#  Backbone Functional Differentiation 

 





February 03, 2020

 

 

- [ News ](/news-categories/news)
 
 

 

 New study explores the relationship between morphological and functional regionalization of the spine. Using experimental data collected by undergraduate student Sarah Gonzalez, this paper was able to predict when and how morphological regions of the synapsid backbone became functioanlly differentiated - turns out advanced cynodonts! Keen statistical skills and story telling by Katrina Jones made this paper a superstar!

 See the write up by the Harvard Gazette:[ Filling in the blanks of evolution](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/02/harvard-researchers-examine-how-mammal-spines-evolve/)

 AND - WE MADE THE COVER!!!! See: [Vertebral variety](https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/volumes/4/issues/3)

 Jones KE, **\***Gonzalez S, Angielczyk KD, Pierce SE. 2020.[ Regionalization of the axial skeleton predates functional adaptation in the forerunners of mammals](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-020-1094-9). *Nature Ecology & Evolution.* doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1094-9.



 

 

 



 

 

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