Doctoral Dissertation Research: Variation in Body Composition in Primates

该奖项全部或部分根据2021年美国救援计划法案（公法117-2）资助。对灵长类动物生物学变异的研究可以用于人类进化研究的比较框架中，并为STEM的学生培训和指导提供绝佳的机会。这个博士论文项目通过非侵入性措施来研究灵长类动物身体成分的差异，以更好地了解身体形状，大小和生理。该研究推进了有关生理生物标志物和肌肉质量之间关系的知识，以及身体组成性别差异的发展，有可能为人类生理学和健康研究提供信息。这项研究的结果通过在科学会议上的演讲和科学期刊上的出版物，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公众宣传来传播。本科生，包括来自传统上在STEM中代表性不足的群体的个人，都参与了该项目的数据收集，分析和传播工作。雄性双特征是猩猩生物学中一个有趣的方面，关于翻边过程和两种变体之间的生理差异仍然有很多未知之处。有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否是由于骨骼，肌肉或脂肪量增加，或三者的组合。该项目分析了三种成年猩猩的肌酐和C肽胰岛素水平，以分别评估肌肉和脂肪质量的相对水平。它还利用男性的体重和睾酮水平来进一步评估这些身体组成的生物标志物。研究人员假设，不同性别和形态的身体组成反映了他们独特的生殖角色和社会行为。虽然这两种雄性变体与雌性竞争交配机会，但它们使用不同的策略，这是由它们各自的形态和生理特征所暗示的。因此，研究人员预测，有凸缘的雄性猩猩比无凸缘的雄性猩猩或雌性猩猩更肌肉发达，雌性猩猩比任何一种雄性猩猩都拥有更多的脂肪沉积，特别是雄性猩猩的肌肉质量会随着年龄的增长而下降。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。

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.