FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Integrative zoology2020; 15(6); 448-460; doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12444

A first comparison of bone histomorphometry in extant domestic horses (Equus caballus) and a Pleistocene Indian wild horse (Equus namadicus).

Abstract: The microstructural features of the tissue of long bones subjected to different biomechanical stresses could be a helpful tool for a better understanding of locomotor behavior in extant and extinct mammals, including equids. However, few researches have attempted to describe the bone tissue of extinct horses. In our study, we analyze and compare the histomorphometric features of the bone tissue in extant modern horses, Equus caballus, and Equus namadicus, a Pleistocene Indian extinct wild horse. The number, position, and size of the osteons and Haversian canals of the bone tissue, classifiable as dense Haversian tissue, were considered for the comparison. The results obtained highlight some differences between the analyzed species, E. caballus having fewer and bigger osteons than E. namadicus. The microstructural differences may depend on the different lifestyles and environmental conditions characterizing the two species. The results obtained suggest that comparing the biomechanical properties of extinct and modern horse species may provide indirect information on their paleoenvironment.
© 2020 International Society of Zoological Sciences, Institute of Zoology/Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2020-06-18 PubMed ID: 32297705DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12444Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Comparative Study
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research studies the microstructural features of bone tissue in the modern domestic horse (Equus caballus) and the extinct Pleistocene Indian wild horse (Equus namadicus) to better understand their locomotor behavior and provide insights into their differing lifestyles and environments.

Objective of the Research

  • The study aimed to analyze and compare the bone tissue structures of a modern extant domestic horse (Equus caballus) and an extinct Pleistocene Indian wild horse (Equus namadicus). It was postulated that the microstructural features of long bones, subjected to different biomechanical stresses, could aid in understanding the locomotor behavior of both current and extinct mammals, particularly horses.

Methodology

  • The researchers studied the number, position, and size of the osteons and Haversian canals in the bone tissue of both types of horses. These bone tissues are classified as dense Haversian tissue, a type of tissue found in many mature mammals.

Findings

  • The study found that Equus caballus had fewer but larger osteons compared to Equus namadicus, suggesting microstructural differences between the two species.
  • Based on these differences, it was inferred that differences in lifestyle and environmental factors could be responsible. The bones of animals evolve over time to adapt to their specific living conditions and lifestyle, such as the terrain they traverse, their speed of movement, and the frequency of their locomotion. Therefore, variations in bone tissue can provide valuable information about the natural history of an organism.

Implications

  • The findings of this research suggest that the biomechanical properties from the comparison of extinct and current horse species could yield indirect information about their paleoenvironment. This implies that bone histomorphometry could be a promising tool to delve further into the study of the life and habitats of extinct species.

Cite This Article

APA
Zedda M, Sathe V, Chakraborty P, Palombo MR, Farina V. (2020). A first comparison of bone histomorphometry in extant domestic horses (Equus caballus) and a Pleistocene Indian wild horse (Equus namadicus). Integr Zool, 15(6), 448-460. https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12444

Publication

Integrative zoology
ISSN: 1749-4877
NlmUniqueID: 101492420
Country: Australia
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 6
Pages: 448-460

Researcher Affiliations

Zedda, Marco
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Italy.
Sathe, Vijay
  • Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, Pune, India.
Chakraborty, Prateek
  • Department of AIHC & Archaeology, Deccan College Postgraduate and Research Institute, Pune, India.
Palombo, Maria Rita
  • CNR-IGAG, c/o Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University, Roma, Italy.
Farina, Vittorio
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Bone and Bones / anatomy & histology
  • Fossils / anatomy & histology
  • Haversian System / anatomy & histology
  • Horses / anatomy & histology
  • Species Specificity

References

This article includes 82 references
  1. Alberdi MT, Prado JL, Ortiz-Jaureguizar E. Patterns of body size changes in fossil and living Equini (Perissodactyla). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 54, 349-70.
  2. Ascenzi MG, Roe AK. The osteon: the micromechanical unit of compact bone. Frontiers in Bioscience 17, 1551-81.
  3. Azzaroli A. Pleistocene and living horses of the Old World. Palaeontographia Italica 61, 1-15.
  4. Azzaroli A. On Villafranchian Palaearctic Equids and their allies. Palaeontographia Italica 72,74-97.
  5. Badam GL. Pleistocene fauna of India. Deccan College, Pune.
  6. Badam GL. Quaternary palaeontology of the Central Narmada Valley and its implications in prehistoric studies. Geological Survey of India Miscellaneous Publications 45, 311-20.
  7. Badam GL. Pleistocene faunal succession of India. In: Whyte RO, ed. The Evolution of East Asian Environment. University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, pp. 746-75.
  8. Badam GL. Taphonomy as a tool in interpreting fossils and their modes of occurrence. In: Margabandhu C, Ramchandran KS, eds. Spectrum of Indian Culture. Prof. Deo SB felicitation Volume. Agam Kala Prakashan, Delhi, pp. 13-25.
  9. Badam GL. Pleistocene vertebrate palaeontology in India at the threshold of the millennium. Journal of Palaeontological Society of India 45, 1-24.
  10. Badam GL. The Central Narmada Valley: A Study in Quaternary Palaeontology and Allied Aspects. Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal, and DK Printworld, New Delhi.
  11. Badam GL, Sankhyan AR. Evolutionary trends in Narmada fossil fauna. In: Sankhyan AR, ed. Asian Perspectives on Human Evolution. Serials Publications, New Delhi, pp. 92-102.
  12. Bentley VA, Sample SJ, Livesey MA. Morphologic changes associated with functional adaptation of the navicular bone of horses. Journal of Anatomy 211, 662-72.
  13. Brits D, Steyn M, L'Abbée EN. A histomorphological analysis of human and non-human femora. International Journal of Legal Medicine 128, 369-77.
  14. Burr DB, Schaffler MB, Frederickson RG. Composition of the cement line and its possible mechanical role as a local interface in human compact bone. Journal of Biomechanics 21, 939-45.
  15. Caeiro JR, Gonzàlez P, Guede D. Biomechanics and bone (& II): Trials in different hierarchical levels of bone and alternative tools for the determination of bone strength. Revista de Osteoporosis y Metabolismo Mineral 5, 99-108.
  16. Carroll CL, Huntington PJ. Body condition scoring and weight estimation of horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 20, 41-5.
  17. Castanet J. Time recording in bone microstructures of endothermic animals; functional relationships. Comptes Rendus Palevol 5, 629-36.
  18. Chauhan PR. Large mammal fossil occurrences and associated archaeological evidence in Pleistocene contexts of peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Quaternary International 192, 20-42.
  19. Cuijpers S, Lauwerier RCGM. Differentiating between bone fragments from horses and cattle: a histological identification method for archaeology. Environmental Archaeology 2, 165-79.
  20. Enlow DH, Brown SO. A comparative histological study of fossil and recent bone tissues. Texas Journal of Science 10, 187-230.
  21. Francillon-Vieillot H, de Buffrénil V, Castanet J. Microstructure and mineralization of Vetebrate skeletal tissues. In: Carter JG, ed. Skeletal Biomineralization: Patterns, Processes and Evolutionary Trends. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, pp. 471-530.
  22. García-Martínez R, Marín-Moratalla N, Jordana X. The ontogeny of bone growth in two species of dormice: reconstructing life history traits. Comptes Rendus Palevol 10, 489-98.
  23. Gibson VA, Stover SM, Gibeling JC. Osteonal effects on elastic modulus and fatigue life in equine bone. Journal of Biomechanics 39, 217-25.
  24. Giua S, Farina V, Cacchioli A. Comparative histology of the femur between mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) and sheep (Ovis aries aries). Journal of Biological Researches 87, 74-7.
  25. Goldman HM, Thomas CDL, Clement JG. Relationships among microstructural properties of bone at human midshaft femur. Journal of Anatomy 206, 127-39.
  26. Hanot P, Herrel A, Guintard C. The impact of artificial selection on morphological integration in the appendicular skeleton of domestic horses. Journal of Anatomy 232, 657-73.
  27. Harrison SM, Whitton RC, Chris E. Evaluation of a subject-specific finite-element model of the equine metacarpophalangeal joint under physiological load. Journal of Biomechanics 47, 65-73.
  28. Hinkle DE, Wiersma W, Jurs SG. Applied statistics for the behavioural sciences. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
  29. Hintze J. NCSS 10 Statistical Software. NCSS, LLC, Kaysville, UT.
  30. Jans MME, Nielsen-Marsh CM, Smith CI. Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone. Journal of Archaeological Science 1, 87-95.
  31. Joshi RV, Badam GL, Pandey RP. Fresh data on the quaternary animal fossils and stone age cultures from the Central Narmada Valley, India. Asian Perspectives 21, 164-81.
  32. Khan E. Pleistocene deposits around Ariyalur (Madras). Current Science 40, 37-8.
  33. Kathal PK. Narmada: the longest Westward flowing river of the Peninsular India. In: Sen Singh D, ed. The Indian Rivers. Springer, Singapore, pp. 301-8.
  34. Kendall C, Eriksen AMH, Kontopoulos I. Diagenesis of archaeological bone and tooth. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology Journal 491, 21-37.
  35. Kiesewalter L. Skelettmessungen am pferde als beitrag zur theoretischen grundlage der beurteilungslehre des pferdes (Phil. Diss.). Universität Leipzig.
  36. Kolb C, Scheyer TM, Lister A. Growth in fossil and extant deer and implications for body size and life history evolution. BMC Evolutionary Biology 15(19), 1-15.
  37. Koudelka F. Das Verhältniss der ossa longa zur Skeletthöhe bei den Säugetieren. Verhandlungen des naturforschenden Vereines in Brünn 24, 127-53.
  38. Levine MA. Domestication and early history of the horse. In: Mills DS, McDonnell SM, eds. The Domestic Horse: The Origins, Development, and Management of Its Behavior. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 5-22.
  39. Librado P, Fages A, Gaunitz C. The evolutionary origin and genetic makeup of domestic horses. Genetics 204, 423-34.
  40. Locke M. Structure of long bones in mammals. Journal of Morphology 262, 546-65.
  41. Lydekker R. Siwalik and Narbada Equidae. Palaeontologica Indica 10, 67-98.
  42. Mac Fadden BJ. Fossil Horses, Systematic, Paleobiology, and Evolution of the Family Equidae. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
  43. Malekipour F, Whitton CR, Vee-Sin Lee P. Stiffness and energy dissipation across the superficial and deeper third metacarpal subchondral bone in thoroughbred racehorses under high-rate compression. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials 85, 51-6.
  44. Marín-Moratalla N, Jordana X, Köhler M. Bone histology as an approach to providing data on certain key life history traits in mammals: implications for conservation biology. Mammalian Biology 78,422-9.
  45. Martin RB, Gibson VA, Stover SM. Osteonal structure in the equine third metacarpus. Bone 19, 165-71.
  46. Martínez-Maza C, Alberdi MT, Nieto-Diaz M. Life history traits of the Miocene Hipparion concudense (Spain) inferred from bone histological structure. PLoS ONE 9, e103708.
  47. Martiniakovà M, Grosskopf B, Omelka R. Differences among species in compact bone tissue microstructure of mammalian skeleton: use of a discriminant function analysis for species identification. Journal of Forensic Science 51, 1235-9.
  48. Martiniakovà M, Grosskopf B, Omelka R. Histological study of compact bone tissue in some mammals: a method for species determination. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 17, 82-90.
  49. Mason MW, Skedros JG, Bloebaum RD. Evidence of strain-mode-related cortical adaption in the diaphysis of the horse radius. Bone 17, 229-37.
  50. Mishra S. Biomechanical aspects of bone microstructure in vertebrates: potential approach to palaeontological investigations. Journal of Bioscience 34, 799-809.
  51. Miszkiewicz JJ, Mahoney P. Ancient human bone microstructure in Medieval England: comparisons between two socio-economic groups. The Anatomical Record 299, 42-59.
  52. Moehlman PD. Equids: zebras, asses, and horses: status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SCC Equid Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, p. 190.
  53. Mori R, Kodaka T, Sano T. Comparative histology of the laminar bone between young calves and foals. Cell Tissue Organs 175, 43-50.
  54. Nacarino-Meneses C, Jordana X, Köhler M. First approach to bone histology and skeletochronology of Equus hemionus. Comptes Rendus Palevol 15, 277-87.
  55. Nacarino-Meneses C, Köhler M. Limb bone histology records birth in mammals. PLoS ONE 13, 1-18 e0198511.
  56. Onar V, Kahvecïoğlu KO, Olğun Erdïkmen D. The estimation of withers height of ancient horse: New estimation formulations by using the metacarpal measurements of living horse. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire 169(7-9), 157-65.
  57. Outram AK, Stear NA, Bendrey R. The earliest horse harnessing and milking. Science 323(5919), 1332-5.
  58. Palkovacs EP. Explaining adaptive shifts of body size on islands: a life history approach. Oikos 103, 37-44.
  59. Parfitt AM, Drezner MK, Glorieux FH. Bone histomorphometry: Standardization of nomenclature, symbols, and units: Report of the ASBMR Histomorphometry Nomenclature Committee. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 2, 595-610.
  60. Patnaik R, Singh NP, Paul D. Dietary and habitat shifts in relation to climate of Neogene-Quaternary proboscideans and associated mammals of the Indian subcontinent. Quaternary Science Reviews 224, e105968.
  61. Pfeiffer S, Crowder C, Harrington L. Secondary osteon and Haversian canal dimensions as behavioral indicators. American Journal of Physiology and Anthropology 131, 460-8.
  62. Pinilla MJ, Tranquille CA, Blunden AS. Histological features of the distal third metacarpal bone in thoroughbred racehorses, with and without lateral condylar fractures. Journal of Comparative Pathology 157, 1-10.
  63. Raia P, Meiri S. The island rule in large mammals: paleontology meets ecology. Evolution 60, 1731-42.
  64. Rowe P, Sharma S. Physiology, bone remodelling. StatPearls (Internet) StatPearls Publishing, Treasure Island, FL.
  65. Ruff C, Holt B, Trinkaus E. Who's afraid of the big bad Wolff? “Wolff's law” and bone functional adaptation. American Journal of Physiology and Anthropology 129, 484-98.
  66. Saltz D, Rubenstein DI. Population dynamics of a reintroduced Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus) herd. Ecological Applications 5, 327-35.
  67. Sander PM, Andràssy P. Lines of arrested growth and long bone histology in Pleistocene large mammals from Germany: what do they tell us about dinosaur physiology?. Paleontographica Abt A 277, 143-59.
  68. Sastry MVA. Pleistocene Vertebrates from Susunia, Bankura district, West Bengal. Indian Minerals 22, 20.
  69. Sathé V. Discovery of large mammalian fossils at Morgaon, District Pune, Maharashtra, India. Quaternary International 192, 52-61.
  70. Skedros JG, Knight AN, Clark GC. Scaling of Haversian canal surface area to secondary osteon bone volume in ribs and limb bones. American Journal of Physiology and Anthropology 151, 230-44.
  71. Stock JT, Shaw CN. Which measures of diaphyseal robusticity are robust? A comparison of external methods of quantifying the strength of long bone diaphyses to cross-sectional geometric properties. American Journal of Physiology and Anthropology 134, 412-23.
  72. Stover SM, Pool RR, Martin RB. Histological features of the dorsal cortex of the third metacarpal bone mid-diaphysis during postnatal growth in thoroughbred horses. Journal of Anatomy 181, 455-69.
  73. Turner-Walker G, Jans M. Reconstructing taphonomic histories using histological analysis. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology Journal 266, 227-35.
  74. Van Asperen E. Ecomorphological adaptations to climate and substrate in late Middle Pleistocene caballoid horses. Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology Journal 297, 584-96.
  75. Wang X, Thomas CDL, Clement JG. A mechanostatistical approach to cortical bone remodelling: an equine model. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 15, 29-42.
  76. Warden SJ, Hurst JA, Sanders MS. Bone adaptation to a mechanical loading program significantly increases skeletal fatigue resistance. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research 20, 809-16.
  77. vonden Driesch A, Boessneck J. Kritische Anmerkungen zur Widerristhöhenberechnung aus Längenmaßen vor- und frühgeschichtlicher Tierknochen. Säugetierkundliche Mitteilung 22, 325-48.
  78. Wolff J. The Law of Bone Remodelling (Original title 1892: The Law of Transformation of the Bone). Springer, Berlin.
  79. Zedda M, Brits D, Giua S. Distinguishing domestic pig femora and tibiae from wild boar through microscopic analyses. Zoomorphology 138,159-70.
  80. Zedda M, Lepore G, Biggio GP. Morphology, morphometry and spatial distribution of secondary osteons in equine femur. Anatomy Histology Embryology 44, 328-32.
  81. Zedda M, Lepore G, Manca P. Comparative bone histology of adult horses (Equus caballus) and cows (Bos taurus). Anatomy Histology Embryology 37, 442-5.
  82. Zedda M, Palombo MR, Brits D. Differences in femoral morphology between sheep (Ovis aries) and goat (Capra hircus): macroscopic and microscopic observations. Zoomorphology 136,145-58.

Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
  1. Deng W, Jin L, Qiu D, Yan C, Liao W. Geographic Variation in Organ Size in a Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus). Animals (Basel) 2023 Aug 16;13(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13162645pubmed: 37627435google scholar: lookup
  2. Liu Y, Jiang Y, Xu J, Liao W. Evolution of Avian Eye Size Is Associated with Habitat Openness, Food Type and Brain Size. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 18;13(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13101675pubmed: 37238105google scholar: lookup
  3. Chen S, Jiang Y, Jin L, Liao W. Testing the Role of Natural and Sexual Selection on Testes Size Asymmetry in Anurans. Biology (Basel) 2023 Jan 18;12(2).
    doi: 10.3390/biology12020151pubmed: 36829429google scholar: lookup
  4. Jiang Y, Zhao L, Luan X, Liao W. Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann's Rule in Andrew's Toad (Bufo andrewsi). Biology (Basel) 2022 Dec 6;11(12).
    doi: 10.3390/biology11121766pubmed: 36552274google scholar: lookup
  5. Tomassini RL, Pesquero MD, Garrone MC, Marin-Monfort MD, Cerda IA, Prado JL, Montalvo CI, Fernández-Jalvo Y, Alberdi MT. First osteohistological and histotaphonomic approach of Equus occidentalis Leidy, 1865 (Mammalia, Equidae) from the late Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea (California, USA). PLoS One 2021;16(12):e0261915.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261915pubmed: 34962948google scholar: lookup
  6. Palombo MR, Zedda M. The intriguing giant deer from the Bate cave (Crete): could paleohistological evidence question its taxonomy and nomenclature?. Integr Zool 2022 Jan;17(1):54-77.
    doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12533pubmed: 33728744google scholar: lookup
  7. Zedda M, Babosova R, Gadau S, Lepore G, Succu S, Farina V. Does a relation between bone histomorphometry and fractures exist? The case of the equine radius and tibia. Vet Med (Praha) 2024 Sep;69(9):307-313.
    doi: 10.17221/18/2024-VETMEDpubmed: 39474360google scholar: lookup
  8. Wu J, Na H, Bai F, Li S, Gao H, Sha R. Preparation and tissue structure analysis of horse bone collagen peptide. Sci Rep 2024 Oct 28;14(1):25687.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-75960-7pubmed: 39463408google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 100,127 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.