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

就解剖学而言，灵长类是一个多样化的哺乳动物群体，目前还不太清楚灵长类身体的不同解剖部分(模块)是如何进化成非常不同的形式，仍然发挥正常功能的。这个问题延伸到了现代人身上，他们的解剖结构与我们的猿类祖先相比发生了巨大的变化，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、方法和技术来确定和比较头部和四肢肌肉和骨骼的组织、整合、模块化、可进化性和复杂性的模式，以更全面和综合地看待人体的进化史。这个试点项目将通过对来自广泛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少数族裔服务的大学的学生支持和生命科学培训，K-12和公共科学推广工作，以及开放访问网站、数据库和将在一系列学科中感兴趣的数据储存库。许多研究人员专注于灵长类身体的各种结构如何进化成仍然正常运作的截然不同的形式，但对于如何回答这一人类进化的基本问题，存在不同的观点。提到了解剖学上的“模块”和“整合”等概念，但对于这些术语在人体中的含义缺乏共识。这个项目使用解剖网络分析来识别和比较头部和四肢肌肉和骨骼的组织、整合、模块化、可进化性和复杂性的模式。这种网络方法的一个独特优势是，它可以在不同组织(例如骨骼、肌肉)和具有非常不同架构的身体部分(例如头部、四肢)之间进行直接比较。该项目将结合从众多灵长类动物以及不同结构和组织收集的大量和复杂的数据，以检测使用其他方法无法检测到的肌肉、骨骼和肌肉骨骼头部和肢体模块和形态模式，并将这些模块和模式进行比较，以更全面地推断灵长类动物和人体形态的进化趋势。关于头部与四肢的相对模块化和复杂性，以及关于人头中增加的和独特的网络复杂性的具体假设，将被解决。

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.