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Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Rabey, KN; Green, DJ; Taylor, AB; Begun, DR; Richmond, BG; McFarlin, SC
Published in: J Hum Evol
January 2015

The ability to make behavioural inferences from skeletal remains is critical to understanding the lifestyles and activities of past human populations and extinct animals. Muscle attachment site (enthesis) morphology has long been assumed to reflect muscle strength and activity during life, but little experimental evidence exists to directly link activity patterns with muscle development and the morphology of their attachments to the skeleton. We used a mouse model to experimentally test how the level and type of activity influences forelimb muscle architecture of spinodeltoideus, acromiodeltoideus, and superficial pectoralis, bone growth rate and gross morphology of their insertion sites. Over an 11-week period, we collected data on activity levels in one control group and two experimental activity groups (running, climbing) of female wild-type mice. Our results show that both activity type and level increased bone growth rates influenced muscle architecture, including differences in potential muscular excursion (fibre length) and potential force production (physiological cross-sectional area). However, despite significant influences on muscle architecture and bone development, activity had no observable effect on enthesis morphology. These results suggest that the gross morphology of entheses is less reliable than internal bone structure for making inferences about an individual's past behaviour.

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Published In

J Hum Evol

DOI

EISSN

1095-8606

Publication Date

January 2015

Volume

78

Start / End Page

91 / 102

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Periosteum
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Mice
  • Locomotion
  • Female
  • Bone Development
  • Body Weight
  • Anthropology
  • Animals
  • 4301 Archaeology
 

Citation

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Rabey, K. N., Green, D. J., Taylor, A. B., Begun, D. R., Richmond, B. G., & McFarlin, S. C. (2015). Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology. J Hum Evol, 78, 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.010
Rabey, Karyne N., David J. Green, Andrea B. Taylor, David R. Begun, Brian G. Richmond, and Shannon C. McFarlin. “Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology.J Hum Evol 78 (January 2015): 91–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.010.
Rabey KN, Green DJ, Taylor AB, Begun DR, Richmond BG, McFarlin SC. Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology. J Hum Evol. 2015 Jan;78:91–102.
Rabey, Karyne N., et al. “Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology.J Hum Evol, vol. 78, Jan. 2015, pp. 91–102. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2014.10.010.
Rabey KN, Green DJ, Taylor AB, Begun DR, Richmond BG, McFarlin SC. Locomotor activity influences muscle architecture and bone growth but not muscle attachment site morphology. J Hum Evol. 2015 Jan;78:91–102.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Hum Evol

DOI

EISSN

1095-8606

Publication Date

January 2015

Volume

78

Start / End Page

91 / 102

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Periosteum
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Mice
  • Locomotion
  • Female
  • Bone Development
  • Body Weight
  • Anthropology
  • Animals
  • 4301 Archaeology