ONTOGENETIC VARIATION OF AXIAL STABILITY IN DOLPHINS

哺乳动物中轴骨骼的稳定性由骨元素、结缔组织和韧带的相互作用决定。这项研究项目将检验哺乳动物系统中的轴向稳定性和不稳定性，这两种情况自然都会出现。具体地说，这个项目将使用一种新的动物模型--宽吻海豚(Tursioptruncatus)，来研究形态学在确定脊柱不稳定的机制中所起的作用。胎儿和新生海豚的轴向骨骼具有极不稳定的特点，几周后随着正常生长模式的变化，这些骨骼就会消失。这个项目将记录海豚脊椎稳定性的变化，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测试和体内运动学方法相结合来确定。这些数据将与宽吻海豚发育系列的定量形态数据相关联，包括大体和组织学数据。最终，这项研究计划旨在确定有助于哺乳动物发育中脊椎结构稳定性的形态特征。这项研究的结果可能有助于揭示与观察到的病理相关的偶然因素，如腰椎不稳和特发性脊柱侧弯，以及确定保护脊髓免受过度变形损害的结构。

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.