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Nalley TK, Scott JE, McGechie F, Grider-Potter N. Comparative ontogeny of functional aspects of human cervical vertebrae. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24788. [PMID: 37283367 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Differences between adult humans and great apes in cervical vertebral morphology are well documented, but the ontogeny of this variation is still largely unexplored. This study examines patterns of growth in functionally relevant features of C1, C2, C4, and C6 in extant humans and apes to understand the development of their disparate morphologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS Linear and angular measurements were taken from 530 cervical vertebrae representing 146 individual humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. Specimens were divided into three age-categories based on dental eruption: juvenile, adolescent, and adult. Inter- and intraspecific comparisons were evaluated using resampling methods. RESULTS Of the eighteen variables examined here, seven distinguish humans from apes at the adult stage. Human-ape differences in features related to atlantoaxial joint function tend to be established by the juvenile stage, whereas differences in features related to the nuchal musculature and movement of the subaxial elements do not fully emerge until adolescence or later. The orientation of the odontoid process-often cited as a feature that distinguishes humans from apes-is similar in adult humans and adult chimpanzees, but the developmental patterns are distinct, with human adultlike morphology being achieved much earlier. DISCUSSION The biomechanical consequences of the variation observed here is poorly understood. Whether the differences in growth patterns represent functional links to cranial development or postural changes, or both, requires additional investigation. Determining when humanlike ontogenetic patterns evolved in hominins may provide insight into the functional basis driving the morphological divergence between extant humans and apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thierra K Nalley
- Medical Anatomical Sciences Department, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Jeremiah E Scott
- Medical Anatomical Sciences Department, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, USA
| | - Faye McGechie
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Neysa Grider-Potter
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Arlegi M, Pantoja-Pérez A, Veschambre-Couture C, Gómez-Olivencia A. Covariation between the cranium and the cervical vertebrae in hominids. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103112. [PMID: 34894608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103112] [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: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of patterns of integration is crucial for the reconstruction and understanding of how morphological changes occur in a taxonomic group throughout evolution. These patterns are relatively constant; however, both patterns and the magnitudes of integration may vary across species. These differences may indicate morphological diversification, in some cases related to functional adaptations to the biomechanics of organisms. In this study, we analyze patterns of integration between two functional and developmental structures, the cranium and the cervical spine in hominids, and we quantify the amount of divergence of each anatomical element through phylogeny. We applied these methods to three-dimensional data from 168 adult hominid individuals, summing a total of more than 1000 cervical vertebrae. We found the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) display the lowest covariation with the cranium in hominids (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Gorilla beringei, Pongo pygmaeus). H. sapiens show a relatively different pattern of craniocervical correlation compared with chimpanzees and gorillas, especially in variables implicated in maintaining the balance of the head. Finally, the atlas and axis show lower magnitude of shape change during evolution than the rest of the cervical vertebrae, especially those located in the middle of the subaxial cervical spine. Overall, results suggest that differences in the pattern of craniocervical correlation between humans and gorillas and chimpanzees could reflect the postural differences between these groups. Also, the stronger craniocervical integration and larger magnitude of shape change during evolution shown by the middle cervical vertebrae suggests that they have been selected to play an active role in maintaining head balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Veschambre-Couture
- UMR 5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Bâtiment B8, CS 50023, 33615, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Hedrick BP. Inter- and intraspecific variation in the Artibeus species complex demonstrates size and shape partitioning among species. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11777. [PMID: 34306832 PMCID: PMC8280882 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae) are one of the most diverse mammalian families and Artibeus spp. is one of the most speciose phyllostomid genera. In spite of their species diversity, previous work on Artibeus crania using linear morphometrics has uncovered limited interspecific variation. This dearth of shape variation suggests that differences in cranial morphology are not contributing to niche partitioning across species, many of which are often found in sympatry. Using two-dimensional geometric morphometric methods on crania from eleven species from the Artibeus species complex, the current study demonstrates substantial cranial interspecific variation, sexual size and shape dimorphism, and intraspecific geographic variation. The majority of species were shown to have a unique size and shape, which suggests that each species may be taking advantage of slightly different ecological resources. Further, both sexual size and shape dimorphism were significant in the Artibeus species complex. Male and female Artibeus are known to have sex specific foraging strategies, with males eating near their roosts and females feeding further from their roosts. The presence of cranial sexual dimorphism in the Artibeus species complex, combined with previous work showing that different fruit size and hardness is correlated with different cranial shapes in phyllostomids, indicates that the males and females may be utilizing different food resources, leading to divergent cranial morphotypes. Additional field studies will be required to confirm this emergent hypothesis. Finally, significant geographical shape variation was found in a large intraspecific sample of Artibeus lituratus crania. However, this variation was not correlated with latitude and instead may be linked to local environmental factors. Additional work on ecology and behavior in the Artibeus species complex underlying the morphological variation uncovered in this study will allow for a better understanding of how the group has reached its present diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P Hedrick
- Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center- New Orleans, New Orleans, United States of America
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Jung H, Simons EA, von Cramon-Taubadel N. Examination of magnitudes of integration in the catarrhine vertebral column. J Hum Evol 2021; 156:102998. [PMID: 34020295 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102998] [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: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of novel vertebral morphologies observed in humans and other extant hominoids may be related to changes in the magnitudes and/or patterns of covariation among traits. To examine this, we tested magnitudes of integration in the vertebral column of cercopithecoids and hominoids, including humans. Three-dimensional surface scans of 14 vertebral elements from 30 Cercopithecus, 32 Chlorocebus, 39 Macaca, 45 Hylobates, 31 Pan, and 86 Homo specimens were used. A resampling method was used to generate distributions of integration coefficient of variation scores for vertebral elements individually using interlandmark distances. Interspecific comparisons of mean integration coefficient of variation were conducted using Mann-Whitney U tests with Bonferroni adjustment. The results showed that hominoids generally had lower mean integration coefficient of variation than cercopithecoids. In addition, humans showed lower mean integration coefficient of variation than other hominoids in their last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae. Cercopithecoids and Hylobates showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in cervical vertebrae than in thoracolumbar vertebrae. Pan and Homo showed relatively lower mean integration coefficient of variation in the last thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in the thoracolumbar region, except for the L1 of Pan. The results suggest fewer integration-mediated constraints on the evolution of vertebral morphology in hominoids when compared with cercopithecoids. The weaker magnitudes of integration in lumbar vertebrae in humans when compared with chimpanzees likewise suggest fewer constraints on the evolution of novel lumbar vertebrae morphology in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunwoo Jung
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA.
| | - Evan A Simons
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel
- Buffalo Human Evolutionary Morphology Lab, Department of Anthropology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Geng WH, Wang XP, Che LF, Wang X, Liu R, Zhou T, Roos C, Irwin DM, Yu L. Convergent Evolution of Locomotory Modes in Euarchontoglires. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.615862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The research of phenotypic convergence is of increasing importance in adaptive evolution. Locomotory modes play important roles in the adaptive evolution of species in the Euarchontoglires, however, the investigation of convergent evolution of the locomotory modes across diverse Euarchontoglire orders is incomplete. We collected measurements of three phalangeal indices of manual digit III, including metacarpal of digit III (MC3), manus proximal phalanx of digit III (MPP3), and manus intermediate phalanx of digit III (MIP3), from 203 individuals of 122 Euarchontoglires species representing arboreal (orders Scandentia, Rodentia, and Primates), terrestrial (orders Scandentia and Rodentia), and gliding (orders Dermoptera and Rodentia) locomotory modes. This data can be separated into seven groups defined by order and locomotory mode. Based on combination of the three phalangeal indices, the Principle component analyses (PCA), phylomorphospace plot, and C-metrics analyses clustered the arboreal species of Scandentia, Rodentia, and Primates together and the terrestrial species of Scandentia and Rodentia together, showing the convergent signal in evolution of the arboreal (C1 = 0.424, P < 0.05) and terrestrial (C1 = 0.560, P < 0.05) locomotory modes in Euarchontoglires. Although the gliding species from Dermoptera and Rodentia did not cluster together, they also showed the convergent signal (C1 = 0.563, P < 0.05). Our work provides insight into the convergent evolution of locomotory modes in Euarchontoglires, and reveals that these three indices contribute valuable information to identify convergent evolution in Euarchontoglires.
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Beaudet A, Clarke RJ, Heaton JL, Pickering TR, Carlson KJ, Crompton RH, Jashashvili T, Bruxelles L, Jakata K, Bam L, Van Hoorebeke L, Kuman K, Stratford D. The atlas of StW 573 and the late emergence of human-like head mobility and brain metabolism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4285. [PMID: 32179760 PMCID: PMC7075956 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60837-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional morphology of the atlas reflects multiple aspects of an organism’s biology. More specifically, its shape indicates patterns of head mobility, while the size of its vascular foramina reflects blood flow to the brain. Anatomy and function of the early hominin atlas, and thus, its evolutionary history, are poorly documented because of a paucity of fossilized material. Meticulous excavation, cleaning and high-resolution micro-CT scanning of the StW 573 (‘Little Foot’) skull has revealed the most complete early hominin atlas yet found, having been cemented by breccia in its displaced and flipped over position on the cranial base anterolateral to the foramen magnum. Description and landmark-free morphometric analyses of the StW 573 atlas, along with other less complete hominin atlases from Sterkfontein (StW 679) and Hadar (AL 333-83), confirm the presence of an arboreal component in the positional repertoire of Australopithecus. Finally, assessment of the cross-sectional areas of the transverse foramina of the atlas and the left carotid canal in StW 573 further suggests there may have been lower metabolic costs for cerebral tissues in this hominin than have been attributed to extant humans and may support the idea that blood perfusion of these tissues increased over the course of hominin evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa. .,Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, PO Box 2034, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
| | - Ronald J Clarke
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Jason L Heaton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL, 35254, United States.,Plio-Pleistocene Palaeontology Section, Department of Vertebrates, Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (Transvaal Museum), 432 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria Central, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Travis R Pickering
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Biology, Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL, 35254, United States.,Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53706, United States
| | - Kristian J Carlson
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1975 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States
| | - Robin H Crompton
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, William Henry Duncan Building, W Derby Street, Liverpool, L7 8TX, United Kingdom
| | - Tea Jashashvili
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,Molecular Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, United States.,Department of Geology and Paleontology, Georgian National Museum, 3 Shota Rustaveli Ave, T'bilisi, 0105, Georgia
| | - Laurent Bruxelles
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa.,French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Researches (INRAP), 561 rue Etienne Lenoir, 30900, Nîmes, France.,French Institute of South Africa (IFAS), USR 3336 CNRS, 62 Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001, South Africa
| | - Kudakwashe Jakata
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Lunga Bam
- South African Nuclear Energy Corporation SOC Ltd. (Necsa), Elias Motsoaledi Street Ext. (Church Street West), R104, Pelindaba, North West Province, South Africa
| | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, B-9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - Kathleen Kuman
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
| | - Dominic Stratford
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Johannesburg, WITS, 2050, South Africa
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Hedrick BP, Dickson BV, Dumont ER, Pierce SE. The evolutionary diversity of locomotor innovation in rodents is not linked to proximal limb morphology. Sci Rep 2020; 10:717. [PMID: 31959908 PMCID: PMC6970985 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57144-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are the most species-rich order within Mammalia and have evolved disparate morphologies to accommodate numerous locomotor niches, providing an excellent opportunity to understand how locomotor innovation can drive speciation. To evaluate the connection between the evolutionary success of rodents and the diversity of rodent locomotor ecologies, we used a large dataset of proximal limb CT scans from across Myomorpha and Geomyoidea to examine internal and external limb shape. Only fossorial rodents displayed a major reworking of their proximal limbs in either internal or external morphology, with other locomotor modes plotting within a generalist morphospace. Fossorial rodents were also the only locomotor mode to consistently show increased rates of humerus/femur morphological evolution. We propose that these rodent clades were successful at spreading into ecological niches due to high behavioral plasticity and small body sizes, allowing them to modify their locomotor mode without requiring major changes to their proximal limb morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P Hedrick
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA. .,Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA. .,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Blake V Dickson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Elizabeth R Dumont
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California-Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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