Kelsey M. Woldt, R. Brandon Pratt, Mark J. Statham, Laureen M. Barthman-Thompson, Diego Sustaita
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The salt marsh harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys raviventris) is an endangered species, endemic to the San Francisco Bay Estuary, that co-occurs with the more broadly distributed species, the western harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys megalotis). Despite their considerable external morphological similarities, the northern subspecies of salt marsh harvest mice have relatively longer and thicker tails than do western harvest mice, which may be related to their abilities to climb emergent marsh vegetation to avoid tidal inundation. We used micro-CT to compare post-cranial skeletal anatomy between the salt marsh and western harvest mouse, to examine whether the salt marsh harvest mouse's restriction to brackish marshes is associated with skeletal adaptations for scansorial locomotion. We found that salt marsh harvest mice exhibited a deeper 3rd caudal vertebra, a more caudally located longest tail vertebra, craniocaudally longer tail vertebrae, and a longer digit III proximal phalanx than western harvest mice. These phalangeal and vertebral characteristics are known to decrease body rotations during climbing, increase contact with substrates, and decrease fall susceptibility in arboreal mammals, suggesting that the salt marsh harvest mouse may be morphologically specialized for scansorial locomotion, adaptive for its dynamic wetland environment.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Anatomy is an international peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the Anatomical Society. The journal publishes original papers, invited review articles and book reviews. Its main focus is to understand anatomy through an analysis of structure, function, development and evolution. Priority will be given to studies of that clearly articulate their relevance to the anatomical community. Focal areas include: experimental studies, contributions based on molecular and cell biology and on the application of modern imaging techniques and papers with novel methods or synthetic perspective on an anatomical system.
Studies that are essentially descriptive anatomy are appropriate only if they communicate clearly a broader functional or evolutionary significance. You must clearly state the broader implications of your work in the abstract.
We particularly welcome submissions in the following areas:
Cell biology and tissue architecture
Comparative functional morphology
Developmental biology
Evolutionary developmental biology
Evolutionary morphology
Functional human anatomy
Integrative vertebrate paleontology
Methodological innovations in anatomical research
Musculoskeletal system
Neuroanatomy and neurodegeneration
Significant advances in anatomical education.