in metabolic rate during exercise. However, this has been hard to demonstrate due to the gap between a single muscle fibre and full-body exercises. We investigated the isolated effect of triceps surae muscle contraction velocity on whole-body metabolic rate during cyclic contractions in individuals a priori selected for their predominantly slow (n = 11) or fast (n = 10) muscle fibre typology by means of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). Subsequently, we examined their whole-body metabolic rate during walking and running at 2 m/s, exercises with comparable metabolic rates but distinct triceps surae muscle force and velocity demands (walking: low force, high velocity; running: high force, low velocity). Increasing triceps surae contraction velocity during cyclic contractions elevated net whole-body metabolic rate for both typology groups. However, the slow group consumed substantially less net metabolic energy at the slowest contraction velocity, but the metabolic difference between groups diminished at faster velocities. Consistent with the more economic force production during slow contractions, the slow group exhibited lower metabolic rates than the fast group while running, whereas metabolic rates were similar during walking. These findings provide important insights into the influence of muscle fibre typology on whole-body metabolic rate and emphasize the importance of considering muscle mechanical demands to understand muscle fibre typology related differences in whole-body metabolic rates. KEY POINTS: Muscle fibre typology is often suggested to affect whole-body metabolic rate, yet convincing in vivo evidence is lacking. Using isolated plantar flexor muscle contractions in individuals a priori selected for their predominantly slow or fast muscle fibre typology, we demonstrated that having predominantly slow muscle fibres provides a metabolic advantage during slow muscle contractions, but this benefit disappeared at faster contractions. We extended these results to full-body exercises, where we demonstrated that higher proportions of slow fibres associated with better economy during running but not when walking. These findings provide important insights into the influence of muscle fibre typology on whole-body metabolic rate and emphasize the importance of considering muscle mechanical demands to understand muscle fibre typology related differences in whole-body metabolic rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wannes Swinnen
- Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eline Lievens
- Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Hoogkamer
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | | | - Wim Derave
- Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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O'Neill MC, Nagano A, Umberger BR. A three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the pelvis and lower limb of Australopithecus afarensis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24845. [PMID: 37671481 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Musculoskeletal modeling is a powerful approach for studying the biomechanics and energetics of locomotion. Australopithecus (A.) afarensis is among the best represented fossil hominins and provides critical information about the evolution of musculoskeletal design and locomotion in the hominin lineage. Here, we develop and evaluate a three-dimensional (3-D) musculoskeletal model of the pelvis and lower limb of A. afarensis for predicting muscle-tendon moment arms and moment-generating capacities across lower limb joint positions encompassing a range of locomotor behaviors. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 3-D musculoskeletal model of an adult A. afarensis pelvis and lower limb was developed based primarily on the A.L. 288-1 partial skeleton. The model includes geometric representations of bones, joints and 35 muscle-tendon units represented using 43 Hill-type muscle models. Two muscle parameter datasets were created from human and chimpanzee sources. 3-D muscle-tendon moment arms and isometric joint moments were predicted over a wide range of joint positions. RESULTS Predicted muscle-tendon moment arms generally agreed with skeletal metrics, and corresponded with human and chimpanzee models. Human and chimpanzee-based muscle parameterizations were similar, with some differences in maximum isometric force-producing capabilities. The model is amenable to size scaling from A.L. 288-1 to the larger KSD-VP-1/1, which subsumes a wide range of size variation in A. afarensis. DISCUSSION This model represents an important tool for studying the integrated function of the neuromusculoskeletal systems in A. afarensis. It is similar to current human and chimpanzee models in musculoskeletal detail, and will permit direct, comparative 3-D simulation studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C O'Neill
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, Arizona, USA
| | - Akinori Nagano
- Faculty of Sport and Health Science, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan
| | - Brian R Umberger
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Saito W, Ikawa T, Ogawa T, Momoi Y, Kaneko A, Miyabe-Nishiwaki T, Adachi I, Tomonaga M, Suzuki J, Yamamoto T. Endodontic Treatment of a Maxillary Incisor Tooth in a Chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes). J Vet Dent 2024; 41:148-154. [PMID: 37016792 DOI: 10.1177/08987564231164738] [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] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with teeth severely damaged by dental caries and/or periodontal disease are often managed with medication and/or tooth extraction. A common endodontic treatment for severely decayed teeth in a 26-year-old female chimpanzee is reported. The left maxillary central incisor tooth had lost its crown, probably due to trauma that was not recent, and it had a fistula most likely due to chronic apical periodontitis. The diagnosis was confirmed radiographically before treatment. To treat the infected root canal, endodontic treatment used in humans was adapted for a chimpanzee. After the treatment, the tooth was sealed using an adhesive resin composite. At 11-years post-treatment, there were no signs of recurrence of the lesion or of failure of the tooth seal. The results of this case report suggest that common endodontic treatments used in humans are also effective in chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wataru Saito
- Department of Operative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
- Department of Oral Hygiene, Tsurumi Junior College, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ikawa
- Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takumi Ogawa
- Department of Fixed Prosthodontics, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuko Momoi
- School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akihisa Kaneko
- Center for Human Evolution Modeling Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Takako Miyabe-Nishiwaki
- Center for Human Evolution Modeling Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Ikuma Adachi
- Center for the Evolutionary Origins of Human Behavior, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
- Language and Intelligence Section, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | | | - Juri Suzuki
- Center for Human Evolution Modeling Research, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan
| | - Takatsugu Yamamoto
- Department of Operative Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, Tsurumi University, Yokohama, Japan
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Wiseman AL, Charles JP, Hutchinson JR. Static versus dynamic muscle modelling in extinct species: a biomechanical case study of the Australopithecus afarensis pelvis and lower extremity. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16821. [PMID: 38313026 PMCID: PMC10838096 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The force a muscle generates is dependent on muscle structure, in which fibre length, pennation angle and tendon slack length all influence force production. Muscles are not preserved in the fossil record and these parameters must be estimated when constructing a musculoskeletal model. Here, we test the capability of digitally reconstructed muscles of the Australopithecus afarensis model (specimen AL 288-1) to maintain an upright, single-support limb posture. Our aim was to ascertain the influence that different architectural estimation methods have on muscle specialisation and on the subsequent inferences that can be extrapolated about limb function. Parameters were estimated for 36 muscles in the pelvis and lower limb and seven different musculoskeletal models of AL 288-1 were produced. These parameters represented either a 'static' Hill-type muscle model (n = 4 variants) which only incorporated force, or instead a 'dynamic' Hill-type muscle model with an elastic tendon and fibres that could vary force-length-velocity properties (n = 3 variants). Each muscle's fibre length, pennation angle, tendon slack length and maximal isometric force were calculated based upon different input variables. Static (inverse) simulations were computed in which the vertical and mediolateral ground reaction forces (GRF) were incrementally increased until limb collapse (simulation failure). All AL 288-1 variants produced somewhat similar simulated muscle activation patterns, but the maximum vertical GRF that could be exerted on a single limb was not consistent between models. Three of the four static-muscle models were unable to support >1.8 times body weight and produced models that under-performed. The dynamic-muscle models were stronger. Comparative results with a human model imply that similar muscle group activations between species are needed to sustain single-limb support at maximally applied GRFs in terms of the simplified static simulations (e.g., same walking pose) used here. This approach demonstrated the range of outputs that can be generated for a model of an extinct individual. Despite mostly comparable outputs, the models diverged mostly in terms of strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh L.A. Wiseman
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - James P. Charles
- Evolutionary Morphology and Biomechanics Lab, Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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de Groot NG, Heijmans CM, van der Wiel MK, Bruijnesteijn J, Bontrop RE. The KIR repertoire of a West African chimpanzee population is characterized by limited gene, allele, and haplotype variation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1308316. [PMID: 38149259 PMCID: PMC10750417 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1308316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) play a pivotal role in modulating the NK cell responses, for instance, through interaction with major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules. Both gene systems map to different chromosomes but co-evolved during evolution. The human KIR gene family is characterized by abundant allelic polymorphism and copy number variation. In contrast, our knowledge of the KIR repertoire in chimpanzees is limited to 39 reported alleles, with no available population data. Only three genomic KIR region configurations have been mapped, and seventeen additional ones were deduced by genotyping. Methods Previously, we documented that the chimpanzee MHC class I repertoire has been skewed due to an ancient selective sweep. To understand the depth of the sweep, we set out to determine the full-length KIR transcriptome - in our MHC characterized pedigreed West African chimpanzee cohort - using SMRT sequencing (PacBio). In addition, the genomic organization of 14 KIR haplotypes was characterized by applying a Cas9-mediated enrichment approach in concert with long-read sequencing by Oxford Nanopore Technologies. Results In the cohort, we discovered 35 undescribed and 15 already recorded Patr-KIR alleles, and a novel hybrid KIR gene. Some KIR transcripts are subject to evolutionary conserved alternative splicing events. A detailed insight on the KIR region dynamics (location and order of genes) was obtained, however, only five new KIR region configurations were detected. The population data allowed to investigate the distribution of the MHC-C1 and C2-epitope specificity of the inhibitory lineage III KIR repertoire, and appears to be skewed towards C2. Discussion Although the KIR region is known to evolve fast, as observed in other primate species, our overall conclusion is that the genomic architecture and repertoire in West African chimpanzees exhibit only limited to moderate levels of variation. Hence, the ancient selective sweep that affected the chimpanzee MHC class I region may also have impacted the KIR system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasja G. de Groot
- Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Corrine M.C. Heijmans
- Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Marit K.H. van der Wiel
- Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Jesse Bruijnesteijn
- Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Ronald E. Bontrop
- Comparative Genetics and Refinement, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
- Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Blazevich AJ, Fletcher JR. More than energy cost: multiple benefits of the long Achilles tendon in human walking and running. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:2210-2225. [PMID: 37525526 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Elastic strain energy that is stored and released from long, distal tendons such as the Achilles during locomotion allows for muscle power amplification as well as for reduction of the locomotor energy cost: as distal tendons perform mechanical work during recoil, plantar flexor muscle fibres can work over smaller length ranges, at slower shortening speeds, and at lower activation levels. Scant evidence exists that long distal tendons evolved in humans (or were retained from our more distant Hominoidea ancestors) primarily to allow high muscle-tendon power outputs, and indeed we remain relatively powerless compared to many other species. Instead, the majority of evidence suggests that such tendons evolved to reduce total locomotor energy cost. However, numerous additional, often unrecognised, advantages of long tendons may speculatively be of greater evolutionary advantage, including the reduced limb inertia afforded by shorter and lighter muscles (reducing proximal muscle force requirement), reduced energy dissipation during the foot-ground collisions, capacity to store and reuse the muscle work done to dampen the vibrations triggered by foot-ground collisions, reduced muscle heat production (and thus core temperature), and attenuation of work-induced muscle damage. Cumulatively, these effects should reduce both neuromotor fatigue and sense of locomotor effort, allowing humans to choose to move at faster speeds for longer. As these benefits are greater at faster locomotor speeds, they are consistent with the hypothesis that running gaits used by our ancestors may have exerted substantial evolutionary pressure on Achilles tendon length. The long Achilles tendon may therefore be a singular adaptation that provided numerous physiological, biomechanical, and psychological benefits and thus influenced behaviour across multiple tasks, both including and additional to locomotion. While energy cost may be a variable of interest in locomotor studies, future research should consider the broader range of factors influencing our movement capacity, including our decision to move over given distances at specific speeds, in order to understand more fully the effects of Achilles tendon function as well as changes in this function in response to physical activity, inactivity, disuse and disease, on movement performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony J Blazevich
- Centre for Human Performance, School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, 270 Joondalup Drive, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jared R Fletcher
- Department of Health and Physical Education, Mount Royal University, 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Queeno SR, Sterner KN, O'Neill MC. Meta-analysis data of skeletal muscle slow fiber content across mammalian species. Data Brief 2023; 50:109520. [PMID: 37701714 PMCID: PMC10493253 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109520] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Herein, the dataset generated for Queeno et al. [1] is presented and described. Mammalian skeletal muscle slow (MyHC-I) fiber composition data was collated from 269 eligible studies identified via a systematic literature search and meta-analysis, following a structure similar to PRISMA [2]. Academic search systems were queried with terms relating to mammalian skeletal muscle fiber content and reference lists of selected articles were thoroughly investigated for additional studies. Eligible studies were those that provided skeletal muscle fiber composition data from mammalian species that were not subjected to experimental manipulations. Taxonomic information, sex, age, number of individuals sampled, average body mass (kg), average slow fiber content (%) of each skeletal muscle under investigation and fiber-typing methodology were collated from eligible studies when available. Muscle fiber composition data was collected from more than 200 skeletal muscles across 174 mammalian species, which will be of value to those interested in muscle physiology, interspecific muscle comparisons, and connections between muscle physiology, taxonomy, body mass, ecomorphology and locomotor strategy (among others).
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R. Queeno
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1218 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 USA
| | - Kirstin N. Sterner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 1218 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403 USA
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11
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Crompton RH, Sellers W, Davids K, McClymont J. Biomechanics and the origins of human bipedal walking: The last 50 years. J Biomech 2023; 157:111701. [PMID: 37451208 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111701] [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: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Motion analysis, as applied to evolutionary biomechanics, has experienced its own evolution over the last 50 years. Here we review how an ever-increasing fossil record, together with continuing advancements in biomechanics techniques, have shaped our understanding of the origin of upright bipedal walking. The original, and long-established hypothesis held by Lamarck (1809), Darwin (1859) and Keith (1934), amongst others, maintained that bipedality originated in an arboreal context. However, the first field studies of gorilla and chimpanzees from the 1960's, highlighted their so-called 'knucklewalking' quadrupedalism, leading scientists to assume, semi-automatically, that knucklewalking must have been the precursor to bipedality. It would not be until the discovery of skeletons of early human relatives Australopithecus afarensis and Australopithecus prometheus, and the inclusion of methods of analysis from computer science, biomechanics, sports science and medicine, that the knucklewalking hypothesis would be most robustly challenged. Their short, but human-like lower limbs and human-like hand indicated that knucklewalking was not part of our ancestral locomotor repertoire. Rather, most current research in evolutionary biomechanics agrees it was a combination of climbing and bipedalism, both in an arboreal context, which facilitated upright, terrestrial, bipedal walking over short distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Huw Crompton
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK.
| | - William Sellers
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Keith Davids
- Sport and Physical Activity Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK
| | - Juliet McClymont
- Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, The University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, West Derby Street, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
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12
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Vaill M, Kawanishi K, Varki N, Gagneux P, Varki A. Comparative physiological anthropogeny: exploring molecular underpinnings of distinctly human phenotypes. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:2171-2229. [PMID: 36603157 PMCID: PMC10151058 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00040.2021] [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: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogeny is a classic term encompassing transdisciplinary investigations of the origins of the human species. Comparative anthropogeny is a systematic comparison of humans and other living nonhuman hominids (so-called "great apes"), aiming to identify distinctly human features in health and disease, with the overall goal of explaining human origins. We begin with a historical perspective, briefly describing how the field progressed from the earliest evolutionary insights to the current emphasis on in-depth molecular and genomic investigations of "human-specific" biology and an increased appreciation for cultural impacts on human biology. While many such genetic differences between humans and other hominids have been revealed over the last two decades, this information remains insufficient to explain the most distinctive phenotypic traits distinguishing humans from other living hominids. Here we undertake a complementary approach of "comparative physiological anthropogeny," along the lines of the preclinical medical curriculum, i.e., beginning with anatomy and considering each physiological system and in each case considering genetic and molecular components that are relevant. What is ultimately needed is a systematic comparative approach at all levels from molecular to physiological to sociocultural, building networks of related information, drawing inferences, and generating testable hypotheses. The concluding section will touch on distinctive considerations in the study of human evolution, including the importance of gene-culture interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vaill
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kunio Kawanishi
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Nissi Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Pascal Gagneux
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ajit Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
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van den Heuvel MP, Ardesch DJ, Scholtens LH, de Lange SC, van Haren NEM, Sommer IEC, Dannlowski U, Repple J, Preuss TM, Hopkins WD, Rilling JK. Human and chimpanzee shared and divergent neurobiological systems for general and specific cognitive brain functions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218565120. [PMID: 37216540 PMCID: PMC10235977 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218565120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing topic of interest in human neurosciences is the understanding of the neurobiology underlying human cognition. Less commonly considered is to what extent such systems may be shared with other species. We examined individual variation in brain connectivity in the context of cognitive abilities in chimpanzees (n = 45) and humans in search of a conserved link between cognition and brain connectivity across the two species. Cognitive scores were assessed on a variety of behavioral tasks using chimpanzee- and human-specific cognitive test batteries, measuring aspects of cognition related to relational reasoning, processing speed, and problem solving in both species. We show that chimpanzees scoring higher on such cognitive skills display relatively strong connectivity among brain networks also associated with comparable cognitive abilities in the human group. We also identified divergence in brain networks that serve specialized functions across humans and chimpanzees, such as stronger language connectivity in humans and relatively more prominent connectivity between regions related to spatial working memory in chimpanzees. Our findings suggest that core neural systems of cognition may have evolved before the divergence of chimpanzees and humans, along with potential differential investments in other brain networks relating to specific functional specializations between the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn P. van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Jan Ardesch
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Lianne H. Scholtens
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Siemon C. de Lange
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam1105 BA, the Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E. M. van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht3584 CX, the Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam3015 CE, the Netherlands
| | - Iris E. C. Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen9700 RB, the Netherlands
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster48149, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt60438, Germany
| | - Todd M. Preuss
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30307
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michael E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX77030
| | - James K. Rilling
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
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14
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Moellering DR, Smith-Johnston K, Kelley C, Sammy MJ, Benedict J, Brock G, Johnson J, Baskin KK, Jarjour WN, Belury MA, Reiser PJ, Nagareddy PR, Hanaoka BY. Association between skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study. Arthritis Res Ther 2023; 25:85. [PMID: 37210569 PMCID: PMC10199606 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-023-03065-z] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insulin resistance affects a substantial proportion of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction results in the accumulation of lipid intermediates that interfere with insulin signaling. We therefore sought to determine if lower oxidative phosphorylation and muscle mitochondrial content are associated with insulin resistance in patients with RA. METHODS This was a cross-sectional prospective study of RA patients. Matsuda index from the glucose tolerance test was used to estimate insulin sensitivity. Mitochondrial content was measured by citrate synthase (CS) activity in snap-frozen muscle samples. Mitochondrial function was measured by using high-resolution respirometry of permeabilized muscle fibers and electron transport chain complex IV enzyme kinetics in isolated mitochondrial subpopulations. RESULTS RA participants demonstrated lower insulin sensitivity as measured by the Matsuda index compared to controls [median 3.95 IQR (2.33, 5.64) vs. 7.17 (5.83, 7.75), p = 0.02]. There was lower muscle mitochondrial content among RA vs. controls [median 60 mU/mg IQR (45, 80) vs. 79 mU/mg (65, 97), p = 0.03]. Notably, OxPhos normalized to mitochondrial content was higher among RA vs. controls [mean difference (95% CI) = 0.14 (0.02, 0.26), p = 0.03], indicating a possible compensatory mechanism for lower mitochondrial content or lipid overload. Among RA participants, the activity of muscle CS activity was not correlated with the Matsuda index (ρ = - 0.05, p = 0.84), but it was positively correlated with self-reported (IPAQ) total MET-minutes/week (ρ = 0.44, p = 0.03) and Actigraph-measured time on physical activity (MET rate) (ρ = 0.47, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS Mitochondrial content and function were not associated with insulin sensitivity among participants with RA. However, our study demonstrates a significant association between muscle mitochondrial content and physical activity level, highlighting the potential for future exercise interventions that enhance mitochondrial efficiency in RA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Moellering
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Kelley Smith-Johnston
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Christian Kelley
- Center for Exercise Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Melissa J Sammy
- Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Professions, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Jason Benedict
- Department of Biomedical Bioinformatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Guy Brock
- Department of Biomedical Bioinformatics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jillian Johnson
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kedryn K Baskin
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Wael N Jarjour
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Martha A Belury
- Department of Human Sciences, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Peter J Reiser
- Division of Biosciences, College of Dentistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Prabhakara R Nagareddy
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Beatriz Y Hanaoka
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
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15
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Xv XW, Chen WB, Xiong CH, Huang B, Cheng LF, Sun BY. Exploring the effects of skeletal architecture and muscle properties on bipedal standing in the common chimpanzee ( Pan troglodytes) from the perspective of biomechanics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1140262. [PMID: 37214291 PMCID: PMC10196953 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1140262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: It is well known that the common chimpanzee, as both the closest living relative to humans and a facultative bipedal, has the capability of bipedal standing but cannot do so fully upright. Accordingly, they have been of exceeding significance in elucidating the evolution of human bipedalism. There are many reasons why the common chimpanzee can only stand with its hips-knees bent, such as the distally oriented long ischial tubercle and the almost absent lumbar lordosis. However, it is unknown how the relative positions of their shoulder-hip-knee-ankle joints are coordinated. Similarly, the distribution of the biomechanical characteristics of the lower-limb muscles and the factors that affect the erectness of standing as well as the muscle fatigue of the lower limbs remain a mystery. The answers are bound to light up the evolutional mechanism of hominin bipedality, but these conundrums have not been shed much light upon, because few studies have comprehensively explored the effects of skeletal architecture and muscle properties on bipedal standing in common chimpanzees. Methods: Thus, we first built a musculoskeletal model comprising the head-arms-trunk (HAT), thighs, shanks, and feet segments of the common chimpanzee, and then, the mechanical relationships of the Hill-type muscle-tendon units (MTUs) in bipedal standing were deduced. Thereafter, the equilibrium constraints were established, and a constrained optimization problem was formulated where the optimization objective was defined. Finally, thousands of simulations of bipedal standing experiments were performed to determine the optimal posture and its corresponding MTU parameters including muscle lengths, muscle activation, and muscle forces. Moreover, to quantify the relationship between each pair of the parameters from all the experimental simulation outcomes, the Pearson correlation analysis was employed. Results: Our results demonstrate that in the pursuit of the optimal bipedal standing posture, the common chimpanzee cannot simultaneously achieve maximum erectness and minimum muscle fatigue of the lower limbs. For uni-articular MTUs, the relationship between muscle activation, relative muscle lengths, together with relative muscle forces, and the corresponding joint angle is generally negatively correlated for extensors and positively correlated for flexors. For bi-articular MTUs, the relationship between muscle activation, coupled with relative muscle forces, and the corresponding joint angles does not show the same pattern as in the uni-articular MTUs. Discussion: The results of this study bridge the gap between skeletal architecture, along with muscle properties, and biomechanical performance of the common chimpanzee during bipedal standing, which enhances existing biomechanical theories and advances the comprehension of bipedal evolution in humans.
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Human and African ape myosin heavy chain content and the evolution of hominin skeletal muscle. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023; 281:111415. [PMID: 36931425 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111415] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Humans are unique among terrestrial mammals in our manner of walking and running, reflecting 7 to 8 Ma of musculoskeletal evolution since diverging with the genus Pan. One component of this is a shift in our skeletal muscle biology towards a predominance of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) I isoforms (i.e. slow fibers) across our pelvis and lower limbs, which distinguishes us from chimpanzees. Here, new MyHC data from 35 pelvis and hind limb muscles of a Western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla) are presented. These data are combined with a similar chimpanzee dataset to assess the MyHC I content of humans in comparison to African apes (chimpanzees and gorillas) and other terrestrial mammals. The responsiveness of human skeletal muscle to behavioral interventions is also compared to the human-African ape differential. Humans are distinct from African apes and among a small group of terrestrial mammals whose pelvis and hind/lower limb muscle is slow fiber dominant, on average. Behavioral interventions, including immobilization, bed rest, spaceflight and exercise, can induce modest decreases and increases in human MyHC I content (i.e. -9.3% to 2.3%, n = 2033 subjects), but these shifts are much smaller than the mean human-African ape differential (i.e. 31%). Taken together, these results indicate muscle fiber content is likely an evolvable trait under selection in the hominin lineage. As such, we highlight potential targets of selection in the genome (e.g. regions that regulate MyHC content) that may play an important role in hominin skeletal muscle evolution.
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17
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de Diego M, Casado A, Gómez M, Ciurana N, Rodríguez P, Avià Y, Cuesta-Torralvo E, García N, San José I, Barbosa M, de Paz F, Pastor JF, Potau JM. Elbow Extensor Muscles in Humans and Chimpanzees: Adaptations to Different Uses of the Upper Extremity in Hominoid Primates. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12212987. [PMID: 36359111 PMCID: PMC9655010 DOI: 10.3390/ani12212987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Chimpanzees and humans are both species of hominoid primates that are closely related phylogenetically. One of the key differences between these two species is their use of their upper extremities. Humans use this limb mainly in manipulative tasks, while chimpanzees also use it during locomotion. In this study, we have analyzed the muscle architecture and the expression of the myosin heavy chain isoforms in the two elbow extensor muscles, the triceps brachii and the anconeus, in humans and chimpanzees, in order to find differences that could be related to the different uses of the upper extremities in these species. We have found that the triceps brachii of chimpanzees is more prepared for strength and power as an adaptation to locomotion, while the same muscle in humans is more prepared for speed and resistance to fatigue as an adaptation to manipulative activities. Our results increase the knowledge we have of the musculoskeletal system of chimpanzees and can be applied in various fields, such as comparative anatomy, evolutionary anatomy or anthropology. Abstract The anatomical and functional characteristics of the elbow extensor muscles (triceps brachii and anconeus) have not been widely studied in non-human hominoid primates, despite their great functional importance. In the present study, we have analyzed the muscle architecture and the expression of the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in the elbow extensors in humans and chimpanzees. Our main objective was to identify differences in these muscles that could be related to the different uses of the upper extremity in the two species. In five humans and five chimpanzees, we have analyzed muscle mass (MM), muscle fascicle length (MFL), and the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). In addition, we have assessed the expression of the MHC isoforms by RT-PCR. We have found high MM and PCSA values and higher expression of the MHC-IIx isoform in the triceps brachii of chimpanzees, while in humans, the triceps brachii has high MFL values and a higher expression of the MHC-I and MHC-IIa isoforms. In contrast, there were no significant differences between humans and chimpanzees in any of the values for the anconeus. These findings could be related to the participation of the triceps brachii in the locomotion of chimpanzees and to the use of the upper extremity in manipulative functions in humans. The results obtained in the anconeus support its primary function as a stabilizer of the elbow joint in the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina de Diego
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aroa Casado
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Arqueologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona (UB), 08001 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mónica Gómez
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ciurana
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrícia Rodríguez
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yasmina Avià
- Institut d’Arqueologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona (UB), 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisabeth Cuesta-Torralvo
- Institut d’Arqueologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona (UB), 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Biological Anthropology Unit, Department of Animal Biology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natividad García
- Department of Anatomy and Radiology, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Isabel San José
- Department of Anatomy and Radiology, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Barbosa
- Department of Anatomy and Radiology, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Félix de Paz
- Department of Anatomy and Radiology, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Juan Francisco Pastor
- Department of Anatomy and Radiology, University of Valladolid, 47005 Valladolid, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Potau
- Unit of Human Anatomy and Embryology, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Arqueologia de la Universitat de Barcelona (IAUB), Faculty of Geography and History, University of Barcelona (UB), 08001 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-9-3402-1906
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18
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Marino FE, Sibson BE, Lieberman DE. The evolution of human fatigue resistance. J Comp Physiol B 2022; 192:411-422. [PMID: 35552490 PMCID: PMC9197885 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-022-01439-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Humans differ from African great apes in numerous respects, but the chief initial difference setting hominins on their unique evolutionary trajectory was habitual bipedalism. The two most widely supported selective forces for this adaptation are increased efficiency of locomotion and improved ability to feed in upright contexts. By 4 million years ago, hominins had evolved the ability to walk long distances but extreme selection for endurance capabilities likely occurred later in the genus Homo to help them forage, power scavenge and persistence hunt in hot, arid conditions. In this review we explore the hypothesis that to be effective long-distance walkers and especially runners, there would also have been a strong selective benefit among Homo to resist fatigue. Our hypothesis is that since fatigue is an important factor that limits the ability to perform endurance-based activities, fatigue resistance was likely an important target for selection during human evolution for improved endurance capabilities. We review the trade-offs between strength, power, and stamina in apes and Homo and discuss three biological systems that we hypothesize humans evolved adaptations for fatigue resistance: neurological, metabolic and thermoregulatory. We conclude that the evolution of endurance at the cost of strength and power likely also involved the evolution of mechanisms to resist fatigue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank E Marino
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW, 2795, Australia.
| | - Benjamin E Sibson
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Daniel E Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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19
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O'Neill MC, Demes B, Thompson NE, Larson SG, Stern JT, Umberger BR. Adaptations for bipedal walking: Musculoskeletal structure and three-dimensional joint mechanics of humans and bipedal chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). J Hum Evol 2022; 168:103195. [PMID: 35596976 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Humans are unique among apes and other primates in the musculoskeletal design of their lower back, pelvis, and lower limbs. Here, we describe the three-dimensional ground reaction forces and lower/hindlimb joint mechanics of human and bipedal chimpanzees walking over a full stride and test whether: 1) the estimated limb joint work and power during the stance phase, especially the single-support period, is lower in humans than bipedal chimpanzees, 2) the limb joint work and power required for limb swing is lower in humans than in bipedal chimpanzees, and 3) the estimated total mechanical power during walking, accounting for the storage of passive elastic strain energy in humans, is lower in humans than in bipedal chimpanzees. Humans and bipedal chimpanzees were compared at matched dimensionless and dimensional velocities. Our results indicate that humans walk with significantly less work and power output in the first double-support period and the single-support period of stance, but markedly exceed chimpanzees in the second double-support period (i.e., push-off). Humans generate less work and power in limb swing, although the species difference in limb swing power was not statistically significant. We estimated that total mechanical positive 'muscle fiber' work and power were 46.9% and 35.8% lower, respectively, in humans than in bipedal chimpanzees at matched dimensionless speeds. This is due in part to mechanisms for the storage and release of elastic energy at the ankle and hip in humans. Furthermore, these results indicate distinct 'heel strike' and 'lateral balance' mechanics in humans and bipedal chimpanzees and suggest a greater dissipation of mechanical energy through soft tissue deformations in humans. Together, our results document important differences between human and bipedal chimpanzee walking mechanics over a full stride, permitting a more comprehensive understanding of the mechanics and energetics of chimpanzee bipedalism and the evolution of hominin walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C O'Neill
- Department of Anatomy, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA.
| | - Brigitte Demes
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Nathan E Thompson
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Susan G Larson
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jack T Stern
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Brian R Umberger
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2013, USA
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20
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Abstract
In contrast to conventional hard actuators, soft actuators offer many vivid advantages, such as improved flexibility, adaptability, and reconfigurability, which are intrinsic to living systems. These properties make them particularly promising for different applications, including soft electronics, surgery, drug delivery, artificial organs, or prosthesis. The additional degree of freedom for soft actuatoric devices can be provided through the use of intelligent materials, which are able to change their structure, macroscopic properties, and shape under the influence of external signals. The use of such intelligent materials allows a substantial reduction of a device's size, which enables a number of applications that cannot be realized by externally powered systems. This review aims to provide an overview of the properties of intelligent synthetic and living/natural materials used for the fabrication of soft robotic devices. We discuss basic physical/chemical properties of the main kinds of materials (elastomers, gels, shape memory polymers and gels, liquid crystalline elastomers, semicrystalline ferroelectric polymers, gels and hydrogels, other swelling polymers, materials with volume change during melting/crystallization, materials with tunable mechanical properties, and living and naturally derived materials), how they are related to actuation and soft robotic application, and effects of micro/macro structures on shape transformation, fabrication methods, and we highlight selected applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Apsite
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sahar Salehi
- Department of Biomaterials, Center of Energy Technology und Materials Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Leonid Ionov
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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21
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Cooper AN, McDermott WJ, Martin JC, Dulaney SO, Carrier DR. Great power comes at a high (locomotor) cost: the role of muscle fascicle length in the power versus economy performance trade-off. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272355. [PMID: 34605905 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.236679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Muscle design constraints preclude simultaneous specialization of the vertebrate locomotor system for explosive and economical force generation. The resulting performance trade-off between power and economy has been attributed primarily to individual differences in muscle fiber type composition. While certainly crucial for performance specialization, fiber type likely interacts with muscle architectural parameters, such as fascicle length, to produce this trade-off. Longer fascicles composed of more serial sarcomeres can achieve faster shortening velocities, allowing for greater power production. Long fascicles likely reduce economy, however, because more energy-consuming contractile units are activated for a given force production. We hypothesized that longer fascicles are associated with both increased power production and locomotor cost. In 11 power-trained and 13 endurance-trained recreational athletes, we measured (1) muscle fascicle length via ultrasound in the gastrocnemius lateralis, gastrocnemius medialis and vastus lateralis, (2) maximal power during cycling and countermovement jumps, and (3) running cost of transport. We estimated muscle fiber type non-invasively based on the pedaling rate at which maximal cycling power occurred. As predicted, longer gastrocnemius muscle fascicles were correlated with greater lower-body power production and cost of transport. Multiple regression analyses revealed that variability in maximal power was explained by fiber type (46% for cycling, 24% for jumping) and average fascicle length (20% for cycling, 13% for jumping), while average fascicle length accounted for 15% of the variation in cost of transport. These results suggest that, at least for certain muscles, fascicle length plays an important role in the power versus economy performance trade-off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda N Cooper
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - William J McDermott
- Sport Science and Research, The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Murray, UT 84107, USA
| | - James C Martin
- Department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Shea O Dulaney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - David R Carrier
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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22
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Holmes M, Taylor AB. The influence of jaw-muscle fibre-type phenotypes on estimating maximum muscle and bite forces in primates. Interface Focus 2021; 11:20210009. [PMID: 34938437 PMCID: PMC8361599 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2021.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Numerous anthropological studies have been aimed at estimating jaw-adductor muscle forces, which, in turn, are used to estimate bite force. While primate jaw adductors show considerable intra- and intermuscular heterogeneity in fibre types, studies generally model jaw-muscle forces by treating the jaw adductors as either homogeneously slow or homogeneously fast muscles. Here, we provide a novel extension of such studies by integrating fibre architecture, fibre types and fibre-specific tensions to estimate maximum muscle forces in the masseter and temporalis of five anthropoid primates: Sapajus apella (N = 3), Cercocebus atys (N = 4), Macaca fascicularis (N = 3), Gorilla gorilla (N = 1) and Pan troglodytes (N = 2). We calculated maximum muscle forces by proportionally adjusting muscle physiological cross-sectional areas by their fibre types and associated specific tensions. Our results show that the jaw adductors of our sample ubiquitously express MHC α-cardiac, which has low specific tension, and hybrid fibres. We find that treating the jaw adductors as either homogeneously slow or fast muscles potentially overestimates average maximum muscle forces by as much as approximately 44%. Including fibre types and their specific tensions is thus likely to improve jaw-muscle and bite force estimates in primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Holmes
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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Begrambekova YL, Orlova YA. Health benefits of aerobic exercise: known mechanisms and research potential. КАРДИОВАСКУЛЯРНАЯ ТЕРАПИЯ И ПРОФИЛАКТИКА 2021. [DOI: 10.15829/1728-8800-2021-2878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The pandemic of noncommunicable diseases, which is currently one of the main threats to health and well-being of mankind, makes us look for ways to prevent their development early. Low cardiorespiratory endurance due to a sedentary lifestyle is associated with high cardiovascular risk, all-cause and cancer mortality. Skeletal muscles are the most important secretory organ and is characterized by outstanding metabolic performance and endurance. Exercise-induced low-dose stress contributes to mitochondrial biogenesis and remodeling of not only the muscular system, but also other systems involved in maintaining muscle activity, including regulating glucose and fat metabolism, maintaining immunity, and stimulating angiogenesis. These and other effects of physical activity are implements through the myokine system discovered in recent years. Shutting off the paracrine, exocrine and endocrine functions of muscles cannot be replenished in any other way and leads to disruption of vital adaptive processes. This review describes currently available evidence of unique role of aerobic physical activity in maintaining the human health, as well as to define the chain of pathological reactions during physical inactivity. The search was carried out in the Medline and PubMed Central databases for the keywords: cardiorespiratory endurance, non-communicable diseases, maximum oxygen consumption, myokines, interleukin-6, aerobic exercise.
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Raichlen DA, Pontzer H. Energetic and endurance constraints on great ape quadrupedalism and the benefits of hominin bipedalism. Evol Anthropol 2021; 30:253-261. [PMID: 34347329 DOI: 10.1002/evan.21911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Bipedal walking was one of the first key behavioral traits that defined the evolution of early hominins. While it is not possible to identify specific selection pressures underlying bipedal evolution, we can better understand how the adoption of bipedalism may have benefited our hominin ancestors. Here, we focus on how bipedalism relaxes constraints on nonhuman primate quadrupedal limb mechanics, providing key advantages during hominin evolution. Nonhuman primate quadrupedal kinematics, especially in our closest living relatives, the great apes, are dominated by highly flexed limb joints, often associated with high energy costs, and are constrained by the need to reduce loads on mobile, but less stable forelimb joints. Bipedal walking would have allowed greater hind limb joint extension, which is associated with reduced energy costs and increased endurance. We suggest that relaxing these constraints provided bipedal hominins important benefits associated with long distance foraging and mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Raichlen
- Human and Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Herman Pontzer
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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25
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van Beesel J, Hutchinson JR, Hublin JJ, Melillo SM. Exploring the functional morphology of the Gorilla shoulder through musculoskeletal modelling. J Anat 2021; 239:207-227. [PMID: 33629406 PMCID: PMC8197971 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Musculoskeletal computer models allow us to quantitatively relate morphological features to biomechanical performance. In non‐human apes, certain morphological features have long been linked to greater arm abduction potential and increased arm‐raising performance, compared to humans. Here, we present the first musculoskeletal model of a western lowland gorilla shoulder to test some of these long‐standing proposals. Estimates of moment arms and moments of the glenohumeral abductors (deltoid, supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles) over arm abduction were conducted for the gorilla model and a previously published human shoulder model. Contrary to previous assumptions, we found that overall glenohumeral abduction potential is similar between Gorilla and Homo. However, gorillas differ by maintaining high abduction moment capacity with the arm raised above horizontal. This difference is linked to a disparity in soft tissue properties, indicating that scapular morphological features like a cranially oriented scapular spine and glenoid do not enhance the abductor function of the gorilla glenohumeral muscles. A functional enhancement due to differences in skeletal morphology was only demonstrated in the gorilla supraspinatus muscle. Contrary to earlier ideas linking a more obliquely oriented scapular spine to greater supraspinatus leverage, our results suggest that increased lateral projection of the greater tubercle of the humerus accounts for the greater biomechanical performance in Gorilla. This study enhances our understanding of the evolution of gorilla locomotion, as well as providing greater insight into the general interaction between anatomy, function and locomotor biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia van Beesel
- Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - John R Hutchinson
- Structure & Motion Laboratory, The Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Collège de France, Paris, France
| | - Stephanie M Melillo
- Department of Human Evolution, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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Fiber-type phenotype of the jaw-closing muscles in Gorilla gorilla, Pan troglodytes, and Pan paniscus: A test of the Frequent Recruitment Hypothesis. J Hum Evol 2021; 151:102938. [PMID: 33493971 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102938] [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: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Skeletal muscle fiber types are important determinants of the contractile properties of muscle fibers, such as fatigue resistance and shortening velocity. Yet little is known about how jaw-adductor fiber types correlate with feeding behavior in primates. Compared with chimpanzees and bonobos, gorillas spend a greater percentage of their daily time feeding and shift to herbaceous vegetation when fruits are scarce. We thus used the African apes to test the hypothesis that chewing with unusually high frequency is correlated with the expression in the jaw adductors of a high proportion of type 1 (slow, fatigue-resistant) fibers at the expense of other fiber types (the Frequent Recruitment Hypothesis). We used immunohistochemistry to determine the presence and distribution of the four major myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in the anterior superficial masseter (ASM), superficial anterior temporalis, and deep anterior temporalis of four Gorilla gorilla, two Pan paniscus, and four Pan troglodytes. Serial sections were stained against slow (MHC-1/-α-cardiac) and fast (MHC-2/-M) fibers. Fibers were counted and scored for staining intensity, and fiber cross-sectional areas (CSAs) were measured and used to estimate percentage of CSA of each MHC isoform. Hybrid fibers accounted for nearly 100% of fiber types in the masseter and temporalis of all three species, resulting in three main hybrid phenotypes. As predicted, the gorilla ASM and deep anterior temporalis comprised a greater percentage of CSA of the slower, fatigue-resistant hybrid fiber type, significantly so for the ASM (p = 0.015). Finally, the results suggest that fiber phenotype of the chewing muscles contributes to behavioral flexibility in ways that would go undetected in paleontological studies relying solely on morphology of the bony masticatory apparatus.
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27
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Dembia CL, Bianco NA, Falisse A, Hicks JL, Delp SL. OpenSim Moco: Musculoskeletal optimal control. PLoS Comput Biol 2020; 16:e1008493. [PMID: 33370252 PMCID: PMC7793308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Musculoskeletal simulations are used in many different applications, ranging from the design of wearable robots that interact with humans to the analysis of patients with impaired movement. Here, we introduce OpenSim Moco, a software toolkit for optimizing the motion and control of musculoskeletal models built in the OpenSim modeling and simulation package. OpenSim Moco uses the direct collocation method, which is often faster and can handle more diverse problems than other methods for musculoskeletal simulation. Moco frees researchers from implementing direct collocation themselves-which typically requires extensive technical expertise-and allows them to focus on their scientific questions. The software can handle a wide range of problems that interest biomechanists, including motion tracking, motion prediction, parameter optimization, model fitting, electromyography-driven simulation, and device design. Moco is the first musculoskeletal direct collocation tool to handle kinematic constraints, which enable modeling of kinematic loops (e.g., cycling models) and complex anatomy (e.g., patellar motion). To show the abilities of Moco, we first solved for muscle activity that produced an observed walking motion while minimizing squared muscle excitations and knee joint loading. Next, we predicted how muscle weakness may cause deviations from a normal walking motion. Lastly, we predicted a squat-to-stand motion and optimized the stiffness of an assistive device placed at the knee. We designed Moco to be easy to use, customizable, and extensible, thereby accelerating the use of simulations to understand the movement of humans and other animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L. Dembia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Nicholas A. Bianco
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Antoine Falisse
- Department of Movement Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer L. Hicks
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Scott L. Delp
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America
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28
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Best AW. Why does strength training improve endurance performance? Am J Hum Biol 2020; 33:e23526. [PMID: 33089638 DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The specificity of training principle holds that adaptations to exercise training closely match capacity to the specific demands of the stimulus. Improvements in endurance sport performance gained through strength training are a notable exception to this principle. While the proximate mechanisms for how strength training produces muscular adaptations beneficial to endurance sports are increasingly well understood, the ultimate causes of this phenomenon remain unexplored. METHODS Using a holistic approach tying together exercise physiology and evolution, I argue that we can reconcile the apparent "endurance training specificity paradox." RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Competing selective pressures, inherited mammalian biology, and millennia of living in energy-scarce environments constrained our evolution as endurance athletes, but also imparted high muscular plasticity which can be exploited to improve endurance performance beyond what was useful in our evolutionary past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W Best
- Department of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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29
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30
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Halsey LG, Bryce CM. Are humans evolved specialists for running in the heat? Man
vs
. horse races provide empirical insights. Exp Physiol 2020; 106:258-268. [DOI: 10.1113/ep088502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G. Halsey
- Department of Life Sciences University of Roehampton London SW15 4JD UK
| | - Caleb M. Bryce
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Private Bag 13 Maun Botswana
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31
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Lieberman DE, Mahaffey M, Cubesare Quimare S, Holowka NB, Wallace IJ, Baggish AL. Running in Tarahumara (Rarámuri) Culture. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1086/708810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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32
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de Diego M, Casado A, Gómez M, Martín J, Pastor JF, Potau JM. Structural and molecular analysis of elbow flexor muscles in modern humans and common chimpanzees. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-020-00482-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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33
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Bitar M, Kuiper S, O'Brien EA, Barry G. Genes with human-specific features are primarily involved with brain, immune and metabolic evolution. BMC Bioinformatics 2019; 20:406. [PMID: 31757203 PMCID: PMC6873653 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-019-2886-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Humans have adapted to widespread changes during the past 2 million
years in both environmental and lifestyle factors. This is evident in overall
body alterations such as average height and brain size. Although we can
appreciate the uniqueness of our species in many aspects, molecular variations
that drive such changes are far from being fully known and explained.
Comparative genomics is able to determine variations in genomic sequence that
may provide functional information to better understand species-specific
adaptations. A large number of human-specific genomic variations have been
reported but no currently available dataset comprises all of these, a problem
which contributes to hinder progress in the field. Results Here we critically update high confidence human-specific genomic
variants that mostly associate with protein-coding regions and find 856 related
genes. Events that create such human-specificity are mainly gene duplications,
the emergence of novel gene regions and sequence and structural alterations.
Functional analysis of these human-specific genes identifies adaptations to
brain, immune and metabolic systems to be highly involved. We further show that
many of these genes may be functionally associated with neural activity and
generating the expanded human cortex in dynamic spatial and temporal
contexts. Conclusions This comprehensive study contributes to the current knowledge by
considerably updating the number of human-specific genes following a critical
bibliographic survey. Human-specific genes were functionally assessed for the
first time to such extent, thus providing unique information. Our results are
consistent with environmental changes, such as immune challenges and alterations
in diet, as well as neural sophistication, as significant contributors to recent
human evolution. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-019-2886-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized
users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mainá Bitar
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.
| | - Stefanie Kuiper
- School of Natural Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A O'Brien
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Guy Barry
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, QLD, 4006, Australia.,The School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia
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34
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MacLean KF, Dickerson CR. Kinematic and EMG analysis of horizontal bimanual climbing in humans. J Biomech 2019; 92:11-18. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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35
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Baboon (Papio ursinus) single fibre contractile properties are similar to that of trained humans. J Muscle Res Cell Motil 2019; 39:189-199. [DOI: 10.1007/s10974-019-09509-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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36
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Saucier G. Culture, morality and individual differences: comparability and incomparability across species. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0170. [PMID: 29483353 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Major routes to identifying individual differences (in diverse species) include studies of behaviour patterns as represented in language and neurophysiology. But results from these approaches appear not to converge on some major dimensions. Identifying dimensions of human variation least applicable to non-human species may help to partition human-specific individual differences of recent evolutionary origin from those shared across species. Human culture includes learned, enforced social-norm systems that are symbolically reinforced and referenced in displays signalling adherence. At a key juncture in human evolution bullying aggression and deception-based cheating apparently became censured in the language of a moral community, enabling mutual observation coordinated in gossip, associated with external sanctions. That still-conserved cultural paradigm moralistically regulates selfish advantage-taking, with shared semantics and explicit rules. Ethics and moral codes remain critical and universal components of human culture and have a stronger imprint in language than most aspects of the currently popular Big-Five taxonomy, a model that sets out five major lines of individual-differences variation in human personality. In other species (e.g. chimpanzees), human observers might see apparent individual differences in morality-relevant traits, but not because the animals have human-analogue sanctioning systems. Removing the moral dimension of personality and other human-specific manifestations (e.g. religion) may aid in identifying those other bases of individual differences more ubiquitous across species.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Saucier
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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37
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Callison WÉ, Holowka NB, Lieberman DE. Thoracic adaptations for ventilation during locomotion in humans and other mammals. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.189357. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.189357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Bipedal humans, like canids and some other cursorial mammals, are thought to have been selected for endurance running, which requires the ability to sustain aerobic metabolism over long distances by inspiring large volumes of air for prolonged periods of time. Here we test the general hypothesis that humans and other mammals selected for vigorous endurance activities evolved derived thoracic features to increase ventilatory capacity. To do so, we investigate whether humans and dogs rely on thoracic motion to increase tidal volume during running to a greater extent than goats, a species that was not selected for endurance locomotion. We found that while all three species use diaphragmatic breathing to increase tidal volume with increasing oxygen demand, humans also use both dorsoventral and mediolateral expansions of the thorax. Dogs use increased dorsoventral expansion of the thorax, representing an intermediate between humans and goats. 3D analyses of joint morphology of 10 species across four mammalian orders also show that endurance-adapted cursorial species independently evolved more concavo-convex costovertebral joint morphologies that allow for increased rib mobility for thoracic expansion. Evidence for similarly derived concavo-convex costovertebral joints in Homo erectus corresponds with other evidence for the evolution of endurance running in the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- W. Éamon Callison
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas B. Holowka
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel E. Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, USA
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38
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Hill T, Polk JD. BDNF, endurance activity, and mechanisms underlying the evolution of hominin brains. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 168 Suppl 67:47-62. [PMID: 30575024 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 10/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES As a complex, polygenic trait, brain size has likely been influenced by a range of direct and indirect selection pressures for both cognitive and non-cognitive functions and capabilities. It has been hypothesized that hominin brain expansion was, in part, a correlated response to selection acting on aerobic capacity (Raichlen & Polk, 2013). According to this hypothesis, selection for aerobic capacity increased the activity of various signaling molecules, including those involved in brain growth. One key molecule is brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that regulates neuronal development, survival, and plasticity in mammals. This review updates, partially tests, and expands Raichlen and Polk's (2013) hypothesis by evaluating evidence for BDNF as a mediator of brain size. DISCUSSION We contend that selection for endurance capabilities in a hot climate favored changes to muscle composition, mitochondrial dynamics and increased energy budget through pathways involving regulation of PGC-1α and MEF2 genes, both of which promote BDNF activity. In addition, the evolution of hairlessness and the skin's thermoregulatory response provide other molecular pathways that promote both BDNF activity and neurotransmitter synthesis. We discuss how these pathways contributed to the evolution of brain size and function in human evolution and propose avenues for future research. Our results support Raichlen and Polk's contention that selection for non-cognitive functions has direct mechanistic linkages to the evolution of brain size in hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Hill
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois
| | - John D Polk
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois.,Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle-Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, Illinois
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39
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Ichikawa H, Matsuo T, Higurashi Y, Nagahisa H, Miyata H, Sugiura T, Wada N. Characteristics of Muscle Fiber-Type Distribution in Moles. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2018; 302:1010-1023. [PMID: 30376699 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Moles are a strictly fossorial Soricomorpha species and possess a suite of specialized adaptations to subterranean life. However, the contractile function of skeletal muscles in moles remains unclear. We compared muscle fiber-type distribution in two mole species (the large Japanese mole and lesser Japanese mole) with that in four other Soricomorpha species that are semi-fossorial, terrestrial, or semi-aquatic (the Japanese shrew-mole, house shrew, Japanese white-toothed shrew, and Japanese water shrew). For a single species, the fiber-type distribution in up to 38 muscles was assessed using immunohistochemical staining and/or gel electrophoresis. We found that slow and fatigue-resistant Type I fibers were absent in almost all muscles of all species studied. Although, the two methods of determining the fiber type did not give identical results, they both revealed that fast Type IIb fibers were absent in mole muscles. The fiber-type distribution was similar among different anatomical regions in the moles. This study demonstrated that the skeletal muscles of moles have a homogenous fiber-type distribution compared with that in Soricomorpha species that are not strictly fossorial. Mole muscles are composed of Type IIa fibers alone or a combination of Type IIa and relatively fast Type IIx fibers. The homogenous fiber-type distribution in mole muscles may be an adaptation to structurally simple subterranean environments, where there is no need to support body weight with the limbs, or to move at high speeds to pursue prey or to escape from predators. Anat Rec, 302:1010-1023, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ichikawa
- Division of Basic Veterinary Sciences, the United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Taiki Matsuo
- Division of Basic Veterinary Sciences, the United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Yasuo Higurashi
- Laboratory of System Physiology, Division of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nagahisa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Miyata
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Takao Sugiura
- Department of Health and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Education, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8513, Japan
| | - Naomi Wada
- Laboratory of System Physiology, Division of Basic Veterinary Sciences, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
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40
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Okerblom J, Fletes W, Patel HH, Schenk S, Varki A, Breen EC. Human-like Cmah inactivation in mice increases running endurance and decreases muscle fatigability: implications for human evolution. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.1656. [PMID: 30209232 PMCID: PMC6158528 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to other primates, humans are exceptional long-distance runners, a feature that emerged in genus Homo approximately 2 Ma and is classically attributed to anatomical and physiological adaptations such as an enlarged gluteus maximus and improved heat dissipation. However, no underlying genetic changes have currently been defined. Two to three million years ago, an exon deletion in the CMP-Neu5Ac hydroxylase (CMAH) gene also became fixed in our ancestral lineage. Cmah loss in mice exacerbates disease severity in multiple mouse models for muscular dystrophy, a finding only partially attributed to differences in immune reactivity. We evaluated the exercise capacity of Cmah-/- mice and observed an increased performance during forced treadmill testing and after 15 days of voluntary wheel running. Cmah-/- hindlimb muscle exhibited more capillaries and a greater fatigue resistance in situ Maximal coupled respiration was also higher in Cmah null mice ex vivo and relevant differences in metabolic pathways were also noted. Taken together, these data suggest that CMAH loss contributes to an improved skeletal muscle capacity for oxygen use. If translatable to humans, CMAH loss could have provided a selective advantage for ancestral Homo during the transition from forest dwelling to increased resource exploration and hunter/gatherer behaviour in the open savannah.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Okerblom
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Glycobiology Research and Training Center (GRTC), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - William Fletes
- Glycobiology Research and Training Center (GRTC), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Program, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Hemal H Patel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, USA
| | - Simon Schenk
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ajit Varki
- Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA .,Glycobiology Research and Training Center (GRTC), University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Ellen C Breen
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Huq E, Taylor AB, Su Z, Wall CE. Fiber type composition of epaxial muscles is geared toward facilitating rapid spinal extension in the leaper Galago senegalensis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:95-106. [PMID: 29318571 PMCID: PMC5910278 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We hypothesized that the vertical leaper Galago senegalensis will have epaxial extensor muscles with a fast fiber phenotype to facilitate rapid spinal extension during leaping in comparison to the slow-moving quadruped Nycticebus coucang. To test this, we determined the percentage of fiber cross-sectional area (%CSA) devoted to Type 2 fibers in epaxial muscles of G. senegalensis compared to those of N. coucang. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immunohistochemistry was used to identify Type 1, Type 2, and hybrid fibers in iliocostalis, longissimus, and multifidus muscles of G. senegalensis (n = 3) and N. coucang (n = 3). Serial muscle sections were used to estimate and compare proportions, cross-sectional areas (CSAs), and %CSAs of Type 1, Type 2, and hybrid fibers between species. RESULTS Epaxial muscles of G. senegalensis were comprised predominantly of Type 2 fibers with large CSAs (%CSA range ≈ 83-94%; range of mean CSA = 1,218-1,586 μm2 ). N. coucang epaxial muscles were comprised predominantly Type 1 fibers with large CSAs (%CSA range ≈ 69-77%; range of mean CSA = 983-1,220 μm2 ). DISCUSSION The predominance of Type 2 fibers in G. senegalensis epaxial muscles facilitates rapid muscle excursion and spinal extension during leaping, and is consistent with their relatively long muscle fibers. The predominance of Type 1 fibers in N. coucang epaxial muscles may aid in maintaining stable postures during bridging and cantilevering behaviors characteristic of slow-climbing. These histochemical characteristics highlight the major divergent locomotor repertoires of G. senegalensis and N. coucang.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emranul Huq
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY. USA
| | | | - Zuowei Su
- Research Immunohistology Lab, Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Christine E. Wall
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC. USA
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Wallace IJ, Hainline C, Lieberman DE. Sports and the human brain: an evolutionary perspective. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2018; 158:3-10. [PMID: 30482358 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63954-7.00001-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
An evolutionary perspective helps explain a conundrum faced by sports neurologists: why is the human brain dependent on physical activity to function optimally, yet simultaneously susceptible to harm from particular types of athletics? For millions of years, human bodies and brains co-evolved to meet the physical and cognitive demands of the uniquely human subsistence strategy of hunting and gathering. Natural selection favored bodies with adaptations for endurance-based physical activity patterns, whereas brains were selected to be big and powerful to navigate the complex cultural and ecologic landscapes of hunter-gatherers. Human brains require physical activity to function optimally because their physiology evolved among individuals who were rarely able to avoid regular physical activity. Moreover, because energy from food was limited, human brains, like most energetically costly physiologic systems, evolved to require stimuli from physical activity to adjust capacity to demand. Consequently, human brains are poorly adapted to excessive physical inactivity. In addition, while brain enlargement during human evolution was vital to successful hunting and gathering, it came at the cost of a decreased ability to withstand brain accelerations and decelerations, which commonly occur during contact/collision sports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Wallace
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Clotilde Hainline
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Daniel E Lieberman
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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