Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Interactive Influence of Environment and Energetics on Human Morphology

博士论文研究：环境与能量学对人体形态的交互影响

• 批准号: 2050253
• 负责人: Scott Maddux
• 金额: $ 2.41万
• 依托单位: University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-04-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2050253&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Interactive; Influence

As the nose is responsible for heating and humidifying air before it enters the lungs, geographically-patterned variation in nasal morphology has long been attributed to climatic adaptation. However, previous research has also shown that the nose must be large enough to take in a sufficient amount of oxygen during each breath to meet life-sustaining metabolic requirements. Accordingly, this doctoral dissertation project examines the combined effects (and possible functional trade-offs) of demands for respiratory air-conditioning and oxygen intake on the nasal complex during human evolution. By explicitly investigating climatic adaptation in nasal morphology within the context of human body size and shape, this study helps address how different anatomical systems have co-evolved in response to environmental pressures. Computed tomography (CT) scans generated for this project will be made freely available to other researchers through established online archives, substantially expanding the geographic/temporal diversity of CT scans currently available to anthropologists and the broader scientific community. This research also provides training opportunities for undergraduate and medical students (including those from under-represented groups) and the investigator will incorporate project findings into ongoing public outreach initiatives including K-12 science education programs, museum-based community engagement, public lectures, and online podcasts.Despite substantial evidence that both climatic and metabolic pressures have likely influenced human nasal anatomy, the interplay of these two factors on nasal size and shape during human evolution is not fully understood. This study employs a "whole-body" approach by quantifying variation in cranial and post-cranial skeletal morphology in a large, geographically- and temporally-diverse sample of recent and fossil Homo. Using established equations, body mass and basal metabolic rate will then be calculated from post-cranial measurements and employed in conjunction with nasal and climatic variables to statistically assess whether: (1) nasal morphology exhibits stronger associations with metabolic demands than other aspects of the craniofacial complex; (2) climate and metabolic demands differentially influence particular aspects of nasal morphology; and (3) deviations from climatically predicated nasal morphology in fossil Homo (particularly Neanderthals) are attributable to greater energetic requirements.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.

由于鼻子负责在空气进入肺部之前加热和净化空气，长期以来，鼻形态的地理模式变化被归因于气候适应。然而，先前的研究也表明，鼻子必须足够大，以便在每次呼吸时吸收足够的氧气，以满足维持生命的代谢要求。因此，本博士论文项目研究了人类进化过程中呼吸空调和氧气摄入对鼻复合体的需求的综合影响（以及可能的功能权衡）。通过明确调查人体大小和形状背景下鼻形态的气候适应性，这项研究有助于解决不同的解剖系统如何共同进化以应对环境压力。为该项目生成的计算机断层扫描（CT）将通过已建立的在线档案免费提供给其他研究人员，大大扩大了人类学家和更广泛的科学界目前可获得的CT扫描的地理/时间多样性。这项研究还为本科生和医学生提供了培训机会（包括那些来自代表性不足的群体），研究人员将把项目结果纳入正在进行的公共宣传活动，包括K-12科学教育计划，基于博物馆的社区参与，公共讲座和在线播客。尽管有大量证据表明气候和代谢压力可能影响人类鼻腔解剖结构，在人类进化过程中，这两个因素对鼻子大小和形状的相互作用还没有完全了解。这项研究采用了“全身”的方法，通过量化的变化，在颅和颅后骨骼形态在一个大的，地理和时间上不同的样本，最近和化石人。使用已建立的方程，然后从颅后测量值计算体重和基础代谢率，并与鼻和气候变量结合使用，以统计学评估：（1）鼻形态与颅面复合体的其他方面相比，与代谢需求表现出更强的关联;（2）气候和代谢需求差异性地影响鼻形态的特定方面;和（3）化石人（特别是尼安德特人）的鼻形态与气候预测的偏差可归因于更大的能量需求。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

项目成果

Metabolic demands and sexual dimorphism in human nasal morphology: A test of the respiratory‐energetics hypothesis

人类鼻腔形态的代谢需求和性别二态性：呼吸能量学假说的检验

• DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24692
• 发表时间: 2023
• 期刊: American Journal of Biological Anthropology
• 作者: Kelly, Alexa Pennavaria;Ocobock, Cara;Butaric, Lauren Nicole;Maddux, Scott David
• 通讯作者: Maddux, Scott David