A Multidisciplinary Network Analysis of Muskuloskeletal Complexity, Integration, Modularity, and Evolvability of the Primate Head and Limbs

灵长类动物头部和四肢肌肉骨骼复杂性、集成性、模块化性和进化性的多学科网络分析

• 批准号: 1516557
• 负责人: Rui Diogo
• 金额: $ 8.02万
• 依托单位: Howard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1516557&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Multidisciplinary; Network; Analysis; Muskuloskeletal; Complexity

Primates are a diverse group of mammals in terms of their anatomy, and it is not well understood how the various anatomical parts (modules) of the primate body evolved into very different forms that still function properly. This question extends to modern humans, whose anatomy has changed dramatically from our ape ancestors, allowing complex functions to include breathing, speaking, chewing, swallowing, walking, running, and using tools. New studies, methods and techniques are thus needed to identify and compare patterns of organization, integration, modularity, evolvability and complexity of the muscles and skeleton of the head and limbs, to have a more comprehensive and integrative view of the evolutionary history of the human body. This pilot project will investigate these anatomical relationships and patterns through sophisticated anatomical network analyses of existing data from a wide range of primate species. Broader impacts of this project include student support and training in the life sciences at universities that serve underrepresented minorities, K-12 and public science outreach efforts, and open-access websites, databases, and repositories for data that will be of interest across a range of disciplines. A number of researchers have focused on how the various structures of the primate body evolved into very different forms that still function properly, but there are differing views about how to answer this fundamental question for human evolution. Concepts like anatomical "modules" and "integration" are mentioned, but there is a lack of agreement about what these terms mean in the human body. This project uses anatomical network analysis to identify and compare patterns of organization, integration, modularity, evolvability and complexity of muscles and skeleton of the head and limbs. A unique strength of this network approach is that it enables direct comparisons among different tissues (e.g. bones, muscles) and body parts with vastly different architectures (e.g. heads, limbs). This project will combine large and complex amounts of data collected from numerous primate taxa and different structures and tissues to detect muscle, skeletal and musculoskeletal head and limb modules and morphological patterns that cannot be detected by using other methods, and compare these modules and patterns to infer evolutionary trends in primate and human body morphology in a more comprehensive way. Specific hypotheses about the relative modularity and complexity of the head versus limbs, and about increased and unique network complexity in the human head, will be addressed.

灵长类动物在解剖学上是一个多样化的哺乳动物群体，人们还不清楚灵长类动物身体的各种解剖部分（模块）是如何进化成不同的形式，但仍然正常工作的。这个问题延伸到现代人类，他们的解剖结构与我们的猿类祖先发生了巨大的变化，允许复杂的功能包括呼吸，说话，咀嚼，吞咽，行走，跑步和使用工具。因此，需要新的研究、方法和技术来识别和比较头部和四肢的肌肉和骨骼的组织、整合、模块化、可进化性和复杂性的模式，以便对人体的进化历史有一个更全面和综合的看法。该试点项目将通过对广泛的灵长类物种的现有数据进行复杂的解剖网络分析来调查这些解剖关系和模式。该项目的更广泛影响包括为代表性不足的少数民族服务的大学的生命科学学生支持和培训，K-12和公共科学外展工作，以及开放访问的网站，数据库和跨学科感兴趣的数据库。 许多研究人员都专注于灵长类动物身体的各种结构如何进化成仍然正常工作的非常不同的形式，但对于如何回答人类进化的这个基本问题，存在不同的观点。提到了诸如解剖学“模块”和“整合”等概念，但对于这些术语在人体中的含义缺乏一致意见。该项目使用解剖网络分析来识别和比较头部和四肢的肌肉和骨骼的组织，整合，模块化，进化和复杂性的模式。这种网络方法的独特优势在于，它可以在不同组织（例如骨骼、肌肉）和具有截然不同结构的身体部位（例如头部、四肢）之间进行直接比较。该项目将联合收割机结合从众多灵长类动物类群和不同结构和组织中收集的大量复杂数据，检测使用其他方法无法检测到的肌肉、骨骼和肌肉骨骼头肢模块和形态模式，并对这些模块和模式进行比较，以更全面的方式推断灵长类动物和人体形态的进化趋势。具体假设的相对模块化和复杂性的头与四肢，并增加和独特的网络复杂性，在人类头部，将得到解决。