Dynamic strain similarity in vertebrates; an alternative to allometric limb bone scaling.
Abstract: Galileo (1638) observed that "nature cannot grow a tree nor construct an animal beyond a certain size, while retaining the proportions which suffice in the case of a smaller structure". However, subsequent measurement has shown that limb bone dimensions are scaled geometrically with body size (Alexander et al., 1979a), and that the material properties of their constituent bone tissue are similar in animals over a wide range of body weight (Sedlin & Hirsch, 1966; Yamada, 1970; Burstein et al., 1972; Biewener, 1982). If, as suggested in previous scaling arguments (McMahon, 1973; Biewener, 1982), vigorous locomotion involved the same proportional forces over a wide range of animal size, this would create a paradox since large animals would be in far greater danger of skeletal failure than small ones. However, in vivo strain gauge implantations have shown that, during high speed running, axial force as a proportion of body weight (G) in the limb bones of animals decreases as a function of body size from 6.9 G in a 7 kg turkey to 2.8 G in a small (130 kg) horse. Estimates of axial force in larger animals suggest that this is further reduced to 0.8 G in a 2500 kg elephant. Nevertheless, it appears that, regardless of animal size or locomotory style, the peak stresses in the bones of these animals are remarkably similar. Therefore, throughout the range of animals considered (350 times differences in mass), we suggest that similar safety factors to failure are maintained, not by allometrically scaling bone dimensions, but rather by allometrically scaling the magnitude of the peak forces applied to them during vigorous locomotion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Publication Date: 1984-03-21 PubMed ID: 6717041DOI: 10.1016/s0022-5193(84)80031-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article studies limb bone scaling in vertebrates, suggesting that similar safety factors are maintained across a wide range of body sizes, not by adjusting bone dimensions, but by changing the peak force applied to them during vigorous movement.
Overview
- The article begins with a reference to Galileo’s observation that nature has a limit on the size it can grow a tree or an animal while maintaining the same proportions as in smaller structures. Yet, researchers have found that the size of limb bones statically scales to body size in vertebrates and the properties of their bone tissue remain mostly the same across a diverse range of body weights.
The Problem with Proportional Forces
- Previous studies proposed that vigorous movement involves the same proportional forces across animals of different sizes. If this were the case, it would lead to a paradox; larger animals would be more susceptible to skeletal failure than smaller ones due to the increased force on their bones.
In Vivo Strain Gauge Measurements
- The researchers measured axial force (as a proportion of body weight) in the limb bones of animals during high-speed running, which ranges from 6.9 G in turkeys (weighing 7 kg) to 0.8 G in elephants (weighing 2500 kg).
- This measurement indicates that the axial force in limbs decreases with body size, contrary to the idea of using the same proportional forces across different animal sizes.
Similar Peak Stresses in Different Body Sizes
- Results show that despite the size of an animal or the style of its movement, the peak stresses in the limb bones are remarkably similar.
- This similarity suggests that the bones of all animals, whether small or large, experience comparable amounts of maximum stress.
New Hypothesis: Dynamic Strain Similarity
- The paper postulates that the similarity in safety factors among animals is maintained by the static scaling of the peak forces applied to the bones during vigorous movement, rather than by changing the dimensions of the bones.
- The authors call this hypothesis ‘dynamic strain similarity’, which offers an alternative to the allometric limb bone scaling suggested by previous research.
Cite This Article
APA
Rubin CT, Lanyon LE.
(1984).
Dynamic strain similarity in vertebrates; an alternative to allometric limb bone scaling.
J Theor Biol, 107(2), 321-327.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5193(84)80031-4 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Body Weight
- Bone and Bones / anatomy & histology
- Bone and Bones / physiology
- Buffaloes
- Dogs
- Elephants
- Extremities / anatomy & histology
- Extremities / physiology
- Horses
- Locomotion
- Stress, Mechanical
- Tibia / anatomy & histology
- Tibia / physiology
- Turkeys
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