Morpho-functional evolution of the mammalian scapula

肩胛骨是胸带和前肢的一个组成部分，胸带提供连接前肢和躯干的肌肉的插入，前肢是运动过程中最具推进力的部分。因此，其功能要求包括肩部稳定性和前肢活动性。然而，这些功能的相对重要性随着前肢的使用而变化。因此，肩胛骨的形态将受到动物的生态学及其生活环境的影响，同时也受到进化历史和生物力学的限制。了解所有这些因素如何共同影响现存哺乳动物的肩胛骨，将使我们深入了解哺乳动物能够适应环境变化的程度。该项目将使用统计形状分析来评估各种现存和化石哺乳动物肩胛骨形态的变化，以确定形态，生态和环境之间的关系。先进的成像技术将被用来显示与肩胛骨相关的软组织解剖结构。生物力学模型将被用来分析肩胛骨的形式和功能之间的关系。

The scapula is an element of both the thoracic girdle, providing insertion to the muscles connecting the forelimb to the trunk, and the forelimb, being the most propulsive segment during locomotion. Thus, its functional requirements include both shoulder stabilization and forelimb mobility. The relative importance of those functions, however, varies with forelimb use. Therefore, scapular morphology will be driven by the ecology of an animal as well as the environment in which it lives, whilst also being constrained by evolutionary history and biomechanics. Understanding how all of these factors have come together inshaping the scapula of extant mammals will give us insight into the extent to which mammals can potentially adapt to environmental change. This project will use statistical shape analysis to assess variation in scapular morphology across a wide range of extant and fossil mammals in order to determine relationships between morphology, ecology and environment. Advanced imaging techniques will be used to reveal the soft tissue anatomy associated withthe scapula. Biomechanical modelling will be used to analyse the relationship between scapular form and function.