Doctoral Dissertation Research: Variation in Body Composition in Primates

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。灵长类生物变异的研究可以在人类进化研究的比较框架中使用，并为STEM的学生培训和指导提供极好的机会。这个博士论文项目通过非侵入性的测量来检查灵长类动物的身体成分差异，以更好地了解身体的形状、大小和生理。这项研究促进了对生理生物标记物和肌肉质量之间的关系以及身体成分性别差异的发展的认识，有可能为人类生理和健康的研究提供信息。这项研究的结果通过在科学会议上发表演讲和科学期刊上的出版物，对动物园饲养和灵长类动物保护工作的建议，以及在科普文章和动物园讲座中向普通公众宣传来传播。本科生，包括来自传统上在STEM中代表性较低的群体的个人，参与了该项目的数据收集、分析和传播工作。雄性双性体是猩猩生物学中一个有趣的方面，关于翻边过程和两种变种之间的生理差异仍有许多未知之处。带凸缘的雄性体重大约是成年雌性和无凸缘雄性的两倍，但目前尚不清楚这种体重增加是由于骨骼、肌肉或脂肪质量的增加，还是三者的结合。该项目分析了三种成年猩猩体内的肌酐和胰岛素C-肽水平，以分别评估肌肉和脂肪的相对水平。它还利用男性的体重和睾丸激素水平来进一步评估这些身体成分的生物标志物。研究人员假设，不同性别和形态的人的身体组成反映了他们独特的生殖角色和社会行为。虽然两种雄性变种都在与雌性争夺交配机会，但它们使用的策略不同，这是由它们各自的形态和生理特征所表明的。因此，研究人员预测，有翼缘的雄性猩猩比没有翼缘的雄性猩猩或雌性猩猩更强壮，雌性猩猩比任何一种雄性猩猩拥有更多的脂肪沉积，特别是雄性猩猩的肌肉质量随着年龄的增长而下降。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Research on primate biological variation can be used in a comparative framework in human evolutionary studies and to provide excellent opportunities for student training and mentoring in STEM. This doctoral dissertation project examines primate body composition differences through non-invasive measures to better understand body shape, size and physiology. The study advances knowledge about the relationship between physiological biomarkers and muscle mass and the development of sex differences in body composition, with the potential to inform research on human physiology and health. The findings from this study are disseminated through presentations at scientific conferences and publications in scientific journals, recommendations for zoo husbandry and primate conservation efforts, and outreach to the general public in popular science articles and zoo talks. Undergraduate students, including individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM, are involved in the data collection, analysis, and dissemination efforts of the project.Male bimaturism is an intriguing aspect of orangutan biology and there is still much that is unknown about the flanging process and the physiological differences between the two morphs. Flanged males weigh approximately twice as much as adult females and unflanged males, but it remains unclear if this weight gain results from increased bone, muscle, or fat mass, or a combination of the three. This project analyzes creatinine and C-peptide of insulin levels in the three adult morphs of orangutans to assess relative levels of muscle and fat mass, respectively. It also utilizes body weights and testosterone levels in males to further assess these biomarkers of body composition. The investigators hypothesize that the body composition of the different sexes and morphs reflects their distinctive reproductive roles and social behaviors. While both male morphs compete for mating opportunities with females, they use different strategies, which are suggested by their respective morphological and physiological traits. Thus, the investigators predict that flanged males are more muscular than either unflanged males or females, that female orangutans possess greater fat deposits than either male morph, and that males in particuar experience a decline in muscle mass associated with age.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.