ONTOGENETIC VARIATION OF AXIAL STABILITY IN DOLPHINS

哺乳动物中轴骨骼的稳定性是由骨元素、结缔组织和韧带的相互作用决定的。本研究项目将研究自然表现出轴向稳定性和不稳定性的哺乳动物系统。具体来说，这个项目将使用一种新的动物模型，宽吻海豚（Tursiops truncatus），来研究形态学在确定脊柱不稳定力学中的作用。胎儿和新生海豚的轴向骨骼的特点是极度不稳定，在几周后就会随着正常的生长模式而消失。该项目将记录海豚脊柱稳定性的变化以及同时发生的形态生长模式。海豚轴向骨骼的稳定性将通过体外力学试验和体内运动学方法的结合来确定。这些数据将与定量形态学数据相关联，包括总体和组织学，来自一系列发展中的宽吻海豚。最终，本研究计划旨在确定有助于哺乳动物脊柱结构稳定性的形态学特征。这项研究的结果可能揭示了与观察到的病理（如腰椎不稳定和特发性脊柱侧凸）相关的偶然因素，以及识别保护脊髓免受过度变形损伤的结构。

The stability of the mammalian axial skeleton is determined by the interaction of bony elements, connective tissues, and ligaments. This research project will examine axial stability and instability in a mammalian system that naturally exhibits both conditions. Specifically, this project will use a novel animal model, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), to investigate the role morphology plays in determining the mechanics of spinal instability. The axial skeletons of fetal and neonatal dolphins are characterized by extreme instability, which disappears in response to normal growth patterns after a few weeks. This project will document the changing stability of the dolphin backbone in conjunction with the morphological growth patterns that occur simultaneously. The stability of the dolphin axial skeleton will be determined used a combination of in vitro mechanical tests and in vivo kinematic methods. These data will be correlated with quantitative morphological data, both gross and histological, from a developmental series of bottlenose dolphins. Ultimately, this research proposal aims to identify the morphological features that contribute to structural stability in the developing mammalian backbone. The results from this study may shed light on casual factors associated with observed pathologies such as lumbar instability and idiopathic scoliosis, as well as identifying structures that protect the spinal cord from damage due to excessive deformations.