食肉动物以其卓越的骨干流动性而闻名,这使他们能够在快速跑步和跳远方面表现出色,导致它们成为陆地哺乳动物中最成功的捕食者之一。这项研究首次对食肉动物脊柱的the前区域进行了大规模的活动性分析。这项研究涵盖了6个家庭的代表,24属34种。我们利用以前开发的基于骨测量的方法来计算可用的运动范围,量化所有三个方向的椎间活动度:矢状弯曲(SB),横向弯曲(LB),和轴向旋转(AR)。我们在脊柱的结构基础上观察到强烈的系统发育信号(椎骨和关节公式,骨架模块的长度比例)和椎间移动性的大多数特征中微不足道的系统发育信号。这表明在现有结构中(其稳定发生在不同的系统发育谱系中的早期),食肉动物的椎间活动能力相当灵活。我们的发现揭示了鬣狗和犬科动物,用他们的下颚抓住猎物,与其他食肉动物相比,其特征是宫颈区域明显拉长,并且宫颈关节的SB和LB活动性明显更高。在其他食肉动物家庭的代表中,宫颈区域很短,但是颈部的柔韧性(SB和LB)明显高于短颈奇趾和偶趾有蹄类动物。食肉动物脊骨的腰部区域在矢状平面上是背动的,平均比偶蹄动物移动约23°,比偶蹄动物移动约38°。然而,尽管有一般的休眠,只有一些犬科的代表,费里达,和Viverridae的腰椎柔韧性优于大多数背足有蹄类动物。大多数足足足动物在奔跑过程中参与背侧伸展的能力与食肉动物相同或甚至优于食肉动物。相比之下,食肉动物的腹侧屈曲能力远远优于有蹄类动物。肉食动物腰部区域的累积SB在很大程度上取决于跑步和狩猎的方式。因此,适应鬣狗对猎物的长期和持久追求伴随着腰椎区域SB的柔韧性显着降低。更可休眠的运行也是Ursidae的特征,和奇特的鬃毛狼。Felidae和Canidae的代表在腰椎区域具有更多可用的SB活动性。然而,它们仅在与直接捕获猎物相关的狩猎的关键时刻或以最大速度直线行驶时,才会完全参与其中。
Carnivorans are well-known for their exceptional backbone mobility, which enables them to excel in fast running and long jumping, leading to them being among the most successful predators amongst terrestrial mammals. This study presents the first large-scale analysis of mobility throughout the presacral region of the vertebral column in carnivorans. The study covers representatives of 6 families, 24 genera and 34 species. We utilized a previously developed osteometry-based method to calculate available range of motion, quantifying all three directions of intervertebral mobility: sagittal bending (SB), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR). We observed a strong phylogenetic signal in the structural basis of the vertebral column (vertebral and joint formulae, length proportions of the backbone modules) and an insignificant phylogenetic signal in most characteristics of intervertebral mobility. This indicates that within the existing structure (stabilization of which occurred rather early in different phylogenetic lineages), intervertebral mobility in carnivorans is quite flexible. Our findings reveal that hyenas and canids, which use their jaws to seize prey, are characterized by a noticeably elongated cervical region and significantly higher SB and LB mobility of the cervical joints compared to other carnivorans. In representatives of other carnivoran families, the cervical region is very short, but the flexibility of the neck (both SB and LB) is significantly higher than that of short-necked odd-toed and even-toed ungulates. The lumbar region of the backbone in carnivorans is dorsomobile in the sagittal plane, being on average ~23° more mobile than in artiodactyls and ~38° more mobile than in perissodactyls. However, despite the general dorsomobility, only some representatives of Canidae, Felidae, and Viverridae are superior in lumbar flexibility to the most dorsomobile ungulates. The most dorsomobile artiodactyls are equal or even superior to carnivorans in their ability to engage in dorsal extension during galloping. In contrast, carnivorans are far superior to ungulates in their ability to engage ventral flexion. The cumulative SB in the lumbar region in carnivorans largely depends on the mode of running and hunting. Thus, adaptation to prolonged and enduring pursuit of prey in hyenas is accompanied by markedly reduced SB flexibility in the lumbar region. A more dorsostable run is also a characteristic of the Ursidae, and the peculiar maned wolf. Representatives of Felidae and Canidae have significantly more available SB mobility in the lumbar region. However, they fully engage it only occasionally at key moments of the hunt associated with the direct capture of the prey or when running in a straight line at maximum speed.