The Key are the Feet

二月 08, 2021

Evolution still raises many questions for science. Prof. Dr. John Nyakatura and his young team of junior scientists. They are focusing on the functional morphology of vertebrates and trying to track down the evolution of early primates.

Evolution, and thereby the origin of us human beings, still raises many questions for science. Prof. Dr. John Nyakatura, who holds the chair of 'Comparative Zoology' at the Humboldt University in Berlin, and his young team of junior scientists are focusing on the functional morphology of vertebrates and trying to track down the evolution of early primates. "A key to understanding their evolution seems to be the feet," John Nyakatura explains. "An opposable big toe, facing the other toes and thus enabling grasping, is probably THE evolutionary innovation of primates, which initially probably had more similarities with climbing rodents than with modern baboons or gorillas. It's the grasping with the big toe that makes climbing on thin branches in the treetops possible to reach fruits, flowers, or prey. It's a critical feature we want to understand better."

Here, high-resolution computed tomography offers entirely new possibilities. A resolution of about 7 micrometers allows the analysis of individual muscle fascicles, and especially by comparing today's small monkeys with each other and with other climbing mammals such as squirrels, marsupial gliders, or lemurs, the scientists will probably find a lot of answers. John Nyakatura's team will use the CT data to make measurements that allow for proper comparisons and even determine potential force generation during grasping. "We also want to understand in more detail how grasping ability reflects on skeletal features getting a refined basis to re-evaluate fossils."

This project is made possible by great networking with numerous institutions. Specimens of recently deceased animals from zoological gardens are available as well as 100-year-old specimens from museums such as the Museum für Naturkunde (MfN) Berlin.

The following CT images of a sugar glider's foot were generated by helical CT with the YXLON FF20 CT system at a resolution of 7 micrometers and subsequent reconstruction and visualization with the YXLON FF CT software. (Photo Sugar Glider on the right: Source Wikepedia)

最近更新

What is inside a battery cell?

二月 10, 2023 | Nils Achilles

Lithium-ion batteries (LIB) have become an indispensable part of modern life. The intensive testing of batteries is not only important for ensuring their quality and function but even more for safety aspects. CT can show you all details.

Read more

Connected Hearts

十二月 16, 2022 | Gina Naujokat

Read more

通过计算机层析成像技术对复杂组件进行孔隙率检测

六月 02, 2022

电子制造企业在产品内部的孔隙率评估上面临着挑战。Peter Koch和Jeff Urbanski展示了协同工作的新分析方法,可在关键界面上进行更精确的孔隙率测量。

Read more