Bone histology as an approach to providing data on certain key life history traits in mammals: Implications for conservation biology

Marín-Moratalla, Nekane; Jordana, Xavier; Köhler, Meike

doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2013.07.079

Cited by 62 publications

(111 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

105

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…These results confirm that skeletochronology, i.e. the study of CGMs in cortical bone, can provide valuable information about the life history strategy of extant and extinct mammals (Castanet, 2006), allowing inferences about longevity , age at sexual maturity (Marín-Moratalla et al, 2013) or growth rate .…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…Several authors indicate that the transition from a fast-growing (FLC) to a slow-growing tissue (EFS) during ontogeny records the attainment of sexual maturity of the species (Marín-Moratalla et al, 2013). Our results show that EFS is only present in adult individuals (IPS83876a and IPS83877a, Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

“…Therefore, the understanding of key life history traits of the species is essential to improve conservation policies. Previous studies have shown the high potential of hard tissue analyses for this challenge (Chinsamy and Valenzuela, 2008;Marín-Moratalla et al, 2013). Moreover, it has been shown that life history theory offers a way to reconstruct past environments (Köhler, 2010;Palkovacs, 2003;Raia and Meiri, 2006) and to interpret evolutionary trends Köhler, 2010;Marín-Moratalla et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The age at maturity was estimated by counting the number of CGMs before the beginning of the EFS, while the age at death was calculated from the total number of CGMs across the whole cortex Chinsamy and Valenzuela, 2008;Marín-Moratalla et al, 2013). Although Horner et al, 1999 indicated that LAGs must be identified on the whole cortex, sometimes it was difficult to do it because of the presence of secondary osteons that eroded the primary bone.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent studies (Castanet, 2006;García-Martínez et al, 2011;Köhler et al, 2012;Marín-Moratalla et al, 2013;Martínez-Maza et al, 2014), however, have shown that CGMs are not only present in many groups of mammals, but also that these structures are related to the physiology of these animals and record cyclical periods of growth . These results confirm that skeletochronology, i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

First approach to bone histology and skeletochronology of Equus hemionus

Nacarino-Meneses

Jordana

Köhler

2016

Comptes Rendus Palevol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tHistological approaches to extant mammalian life histories (LHs) provide the basis for reconstructing LHs of fossil mammals. They are of special interest in lineages such as perissodactyls that played a key role in fossil ecosystems. We studied an ontogenetic series of Equus hemionus (Asiatic wild ass), the most appropriate extant representative of fossil horses. We analyzed growth marks in femora of 10 specimens of different ontogenetic stages and habitats. Bone tissue types and vascular canal orientation vary both during ontogeny and within cross-sections. Skeletochronology generally fits previous age estimates from dental eruption patterns. Our wild adult female attained skeletal maturity at the age of four, the wild male at 5 years. Our results do not only contribute to our knowledge of Asiatic wild ass but they also show that bone histology is a valid tool in reconstructing LH evolution in the horse lineage.

show abstract

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

First approach to bone histology and skeletochronology of Equus hemionus

Nacarino-Meneses

Jordana

Köhler

2016

Comptes Rendus Palevol

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Osteohistology of Dromornis stirtoni (Aves: Dromornithidae) and the biological implications of the bone histology of the Australian mihirung birds

Chinsamy

Handley

Worthy

2022

The Anatomical Record

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The late Miocene Dromornis stirtoni is the largest of the giant flightless dromornithid birds. Here, we studied 22 long bones (femora, tibiotarsi, tarsometatarsi) of D. stirtoni to assess its osteohistology to deduce various aspects of its life history. Our results show that D. stirtoni took several years (likely, more than a decade), to reach adult body size, after which its growth rate slowed down, and skeletal maturity occurred. This growth strategy differs from that of its Pleistocene relative, Genyornis newtoni, which experienced faster rates of growth to reach adult body size. We propose that these mihirung birds, separated by millions of years, each responded to the prevailing environmental conditions of the time, by selecting for different growth strategies, with D. stirtoni having an extreme K-selected life history strategy. The presence of medullary bone permitted the identification of female D. stirtoni specimens, and its presence in some bones lacking an OCL layer showed sexual maturity preceded its formation. We postulate that while G. newtoni had a somewhat greater reproductive potential than D. stirtoni, it remained far less than that observed in the extant emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae). Genyornis newtoni survived into the late Pleistocene alongside extant emus and overlapped the arrival of the first humans in Australia, but the former species shortly thereafter became extinct while emus remain prolific.

show abstract

The nature of science: The fundamental role of natural history in ecology, evolution, conservation, and education

Nanglu,

de Carle,

Cullen

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de‐emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation‐based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a “lesser” branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under‐appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in which they continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi‐decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over‐emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies.

show abstract

Bone histology as an approach to providing data on certain key life history traits in mammals: Implications for conservation biology

Cited by 62 publications

References 45 publications

First approach to bone histology and skeletochronology of Equus hemionus

First approach to bone histology and skeletochronology of Equus hemionus

Osteohistology of Dromornis stirtoni (Aves: Dromornithidae) and the biological implications of the bone histology of the Australian mihirung birds

The nature of science: The fundamental role of natural history in ecology, evolution, conservation, and education

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About