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

蜥脚类是最重的陆地动物。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的横截面或通过优化的骨的层次结构来适应。在这个研究项目的框架内，蜥脚类骨骼的优化等级结构的假设将在侏罗纪蜥脚类长骨上进行测试。利用材料科学的方法，将蜥脚类和原蜥脚类长骨的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传统技术，如扫描和透射式电子显微镜，以及现代和新技术，如衍射、散射和同步加速器X射线U-断层成像。通过对不同个体发育年龄死亡的蜥脚类以及矮小和“正常”蜥脚类的骨骼结构的进一步比较，可以确定蜥脚类的生长和巨人对其骨骼结构的影响。一种独特的骨骼结构使巨人症成为可能，这一假设将得到检验。

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.