The hierarchical structure of sauropodomorph bones as a key to exceptional body size: Insights from materials science

蜥脚类动物是最重的陆生动物。它们的高质量导致了骨骼的沉重负荷。高机械负荷可以通过增加骨横截面或优化骨的分层结构来适应。在本研究项目的框架内，将在侏罗纪蜥脚类恐龙长骨上对蜥脚类恐龙骨骼的优化分层结构假设进行检验。使用材料科学方法，将蜥脚类和原蜥脚类动物骨骼结构各层次的长骨横截面与当代动物的长骨横截面进行比较。这些材料科学方法包括扫描和透射电子显微镜等传统技术，以及同步加速器x射线衍射、散射和u层析成像等现代和新型技术。通过进一步比较在不同个体发生年龄死亡的蜥脚类动物、侏儒蜥脚类动物和“正常”蜥脚类动物的骨骼结构，将确定蜥脚类动物的生长和体型对其骨骼结构的影响。关于独特的骨骼结构导致巨人症的假设将得到验证。

Sauropods were the heaviest terrestrial animals. Their high mass resulted in heavy loading of the bones. The high mechanical loads could be accommodated either by an increase in bone cross-section or in an optimized hierarchical structure of the bone. In the framework of this research project the hypothesis of an optimized hierarchical structure of the sauropod bones will be tests on Jurassic sauropod longbones. Sauropod and prosauropod longbone cross-sections on all hierarchical levels of the bone structure will be compared to longbone cross-sections of contemporary animals using material science methods. These material science methods include traditional techniques such as scanning and transmission electron microscopy as well as modern and novel techniques such as diffraction, scattering and u-tomography with synchrotron X-rays. By further comparing the bone structure of sauropods, which died at different ontogenetic ages and of dwarfs and "normal" sauropods the influence of growth and gigantism of the sauropods on their bone structure wilt be determined. The hypothesis that a unique bone structure allowed gigantism will be tested.