Neuroanatomical Analysis of the Motoneuron Pools in Vertebrates

9318681瑞安所有脊椎动物都用前肢活动，无论是行走、游泳还是飞行。然而，前肢有很大的多样性：鸟类的翅膀在解剖学上不同于蝙蝠的翅膀、海豹的鳍状肢和老鼠的腿。尽管存在这些结构和功能上的差异，但在所有脊椎动物中，负责控制运动的大脑和脊髓神经元被认为是以基本相同的方式连接起来的。这被称为运动控制保守主义假说。在这项研究中，詹姆斯·瑞安博士将通过定位和比较使用原始运动类型(蜥蜴)和使用更高级运动类型(蝙蝠和鸟类)的脊椎动物中控制前肢运动的神经元群体来检验保守主义假说。例如，飞行蝙蝠在飞蛾身上的瞬间动作说明了对前肢的精确运动控制是可能的。蝙蝠是唯一能够动力飞行的哺乳动物，它们独立于鸟类进化出飞行。这三种生物是比较研究神经系统运动控制的理想模型。最终，这项研究将导致形成脊椎动物运动的神经控制的通用模型。***

9318681 Ryan All vertebrates use their forelimbs for locomotion whether it be for walking, swimming or flying. Yet there is a great deal of diversity in forelimbs: The wings of a bird are anatomically different from the wings of bats, the flippers of a seal, and the legs of a mouse. Despite these structural and functional differences, the neurons from the brain and spinal cord responsible for controlling movement are thought to be "wired" in basically the same manner in all vertebrates. This has come to be known as the motor control conservatism hypothesis. In this research, Dr. James Ryan will test the conservatism hypothesis by locating and comparing the populations of neurons controlling forelimb movements in vertebrates that use a primitive type of locomotion (lizards) with those that use more advanced types of locomotion (bats and birds). For example the split second maneuvers of a flying bat as it homes in upon a moth illustrate the precise sensorimotor control of the forelimbs that is possible. Bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight, and they evolved flight independently from birds. These three organisms represent ideal models for the the comparative study of locomotion control by the nervous system. Ultimately, this research will lead to the formation of a general model of the neural control of vertebrate locomotion. ***