Mammals’ backbones are weird. Compared to other four-legged animals like reptiles, mammal spines are a complex mix of sections of differently-shaped bones. Our Frankenstein’s monster backbones are a key component of mammals evolving the ability to move in a bunch of different ways—compare a cheetah running, a person walking, a bat flying, and a whale swimming. A new study in Nature Communications delves into the nitty-gritty of how mammals’ backbones became so complex. The scientists discovered that the process was marked by big, dramatic evolutionary changes, and that it’s linked to mammals being active animals with high metabolisms.
Click here for original story, Mammals’ complex spines are linked to high metabolisms; we’re learning how they evolved
Source: Phys.org