Dissertation Research: An Application of 3D-CT Reconstruction Techniques and Finite Element Scaling to Fetal Cranio-facial Growth in Pigtailed Macaques

体质人类学家研究我们灵长类亲戚的生长和发育，因为他们提供了我们物种进化的见解。 有许多研究调查出生后的头面部生长的小尾猴。 然而，有一个缺乏的数据，描述了在这个物种的胎儿颅面复合体的生长和发育。 本研究的目的是建立猪尾猕猴胎儿颅面复合体的三维模型，并对其生长进行三维描述。 将从三维重建的计算机断层扫描图像中收集标志数据。 有限元尺度分析将用于生成三维模型，并描述颅面复合体随时间的大小和形状变化模式。 本研究将提供该物种胎儿颅面复合体的第一个三维模型。 此外，它将为讨论灵长类动物在胎儿时期的进化大小和形状转变提供基线数据。 最后，介绍了一种非破坏性的数据采集方法（3D-CT重建），可用于研究罕见的博物馆标本。

Physical anthropologists study the growth and development of our primate relatives because they offer insights into the evolution of our species. There have been many studies which investigate postnatal craniofacial growth of the pigtailed macaque. However, there is a paucity of data that describes the growth and development of the fetal craniofacial complex in this species. The purpose of this research is to construct a three dimensional model of the fetal craniofacial complex in the pigtailed macaque and describe its growth in three dimensions. Landmark data will be collected from three dimensional reconstructed computed tomographic images. Finite Element Scaling Analysis will be used to generate a three dimensional model and to describe the patterns of size and shape changes in the craniofacial complex through time. This research will provide the first three dimensional model of the fetal craniofacial complex in this species. Furthermore, it will provide baseline data for the discussion of evolutionary size and shape transformations during the fetal period throughout primates. Finally, a non-destructive method of data acquisition (3D-CT reconstructions) is introduced that can be used to study rare museum specimens.