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Functional Morphology of the Forelimb of the Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus): Comparative Perspectives on the Myology of Dasypodidae

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Abstract

The nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, is a member of the family Dasypodidae, which contains all extant species of armadillos and represents the most diverse group of xenarthran mammals by their speciation, form, and range of scratch-digging ability. This study aims to identify muscle traits that reflect specialization for fossorial habit by observing forelimb structure in D. novemcinctus and comparing it among armadillos using available myological data. A number of informative traits were observed in D. novemcinctus and among Dasypodidae, including the absence of m. rhomboideus profundus, the variable presence of a m. articularis humeri and m. coracobrachialis, two heads of m. triceps brachii with scapular origin, and a lack of muscle mass devoted to antebrachial supination. Muscle mass and myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform content were also quantified from our forelimb dissections. New osteological indices are additionally calculated and reported for D. novemcinctus. Collectively, the findings emphasize muscle mass and power output for limb retraction and specialization of the distal limb for sustained purchase of soil by strong pronation and carpal/digital flexion. Moreover, the myological traits assessed here provide a valuable resource for interpretation of muscle architecture specializations among digging mammals and future reassessment of armadillo phylogeny.

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Acknowledgments

We sincerely thank W. Loughry (Valdosta State University) and J. Copploe (YSU) for armadillo collection. A very special thanks to Theresanne DeMartino for the anatomical illustrations. We also thank M. Thornhill for preparation of muscle protein stocks and H. Suzuki for help with gel photography. The YSU Department of Biological Sciences and Ohio University Department of Biomedical Sciences are also gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Youngstown State University, 4013 Ward Beecher Science Hall, Youngstown, OH, USA

    R. A. Olson, M. D. Womble, D. R. Thomas, Z. D. Glenn & M. T. Butcher

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA

    R. A. Olson

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  1. R. A. Olson
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  2. M. D. Womble
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Correspondence to M. T. Butcher.

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ESM 1

Intrinsic forelimb muscle mass distribution (JPEG 74 kb)

High Resolution Image (EPS 1073 kb)

Appendices

Appendix 1

Table 5 Muscle architectural property measurements for the forelimb muscles of D. novemcinctus
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Appendix 2

Table 6 Raw osteological measurements from the left forelimb bones of D. novemcinctus
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Olson, R.A., Womble, M.D., Thomas, D.R. et al. Functional Morphology of the Forelimb of the Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus): Comparative Perspectives on the Myology of Dasypodidae. J Mammal Evol 23, 49–69 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-015-9299-4

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