This fascinating exploration into vertebrate paleontology is brought to you by The Field Museum, the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the National Science Foundation. Join us as we delve into the world of vertebrate anatomy and evolution with Dr. Stephanie Pierce, a curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
Dr. Stephanie Pierce specializes in studying the anatomy and function of both modern and extinct animals. Her work involves examining the vertebral column, which is a crucial part of the skeletal system in vertebrates. The vertebral column consists of a series of vertebrae, each connected by joints that allow for movement.
In a recent experiment, Dr. Pierce and her team focused on the vertebral column of a fisher, a small carnivorous mammal. They carefully extracted the vertebral column and separated it into individual joints. Each joint is made up of two vertebrae, allowing for movement between them.
To study how these vertebrae move, the team inserted screws into the vertebrae and used a rig to apply weight incrementally. This setup allowed them to observe the movement and flexibility of the vertebrae, particularly in the lumbar region, which is known for its mobility. Interestingly, while these vertebrae are quite mobile, they require significant force to move, similar to how large back muscles in fast-running mammals like cheetahs generate force for movement.
Dr. Pierce’s research extends beyond modern animals to include fossilized vertebrae. Fossil mammals, or protomammals, often lack the distinct lumbar region seen in modern mammals. To study these fossils, the team uses advanced technology like CT scanning. This technology allows them to virtually extract and examine the vertebral column from the surrounding rock.
With the help of gaming software, they create 3D models of the vertebrae. This software is excellent for 3D modeling, enabling researchers to manipulate and align the vertebrae accurately. By conducting virtual bending experiments, they can simulate the movement of these ancient vertebrae and compare it to modern animals.
While virtual experiments offer great flexibility, it’s crucial to maintain scientific accuracy. Researchers must be cautious not to overextend or misalign the vertebrae in the virtual environment. They focus on the anatomy of the vertebral column and the joints to ensure realistic simulations.
By comparing the results of physical bending experiments on modern animals with virtual experiments, researchers can validate their findings. If the results align, they can confidently apply similar virtual experiments to fossils, gaining insights into the mobility and locomotion of ancient animals.
The ultimate aim of this research is to trace the evolution of the vertebral column from fossil animals to modern mammals. By examining the regionalization of the vertebral column and its correlation with function, scientists hope to pinpoint when specific locomotion styles evolved in mammals.
This research is groundbreaking, allowing scientists to study fossil evidence collected over decades without damaging the specimens. By using computer software, they can make inferences about the mobility and gait of animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
Dr. Stephanie Pierce’s work in vertebrate paleontology is truly exciting. By combining traditional paleontological methods with cutting-edge technology, researchers are uncovering new insights into the evolution of vertebrates. It’s an exciting time to be a vertebrate paleontologist, as these studies continue to shed light on the fascinating history of life on Earth.
Engage in a hands-on workshop where you’ll use gaming software to create 3D models of vertebrae. This activity will help you understand the process of virtual extraction and manipulation of vertebral columns, similar to the methods used by Dr. Pierce’s team.
Participate in a simulation exercise where you’ll conduct virtual bending experiments on both modern and fossil vertebrae. This will allow you to explore the movement and flexibility of vertebrae, and compare the results with physical experiments.
Conduct a comparative study of modern and fossil vertebrae. You’ll examine the differences in the vertebral column, focusing on the presence or absence of a distinct lumbar region, and discuss how these differences relate to locomotion styles.
Learn about the use of CT scanning in paleontology by analyzing scan data of fossilized vertebrae. This activity will give you insight into how researchers extract and study vertebrae from rock, and the importance of this technology in paleontological research.
Prepare and deliver a presentation on the evolution of the vertebral column in vertebrates. Use your findings from the previous activities to discuss the regionalization of the vertebral column and its correlation with function and locomotion in mammals.
This series of episodes is brought to you by The Field Museum, the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, and the National Science Foundation.
**[Emily]:** Hey, we’re back here at the Museum of Comparative Zoology with Dr. Stephanie Pierce. Stephanie, what do you do here at the Museum?
**[Stephanie]:** Well, I’m the curator of vertebrate paleontology, and I study the anatomy and function of both modern and extinct animals.
**[Emily]:** And today we’re going to talk about the Bending Experiment that they just did.
**[Stephanie]:** (yay)
**[Emily]:** So, in our last episode, Katrina and I were focusing on the vertebral column of that fisher. Once the camera stopped rolling, what happened next?
**[Stephanie]:** Well, once you get the vertebral column out, that’s really when the science begins. We took that vertebral column and separated it into joints. A joint is composed of two vertebrae, with one bone process in the front and one in the back, and between them is a joint. Those joints allow the vertebrae to move.
**[Emily]:** So you have pairs of little vertebral sections?
**[Stephanie]:** Exactly.
**[Emily]:** And what was part of that process?
**[Stephanie]:** We inserted some screws into the vertebrae, and then we used a rig to give it some rigidity. We placed pins on top, which allowed us to observe any movement while we applied weight to one of these screws. We did this in small increments to understand how the vertebrae actually move in relation to one another.
**[Emily]:** And so, by putting weights on it, what did you learn about this particular set of vertebrae?
**[Stephanie]:** The interesting thing about the lumbar vertebrae is that they are quite mobile, but it takes a lot of force to get them to move. When mammals want to run fast, like a cheetah, they can use the large muscles in their back to generate a lot of force and move those joints in the lumbar region.
**[Emily]:** We know this all connects back to looking at protomammals or fossil mammals, which don’t seem to have that lumbar region. How do you compare what we did with the living fisher to a fossil animal?
**[Stephanie]:** It’s not that easy, but luckily we have new technology that helps us out. The first step is to isolate the vertebral column in our fossils. One way we can do that is through CT scanning, which allows us to distinguish between the fossil and the rock. We can virtually extract the fossil from the rock.
**[Stephanie]:** With a CT scan model, we can create a virtual replication of the vertebral column and conduct a virtual bending experiment.
**[Emily]:** Cool. So, when you get the CT scanning model into your computer software, how can you perform a similar experiment?
**[Stephanie]:** I actually use gaming software.
**[Emily]:** Oh, really?
**[Stephanie]:** Yes. The gaming industry is excellent for 3D modeling, so we create 3D models. Often, when a vertebra is found, it may not be in its best form.
**[Emily]:** Yeah.
**[Stephanie]:** Here is one model where we put it in, and it looks a bit misaligned.
**[Emily]:** That looks a little like scoliosis.
**[Stephanie]:** Exactly. And here is the same animal, but with all the vertebrae aligned. Once we achieve a reasonable shape, we can start to manipulate it.
**[Stephanie]:** Remember our bending experiment? We had two vertebrae with a joint in between, and we were experimenting with how that joint moved. Here we have two vertebrae with a joint in between.
**[Stephanie]:** We can manipulate this using the software to move things in relation to one another.
**[Emily]:** How do you ensure you’re not going too far? It seems like the software might allow for extreme bending.
**[Stephanie]:** As a scientist, you really have to pay attention. You could do whatever you wanted in a virtual environment, but you want to focus on the anatomy of the vertebral column and all those joints. If you disarticulate a joint or merge bones, you might have gone too far. We refer to this as disarticulation and bony stops.
**[Stephanie]:** In normal bending experiments, we can determine how much a joint can move and the anatomy of those vertebrae, allowing us to make correlations between vertebra anatomy and bending capacity.
**[Emily]:** So you’re not only looking at this fisher cat, but also at various other living animals, right?
**[Stephanie]:** Yes, we examine a variety of animals with different morphologies, including lizards, monotremes, marsupials, and various placental mammals like the fisher cat. By studying modern animals and conducting bending experiments, we can understand how their joints function.
**[Stephanie]:** We can then perform virtual bending experiments on the same animals, applying the same parameters as our fossils for comparison. We call this “validating our experiment.”
**[Stephanie]:** If the results from the bending experiment and the virtual bending experiment in modern animals align well, we can be confident that our virtual experiments on fossils provide a good indication of mobility and locomotion behavior.
**[Emily]:** What is the ultimate goal of all this research?
**[Stephanie]:** Our ultimate goal is to track the evolution of the vertebral column through fossil animals leading up to modern mammals. We aim to test how much regionalization exists in the vertebral column and how that correlates with function. Ultimately, we hope to pinpoint when mammalian regionalization and locomotion styles evolved.
**[Emily]:** That’s so exciting! You’re examining fossil evidence collected over the last fifty to a hundred years, manipulating it with computer software without damaging the specimens, and making inferences about the mobility and gait of animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago.
**[Stephanie]:** I believe it’s one of the best times to be a vertebrate paleontologist.
**[Emily]:** That’s pretty exciting.
**[Stephanie]:** I think it’s pretty exciting.
(outro jingle)
Vertebrate – A member of the subphylum Vertebrata, animals that have a backbone or spinal column. – The study of vertebrate biology includes examining the diverse adaptations of animals with backbones.
Paleontology – The scientific study of the history of life on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. – Paleontology provides crucial insights into the evolutionary history of organisms by analyzing fossil records.
Anatomy – The branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. – Understanding the anatomy of different species helps scientists determine how various physiological systems function.
Evolution – The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth. – Evolution explains the genetic changes in populations over time, leading to the diversity of life we see today.
Vertebrae – The series of small bones forming the backbone, which protect the spinal cord and provide structural support. – The vertebrae of mammals are adapted to support their body weight and enable flexible movement.
Fossils – The preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past, often found in sedimentary rock. – Fossils are invaluable to scientists for reconstructing ancient ecosystems and understanding extinct species.
Mobility – The ability of an organism to move independently using metabolic energy. – The mobility of certain species is crucial for their survival, allowing them to escape predators and find food.
Locomotion – The movement or the ability to move from one place to another, often studied in relation to the mechanics of movement in organisms. – Locomotion in aquatic animals involves adaptations such as fins and streamlined bodies to navigate through water efficiently.
Experiments – Scientific procedures undertaken to test a hypothesis, demonstrate a known fact, or discover new information. – Controlled experiments in genetics have led to breakthroughs in understanding hereditary patterns and gene function.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry and research. – Advances in technology have revolutionized biological research, enabling high-throughput sequencing and complex data analysis.
