Moles' wide-armed posture reshapes how their shoulder bones carry loads
While the scapula is the primary bone supporting the body in terrestrial quadrupedal mammals, an analysis of internal bone structure in underground moles (family Talpidae) showed a more important role for the clavicle.
Recent research has revealed that underground moles have evolved a distinct posture in which their forelimbs are held wide apart and angled upward, leading to a reorganization of load-transmission pathways within their shoulder girdle. A study led by a researcher at the University of Tsukuba examined the internal bone structures of moles and compared them to those of a closely related species, the Asian house shrew.
The results showed that while moles possess a more developed clavicle than the shrew, the scapula of the shrew is more robust. This suggests that moles have shifted the burden of transmitting forces from the scapula to the clavicle due to their unique posture. This finding, published in the Journal of Anatomy, could aid future research in understanding the evolution of skeletal morphology and function in vertebrates.
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