
NSF Org: |
IOS Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems |
Recipient: |
|
Initial Amendment Date: | July 19, 2008 |
Latest Amendment Date: | June 19, 2013 |
Award Number: | 0817782 |
Award Instrument: | Continuing Grant |
Program Manager: |
Steven Ellis
stellis@nsf.gov (703)292-7876 IOS Division Of Integrative Organismal Systems BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences |
Start Date: | August 1, 2008 |
End Date: | July 31, 2014 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $290,921.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $290,921.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2009 = $88,448.00 FY 2010 = $79,964.00 |
History of Investigator: |
|
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
201 PRESIDENTS CIR SALT LAKE CITY UT US 84112-9049 (801)581-6903 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
|
Primary Place of Performance: |
201 PRESIDENTS CIR SALT LAKE CITY UT US 84112-9049 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
|
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
|
Parent UEI: |
|
NSF Program(s): | Symbiosis Infection & Immunity |
Primary Program Source: |
01000910DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 01001011DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
Program Reference Code(s): |
|
Program Element Code(s): |
|
Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.074 |
ABSTRACT
Both rapid, economical running and fighting are important in the life histories of most or all terrestrial species. Nevertheless, musculoskeletal "design" that allows rapid, economical running is likely to be incompatible with musculoskeletal design that is appropriate for fighting. This locomotor versus fighting tradeoff may explain many cases of divergence in body form among closely related species and may also help explain why males and females of the same species often differ in the size and proportions of their musculoskeletal system. This study will use comparative methods to test hypotheses of functional tradeoff between specialization for rapid, economical running versus specialization for fighting. The first aim of the investigation is to test a broad set of hypotheses of functional design of the skeletal system in two mammalian orders: Artiodactyla (e.g., deer and antelope) and Carnivora (e.g. wolves and lions). Using museum collections, limb bone proportions will be measured in a large number of species and compared with proxies for male-male aggression (size sexual dimorphism) and maximum running speed. The second and third aims of the study are to quantify sexual differences in the properties of limb bones and muscle architecture in 2 species exhibiting high levels of male-male competition (black bears and bisons) and 2 highly cursorial species (wolves and pronghorns). Hence, this investigation will test hypotheses of functional tradeoff between musculoskeletal specializations for running versus fighting and it will significantly expand our knowledge and understanding of the sexual dimorphism of the mammalian musculoskeletal system. The study will also provide research opportunities for 6 to 9 undergraduate students. We will also create an open access, online library of high resolution CT scans of anatomically aligned cross-sections of the whole limb bones from all of the subjects. Finally, although sexual dimorphism is poorly understood by the general public, it is of broad importance to physiology, evolutionary biology, and human evolution and behavior. We expect the research proposed here to be of general interest and to provide opportunities to educate the public about the biological significance of sexual dimorphism.
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
Note:
When clicking on a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) number, you will be taken to an external
site maintained by the publisher. Some full text articles may not yet be available without a
charge during the embargo (administrative interval).
Some links on this page may take you to non-federal websites. Their policies may differ from
this site.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
This Award - Functional Tradeoffs in Specialization for Locomotion Versus Fighting (0817782) supported 19 peer-reviewed papers that are in print or accepted and 4 manuscripts that are almost ready to submit for review. Seven undergraduate students are co-authors on these papers. Four of these publications received widespread attention from the scientific media. Examples of this media coverage are listed here.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100212092304.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110518171343.htm
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-20790294
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27720617
http://paleomagonline.com/episode-14-david-carrier-and-james-gregory/
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27763015
SIGNIFICANT RESULTS
Sexual dimorphism in Grey Wolves - To test for morphological adaptation associated with aggression and prey capture performance, we assessed skeletal sexual dimorphism in three subspecies of grey wolves. Male wolves appear to exhibit a higher degree of morphological adaptation that is associated with aggression-based activities. Postcranial dimorphism varied by subspecies, likely reflecting differences in selective pressures based on prey size and the resultant differences in capture techniques.
Sexual dimorphism in Carnivores - We collected a large comparative data set on skeletal sexual dimorphism in morphological characters associated with specialization for aggression. The results of this study reveal widespread skeletal shape dimorphism in terrestrial carnivorans that may be associated with improving aggressive performance when males compete.
Are humans economical walkers or endurance runners? - Although humans are clearly highly specialized for terrestrial locomotion compared to other great apes, the results of this study indicate that our locomotor muscles are not tuned to specific walking or running speeds. This is inconsistent with the evolution of an optimal phenotype for economical walking or endurance running. Instead, the locomotor muscles of the human body appear to have evolved for a variety of functions, some of which clearly entailed limits on specialization for locomotor economy.
Protective buttressing of the human fist - The proportions of the human hand provide a performance advantage when striking with a fist. We propose that the derived proportions of hominin hands reflect, in part, sexual selection to improve fighting performance.
Protective buttressing of the hominin face - In this review, we suggested that many of the facial features that characterize early hominins evolved to protect the face from injury during fighting with fists. In this scenario, the evolution of reduced facial robusticity in Homo is associated with the evolution of reduced strength of the upper body and, therefore, with reduced striking power. The protective buttressing hypothesis provides a functional explanation for the puzzling observation in modern humans that the jaw adductor muscles of males are 42% stronger and have 8-times more fast ...
Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.