Objective
How tetrapods (vertebrates with digit-bearing limbs) became terrestrial is one of the most transformative yet enigmatic
events in vertebrate history that set the stage for the diversification of tetrapods thereafter. Being on land imposes physical
demands on the musculoskeletal system and weak bones can severely limit the capabilities of animals, yet the importance of
bone strength in the evolution of terrestrial locomotion is not well understood. The proposed research integrates innovative
approaches on the limbs of an early stem tetrapod, Ichthyostega, in order to: 1) quantify how well the limb bones in an early
stem tetrapod could support locomotion on land, 2) compare the differences between the fore- and hindlimb bone
mechanics, and 3) test the prevailing hypothesis that early stem tetrapods walked like extant salamanders. An
interdisciplinary synthesis of cutting-edge techniques in engineering, 3D biomedical imaging, palaeontology, and
biomechanics will be used to test the structural integrity of fossil limb bones in silico. Bone strength will be quantified with
high-resolution μ-CT scans and finite element analysis, an engineering approach to estimate stresses and deformations in
complex structures in response to physical demands. This novel dataset will address the ability of Ichthyostega to move on
land, and what types of locomotor behaviours were not possible for an early stem tetrapod on land. Simultaneously, training
and research activities in state-of-the-art engineering and 3D technology, evolutionary biomechanics, and public outreach
will foster the development of the Experienced Researcher (ER) into an innovative and broadly trained researcher and
science communicator. At a broader scale, tracing back the evolutionary steps to becoming terrestrial yields powerful
insights into the tetrapod body plan, informing how ecological transitions influence functional innovation and how human
anatomy is influenced by our ancestry from aquatic tetrapods.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesevolutionary biology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencespalaeontology
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Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
NW1 OTU London
United Kingdom