2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
What is the role of the epiphysis?
Project/Area Number |
25871180
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Research Field |
Morphology/Structure
Biodiversity/Systematics
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Research Institution | Utsunomiya University (2016) Yamaguchi University (2014-2015) National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo (2013) |
Principal Investigator |
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Research Collaborator |
Yamada Tadasu K.
Kawada Shin-ichiro
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Project Period (FY) |
2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
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Keywords | 形態 / 骨端 / 骨幹 / 椎骨 / 成長 / 進化 / 哺乳類 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In mammals, it is known that bones except skull and clavicle have an epiphysis on the edge. However, the significance on the epiphysis is unknown. In present study, we verified some hypotheses and discussed the significance on the epiphysis. We found that the vertebrae of cetaceans continued growing up after the epiphyses fused to the diaphyses (after the epiphyseal cartilage as a growth factor disappeared). This fact rejected the hypothesis ‘epiphysis controls bone growth’. In addition, the epiphyses are denser and harder than the diaphysis through all growth stage, indicating that the epiphyses always form the articulations, which is capable of resisting against loads, and enable strenuous movement. In most mammals, newborns have to stand up and walk as soon as possible to protect themselves from predators. Therefore, the epiphyses have developed with the progress of evolution in life history.
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Free Research Field |
形態学
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