Variation of the Outer Circumferential Layer in the Limb Bones of Birds
2004/12/01 by Fleur Ponton, Andrzej Elżanowski, Jacques Castanet +7 · 87 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Mathematics · #Allometry #Anatomy #Biology #Composite material #Core (optical fiber) #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Geology #Girth (graph theory) #Lamellar structure #Layer (electronics) #Materials science #Mathematics #Morphological variations and asymmetry #Paleontology #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #RADIUS
paper · pdf · doi:10.3161/068.039.0210
published in Acta Ornithologica 39(2), 137-140 (Polish Academy of Sciences)
openalex publication_date 2004/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Abstract
The core of the limb bone cortex of mammals and birds is made of rapidly deposited, fibro-lamellar bone tissue (also present in non-avian theropods), which is usually surrounded by an avascular outer circumferential layer (OCL) of slowly deposited parallel-fibered bone. We present the first comparative allometric study of the relative OCL thickness (expressed as a fraction of the diaphyseal radius) in modern birds. Body size explains 79% of the OCL variation in thickness, which is inversely correlated with size, that is, shows negative allometry (slope -0.799). This may explain the apparent absence of OCL in the ratites. Since the OCL is deposited at the end of growth, we propose that its relative thickness probably correlates with the amount of slow, residual growth, which our results suggest to be on the average larger in small birds.
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