Trabecular Structure through Ontogeny in the Florida Manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)

Manatees, who use their vertebral column to propel themselves in swimming, are the product of a major evolutionary shift from land to water. This project explores the structure of trabecular (spongy) bone, which changes with force direction and magnitude, from the vertebral column of manatees. The goal of this research is to investigate the structural properties of manatee vertebral trabecular bone to better understand this animal's development and swimming mechanics. Vertebrae were dissected from four regions of the vertebral column and scanned with micro-computed tomography. Images were analyzed in BoneJ to quantify trabecular width, number, length, bone volume fraction (amount of bone/total area) and degree of anisotropy (orientation bias). Results from this project will be paired with mechanical data in future work to better understand forces on the vertebral column in a swimming mammal throughout development, and how these properties may have diverged from those found in their terrestrial counterparts.