Stock, J. T. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2021

Growth and development of trabecular structure in the calcaneus of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) reflects locomotor behavior, life-history, and neuromuscular development.

We aim to broaden the analysis of bone structure by suggesting a new way to incorporate the interactions between behavior, neuromuscular development, and life-history. We examine the associations between these variables and age-related variation in trabecular structure in the calcaneus of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). If skeletal markers linking these variables can be established, our inferences of the biology and behavior of fossil species would be significantly improved. We {micro}CT scanned the calcaneus in a cross-sectional sample of 36 juveniles aged between 0 and 7 years old and 5 adults at the Primate Research Institute, Japan. We calculated whole bone averages of standard trabecular properties and generated whole-bone morphometric maps of bone volume fraction and Youngs modulus. Trabecular structure is increasingly heterogeneous in older individuals. BV/TV decreases during the first month of life and increases afterwards, coinciding with the onset of independent locomotion. At birth, primary Youngs modulus is oriented orthogonal to the ossification center, but after locomotor onset bone structure becomes stiffest in the direction of joint surfaces and muscle attachments. Age-related variation in bone volume fraction is best predicted by an interaction between neuromaturation, body mass, and locomotor independence. Results support the common assumption that trabecular structure dynamically adapts to novel joint loading conditions during ontogeny. The timing of independent locomotion, body size, and neuromuscular development, are all correlated to age-related variation in the trabecular structure of the macaque calcaneus. The causal mechanisms behind the observed patterns cannot be directly inferred from our cross-sectional study. If the model presented in this paper holds up under longitudinal experimental conditions, trabecular structure can be used both to infer behavior from fossil morphology and to serve as a valuable proxy for neuromuscular maturation and life history events like locomotor onset and the achievement of an adult-like gait.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2021

Predicting skeletal stature using ancient DNA

ObjectivesAncient DNA provides an opportunity to separate the genetic and environmental bases of complex traits by allowing direct estimation of genetic values in ancient individuals. Here, we test whether genetic scores for height in ancient individuals are predictive of their actual height, as inferred from skeletal remains. We estimate the contributions of genetic and environmental variables to observed phenotypic variation as a first step towards quantifying individual sources of morphological variation. Materials and MethodsWe collected stature estimates and femur lengths from West Eurasian skeletal remains with published genome-wide ancient DNA data (n=167, dating from 33,000-850 BP). We also recorded genetic sex, genetic ancestry, date and paleoclimate data for each individual, and{delta} 13C and{delta} 15N stable isotope values where available (n=67). ResultsA polygenic score (PRS) for height predicts 6.8% of the variance in femur length in our data (n=117, SD=0.0068%, p<0.001), controlling for sex, ancestry, and date. This is consistent with the predictive power of height PRS in present-day populations and the low coverage of ancient samples. Comparatively, sex explains about 15% of the variance in femur length in our sample. Environmental effects also likely play a role in variation, independent of genetics, though with considerable uncertainty (longitude: R2=0.0317, SD=0.009, p=0.019). DiscussionPolygenic scores explain a small but significant proportion of the variance in height in ancient individuals, though not enough to make useful predictions of individual phenotypes. However, environmental variables also contribute to phenotypic outcomes and understanding their interaction with direct genetic predictions will provide a framework with which to model how plasticity and genetic changes ultimately combine to drive adaptation and evolution.

evolutionary biology↗