Analysis of the bone metabolism failure in the aging animals and establishment of the preventive maintenance plan based on the animal welfare

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K15057
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Integrative animal science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Endo Hideki 東京大学, 総合研究博物館, 教授 (30249908)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村田 浩一 日本大学, 生物資源科学部, 教授 (00339285) ; 鯉江 洋 日本大学, 生物資源科学部, 教授 (20267040) ; 中山 裕之 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 教授 (40155891)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 高齢 / 病理 / 飼育動物 / 動物園 / 骨増生 / 骨変形 / 動物福祉 / QOL

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Skeletons of aging animals were collected, macro morphological changes of bones were investigated, and three dimensional images were successfully reconstructed. In Asian elephant, hippopotamus, white rhinoceros and giraffe, macro morphological anomalies in the spine, limbs, skull were detected and a fundamental theory of bone aging was constructed. In old Asian elephants, we discussed the problems of the jaw and molar tooth using three dimensional images. In medium-sized animals we observed abnormalities in the jaw and facial function, and also in birds and reptiles, we could establish the theory on the aging and morphological changes along with the physiological background. The results succeeded in greatly expanding the opportunities for collecting basic biological and pathological data on maintained animals, in addition to the direct research of aging animals. Based on these results, we also could develop the new opinion of the animal welfare towards the zoos and aquaria.

Free Research Field

動物形態学