Adaptive traits for easy delivery

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19291
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 45:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Koyabu Daisuke 筑波大学, プレシジョン・メディスン開発研究センター, 准教授 (60712510)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 武智 正樹 順天堂大学, 医学部, 准教授 (10455355)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have created a CT image database of bat specimens from around the world, encompassing 29 species across 8 families, covering nearly all extant families. From these CT images, we generated three-dimensional visualizations of pelvic morphology, including the pelvis, pelvic muscles, ligaments, and reproductive organs. Using these images, we reconstructed the pelvic structures on a computer and conducted interspecies comparisons through geometric morphometrics based on coordinate data, evaluating the impact of reproductive ecology and phylogeny. Additionally, using the lesser short-tailed bat as a model, we performed transcriptome analysis to investigate the changes in gene expression occurring in the ligaments near the pelvis during the perinatal period.

Free Research Field

比較解剖学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

安産は人類永遠の願いであり，難産は人類永遠の悩みである．近代医学が十分に発達する以前の1900年の日本では妊産婦10万人中397人が死亡し，こんにちでも10万人 中4人が子宮内大量出血などで死亡する（2018年度厚生労働省人口統計）．難産を原因とする胎児の分娩中死亡も0.5%の割合で発生するとされ，ヒトにとって出産は母子ともに命懸けの生活史イベントといえる．本研究課題はコウモリ類をモデルとして哺乳類における安産を可能にする生物学的基盤を明らかにできた．新規の創薬や出産制御，また出産を成功により導くための基礎知見を得ることができた．