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Manafzadeh AR, Gatesy SM, Bhullar BAS. Articular surface interactions distinguish dinosaurian locomotor joint poses. Nat Commun 2024; 15:854. [PMID: 38365765 PMCID: PMC10873393 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44832-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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Our knowledge of vertebrate functional evolution depends on inferences about joint function in extinct taxa. Without rigorous criteria for evaluating joint articulation, however, such analyses risk misleading reconstructions of vertebrate animal motion. Here we propose an approach for synthesizing raycast-based measurements of 3-D articular overlap, symmetry, and congruence into a quantitative "articulation score" for any non-interpenetrating six-degree-of-freedom joint configuration. We apply our methodology to bicondylar hindlimb joints of two extant dinosaurs (guineafowl, emu) and, through comparison with in vivo kinematics, find that locomotor joint poses consistently have high articulation scores. We then exploit this relationship to constrain reconstruction of a pedal walking stride cycle for the extinct dinosaur Deinonychus antirrhopus, demonstrating the utility of our approach. As joint articulation is investigated in more living animals, the framework we establish here can be expanded to accommodate additional joints and clades, facilitating improved understanding of vertebrate animal motion and its evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armita R Manafzadeh
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
| | - Stephen M Gatesy
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Bhart-Anjan S Bhullar
- Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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Merten LJF, Manafzadeh AR, Herbst EC, Amson E, Tambusso PS, Arnold P, Nyakatura JA. The functional significance of aberrant cervical counts in sloths: insights from automated exhaustive analysis of cervical range of motion. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231592. [PMID: 37909076 PMCID: PMC10618861 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1592] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides manatees, the suspensory extant 'tree sloths' are the only mammals that deviate from a cervical count (CC) of seven vertebrae. They do so in opposite directions in the two living genera (increased versus decreased CC). Aberrant CCs seemingly reflect neck mobility in both genera, suggesting adaptive significance for their head position during suspensory locomotion and especially increased ability for neck torsion in three-toed sloths. We test two hypotheses in a comparative evolutionary framework by assessing three-dimensional intervertebral range of motion (ROM) based on exhaustive automated detection of bone collisions and joint disarticulation while accounting for interacting rotations of roll, yaw and pitch. First, we hypothesize that the increase of CC also increases overall neck mobility compared with mammals with a regular CC, and vice versa. Second, we hypothesize that the anatomy of the intervertebral articulations determines mobility of the neck. The assessment revealed that CC plays only a secondary role in defining ROM since summed torsion (roll) capacity was primarily determined by vertebral anatomy. Our results thus suggest limited neck rotational adaptive significance of the CC aberration in sloths. Further, the study demonstrates the suitability of our automated approach for the comparative assessment of osteological ROM in vertebral series.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa J. F. Merten
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Philippstrasse 12/13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Invalidenstraße 43, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Armita R. Manafzadeh
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Eva C. Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, University of Zurich, Hönggerbergring 64, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Eli Amson
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - P. Sebastián Tambusso
- Departamento de Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, 11400 Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Patrick Arnold
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
| | - John A. Nyakatura
- Comparative Zoology, Institute of Biology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Philippstrasse 12/13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
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Lee ECS, Young NM, Rainbow MJ. A comparative approach for characterizing the relationship among morphology, range-of-motion and locomotor behaviour in the primate shoulder. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231446. [PMID: 37848066 PMCID: PMC10581761 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1446] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Shoulder shape directly impacts forelimb function by contributing to glenohumeral (GH) range-of-motion (ROM). However, identifying traits that contribute most to ROM and visualizing how they do so remains challenging, ultimately limiting our ability to reconstruct function and behaviour in fossil species. To address these limitations, we developed an in silico proximity-driven model to simulate and visualize three-dimensional (3D) GH rotations in living primate species with diverse locomotor profiles, identify those shapes that are most predictive of ROM using geometric morphometrics, and apply subsequent insights to interpret function and behaviour in the fossil hominin Australopithecus sediba. We found that ROM metrics that incorporated 3D rotations best discriminated locomotor groups, and the magnitude of ROM (mobility) was decoupled from the anatomical location of ROM (e.g. high abduction versus low abduction). Morphological traits that enhanced mobility were decoupled from those that enabled overhead positions, and all non-human apes possessed the latter but not necessarily the former. Model simulation in A. sediba predicted high mobility and a ROM centred at lower abduction levels than in living apes but higher than in modern humans. Together these results identify novel form-to-function relationships in the shoulder and enhance visualization tools to reconstruct past function and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin C. S. Lee
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V9
| | - Nathan M. Young
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Michael J. Rainbow
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V9
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Demuth OE, Herbst E, Polet DT, Wiseman ALA, Hutchinson JR. Modern three-dimensional digital methods for studying locomotor biomechanics in tetrapods. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245132. [PMID: 36810943 PMCID: PMC10042237 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review the modern interface of three-dimensional (3D) empirical (e.g. motion capture) and theoretical (e.g. modelling and simulation) approaches to the study of terrestrial locomotion using appendages in tetrapod vertebrates. These tools span a spectrum from more empirical approaches such as XROMM, to potentially more intermediate approaches such as finite element analysis, to more theoretical approaches such as dynamic musculoskeletal simulations or conceptual models. These methods have much in common beyond the importance of 3D digital technologies, and are powerfully synergistic when integrated, opening a wide range of hypotheses that can be tested. We discuss the pitfalls and challenges of these 3D methods, leading to consideration of the problems and potential in their current and future usage. The tools (hardware and software) and approaches (e.g. methods for using hardware and software) in the 3D analysis of tetrapod locomotion have matured to the point where now we can use this integration to answer questions we could never have tackled 20 years ago, and apply insights gleaned from them to other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver E. Demuth
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Eva Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Delyle T. Polet
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Ashleigh L. A. Wiseman
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3ER, UK
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK
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Abstract
Joints enable nearly all vertebrate animal motion, from feeding to locomotion. However, despite well over a century of arthrological research, we still understand very little about how the structure of joints relates to the kinematics they exhibit in life. This Commentary discusses the value of joint mobility as a lens through which to study articular form and function. By independently exploring form-mobility and mobility-function relationships and integrating the insights gained, we can develop a deep understanding of the strength and causality of articular form-function relationships. In turn, we will better illuminate the basics of 'how joints work' and be well positioned to tackle comparative investigations of the diverse repertoire of vertebrate animal motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armita R Manafzadeh
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA.,Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, 170 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Yale University, 17 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06520-8292, USA
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Herbst EC, Eberhard EA, Richards CT, Hutchinson JR. In vivo and ex vivo range of motion in the fire salamander
Salamandra salamandra. J Anat 2022; 241:1066-1082. [PMID: 35986620 PMCID: PMC9482696 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eva C. Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Structure and Motion Laboratory Royal Veterinary College London UK
| | - Enrico A. Eberhard
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- LASA, EPFL Lausanne Switzerland
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