Project title
Solving the evolutionary puzzle of human childbirth
Description of the project
This project will test the hypothesis that the size of the human birth canal is constrained by the need to support abdominal organs in an orthograde (i.e. vertical) posture, therefore limiting how spacious the birth canal can be. In order to do so, I will collect scans of pelvic bones for male and female primates from 35 different species that differ in posture, locomotion, body size and obstetric requirements. 3D models of the pelvis for each specimen will be built from the scans, and the position of key anatomical landmarks will be used to compare the size and 3D shape of the birth canal across primate species. The shape data will be used to estimate how habitual posture, locomotion and obstetric requirements have affected birth canal variation among primate species, including humans, and to evaluate whether the tightness of the human (and other primates’) birth canal can be explained by the need to provide organ support in an orthograde posture.

Works done by the platform AST-RX

Collection Inventory number Description Thumbnail Equipment
ZM 1966-338 scan bassin avec sacrum v|tome|x L 240-180
ZM 2005-252 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM 2005-252 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1880-1307 scan bassin EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1880-1380 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1880-1380 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1885-6 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1885-6 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1889-305 scan bassin. Le spécimen A-13-347 correspond au AC-1889-305 EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1892-1115 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1892-1115 scan sacrum
ZM AC-1901-647 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1901-647 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1911-136 scan bassin v|tome|x L 240-180
ZM AC-1936-86 scan bassin EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1962-231 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1962-231 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1964-307 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM AC-1964-307 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-1847-1661C scan bassin. Le spécimen AC-1880-1108 correspond au MO-1847-1661C. EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-1977-769 scan bassin EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-1981-435 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-1981-435 scan sacrum v|tome|x L 240-180
ZM MO-2002-17 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-17 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-22 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-22 scan sacrum v|tome|x L 240-180
ZM MO-2002-23 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-23 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-24 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-24 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-27 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-27 scan sacrum EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-28 scan bassin (no sacrum) EasyTom S 150
ZM MO-2002-28 scan sacrum (deux scans séparés sacrum-a + sacrum-b) EasyTom S 150