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The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles

Cuff, AR; Sparkes, EL; Randau, M; Pierce, SE; Kitchener, AC; Goswami, A; Hutchinson, JR; (2016) The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles. Journal of Anatomy , 229 (1) pp. 142-152. 10.1111/joa.12474. Green open access

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Abstract

In quadrupeds the musculature of the hindlimbs is expected to be responsible for generating most of the propulsive locomotory forces, as well as contributing to body support by generating vertical forces. In supporting the body, postural changes from crouched to upright limbs are often associated with an increase of body mass in terrestrial tetrapods. However, felids do not change their crouched limb posture despite undergoing a 300-fold size increase between the smallest and largest extant species. Here, we test how changes in the muscle architecture (masses and lengths of components of the muscle-tendon units) of the hindlimbs and lumbosacral region are related to body mass, to assess whether there are muscular compensations for the maintenance of a crouched limb posture at larger body sizes. We use regression and principal component analyses to detect allometries in muscle architecture, with and without phylogenetic correction. Of the muscle lengths that scale allometrically, all scale with negative allometry (i.e. relative shortening with increasing body mass), whereas all tendon lengths scale isometrically. Only two muscles' belly masses and two tendons' masses scale with positive allometry (i.e. relatively more massive with increasing body mass). Of the muscles that scale allometrically for physiological cross-sectional area, all scale positively (i.e. relatively greater area with increasing body mass). These muscles are mostly linked to control of hip and thigh movements. When the architecture data are phylogenetically corrected, there are few significant results, and only the strongest signals remain. None of the vertebral muscles scaled significantly differently from isometry. Principal component analysis and manovas showed that neither body size nor locomotor mode separate the felid species in morphospace. Our results support the inference that, despite some positively allometric trends in muscle areas related to thigh movement, larger cats have relatively weaker hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles in general. This decrease in power may be reflected in relative decreases in running speeds and is consistent with prevailing evidence that behavioural changes may be the primary mode of compensation for a consistently crouched limb posture in larger cats.

Type: Article
Title: The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/joa.12474
Publisher version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joa.12474
Language: English
Additional information: Copyright © 2016 Anatomical Society. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Cuff, A. R., Sparkes, E. L., Randau, M., Pierce, S. E., Kitchener, A. C., Goswami, A. and Hutchinson, J. R. (2016), The scaling of postcranial muscles in cats (Felidae) II: hindlimb and lumbosacral muscles. Journal of Anatomy, 229: 142–152. doi: 10.1111/joa.12474], which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joa.12474. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Keywords: anatomy, biomechanics, effective mechanical advantage, locomotion, mammal, morphometrics
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1482265
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