Doctoral Dissertation Research: Functional myology of the primate head and neck with implications for hominin evolution

博士论文研究：灵长类动物头部和颈部的功能性肌肉学对古人类进化的影响

• 批准号: 1919475
• 负责人: Carol Ward
• 金额: $ 0.86万
• 依托单位: University of Missouri-Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-08-15 至 2022-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1919475&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Functional; myology

Humans have unique upright body posture and related anatomy, but paleontologists are not certain when these features first appeared in the hominin lineage. The aim of this doctoral research project is to functionally describe the anatomy of the primate neck to understand how differences in the neck are related to head posture, body posture, and locomotion in primates. The project will provide data that may be used for inferring when a human-like neck first appeared and how this anatomical change was associated with environmental, behavioral and biological factors. This study will employ a combination of 3D anatomical methods including CT scanning, digital muscle fascicle tracking, and biomechanical modeling, which will serve as training tools for future researchers and health care professionals. The 3D models generated in this study will be used in K-12 science education and outreach events for discussing human anatomy and primate conservation.The objective of this study is to both characterize and quantify neck muscle anatomy in primates with different habitual body postures and locomotor behaviors. Using a biomechanical framework, the project will compare functional differences in neck musculature that are key for behaviors such as holding up the head and movement of the arms during suspension. Novel techniques including contrast-enhanced computed tomography, muscle fascicle tracking software, and 3D lever mechanics will be used to develop biomechanical models of how variation in muscle size, shape, and distribution is related to postural and locomotor behavior across primates. These biomechanical models will be applied to fossil hominins (Australopithecus sediba and Homo neanderthalensis) to interpret their neck anatomy and posture to more accurately understand and reconstruct their behaviors.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

人类具有独特的直立身体姿势和相关的解剖结构，但古生物学家不确定这些特征何时首次出现在古人类谱系中。这个博士研究项目的目的是从功能上描述灵长类动物颈部的解剖结构，以了解颈部差异如何与灵长类动物的头部姿势、身体姿势和运动相关。该项目将提供数据，可用于推断类人颈部首次出现的时间，以及这种解剖学变化如何与环境、行为和生物因素相关。这项研究将结合使用 3D 解剖方法，包括 CT 扫描、数字肌束跟踪和生物力学建模，这将作为未来研究人员和医疗保健专业人员的培训工具。本研究中生成的 3D 模型将用于 K-12 科学教育和外展活动，以讨论人体解剖学和灵长类动物保护。本研究的目的是表征和量化具有不同习惯身体姿势和运动能力的灵长类动物的颈部肌肉解剖结构行为。该项目将使用生物力学框架来比较颈部肌肉组织的功能差异，这些差异对于诸如在悬吊期间抬起头部和手臂运动等行为至关重要。包括对比增强计算机断层扫描、肌肉束跟踪软件和 3D 杠杆力学在内的新技术将用于开发生物力学模型，以了解肌肉大小、形状和分布的变化如何与灵长类动物的姿势和运动行为相关。这些生物力学模型将应用于古人类化石（南方古猿源泉和尼安德特人），以解释他们的颈部解剖结构和姿势，从而更准确地理解和重建他们的行为。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的评估进行评估，认为值得支持。智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。