Muscle-induced loading as an important source of variation in craniofacial skeletal shape.

ABSTRACT: The shape of the craniofacial skeleton is constantly changing through ontogeny and reflects a balance between developmental patterning and mechanical-load-induced remodeling. Muscles are a major contributor to producing the mechanical environment that is crucial for "normal" skull development. Here, we use an F₅ hybrid population of Lake Malawi cichlids to characterize the strength and types of associations between craniofacial bones and muscles. We focus on four bones/bone complexes, with different developmental origins, alongside four muscles with distinct functions. We used micro-computed tomography to extract 3D information on bones and muscles. 3D geometric morphometrics and volumetric measurements were used to characterize bone and muscle shape, respectively. Linear regres

SUBMITTER: Conith AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6819996 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature