Left ventricular trabeculation in Hominidae: divergence from the human cardiac phenotype
Author: Swansea University
Published: 2024/06/14
Post type: Anthropology News – Peer Reviewed: Yeah
Content: Summary – Introduction – Major – Related
Synopsis: Research has uncovered new insight into human evolution by comparing human hearts with those of other great apes. Although humans and non-human great apes have a common ancestor, the former have developed larger brains and the ability to walk or run upright on two feet to travel long distances, probably to hunt. Through a new comparative study of heart shape and function, researchers believe they have discovered another piece of the evolutionary puzzle.
Introduction
An international research team from Swansea University and UBC Okanagan (UBCO) has uncovered new insight into human evolution by comparing human hearts with those of other great apes.
Main summary
Although humans and non-human great apes have a common ancestor, the former have developed larger brains and the ability to walk or run upright on two feet to travel long distances, probably to hunt.
Now, through a new comparative study of heart shape and function, published in Communications Biology, researchers believe they have discovered another piece of the evolutionary puzzle.
The team compared the human heart to those of our closest evolutionary relatives, including chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas and bonobos cared for in wildlife sanctuaries in Africa and zoos across Europe.
During routine veterinary procedures on these great apes, the team used echocardiography (a cardiac ultrasound) to produce images of the left ventricle, the chamber of the heart that pumps blood throughout the body. Within the left ventricle of the nonhuman great ape, bundles of muscles extend into the chamber, called trabeculations.
Continued…
Bryony Curry, a PhD student in the Faculty of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBCO, said:
“The left ventricle of a healthy human is relatively smooth, with predominantly compact muscle compared to the more trabeculated and mesh-like network of non-human great apes. The difference is most pronounced at the apex, the bottom of the heart , where we found approximately four times more trabeculation in non-human great apes compared to humans.”
The team also measured heart movement and speeds using speckle-tracking echocardiography, an imaging technique that tracks the pattern of heart muscle as it contracts and relaxes.
Bryony said:
“We found that the degree of trabeculation in the heart was related to the amount of deformation, rotation and twisting. In other words, in humans, who have the least trabeculation, we observed comparatively greater cardiac function. This finding supports our hypothesis that “The human heart may have evolved away from the structure of other non-human great apes to meet the higher demands of humans’ unique ecological niche.”
A human’s larger brain and greater physical activity compared to other great apes may also be related to greater metabolic demand, requiring a heart that can pump a greater volume of blood to the body.
Similarly, increased blood flow contributes to humans’ ability to cool down, as blood vessels near the skin dilate (seen as reddening of the skin) and lose heat to the air.
Dr Aimee Drane, Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences at Swansea University, said:
“In evolutionary terms, our findings may suggest that selective pressure was placed on the human heart to adapt to the demands of upright walking and control heat stress. What remains unclear is how the more trabeculated hearts of great apes do not “Humans can adapt to their own ecological niches. Perhaps it is a structure left over from the ancestral heart, although, in nature, form often serves a function.”
The research team thanks the staff and volunteers who care for the animals in the study, including teams at Tchimpounga Wildlife Sanctuary (Congo), Chimfunshi Wildlife Sanctuary (Zambia), Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Sierra Leone ), Nyaru Menteng Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Center (Borneo), Zoological Society of London (United Kingdom), Paignton Zoo (United Kingdom), Bristol Zoo Gardens (United Kingdom), Burgers Zoo (United Kingdom) Netherlands) and the Wilhelma Zoo (Germany).
Attribution/Source(s):
This peer-reviewed publication titled Study of heart architecture provides insight into human evolution was selected for publication by the editors of Disabled World due to its relevance to the disability community. While content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity, it was originally written by Swansea University and published on 06/14/2024. For more details or clarifications, you can contact Swansea University directly at swansea.ac.uk Disabled World does not provide any warranty or endorsement in relation to this article.
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Cite this page (APA): Swansea University. (2024, June 14). A study of the architecture of the heart provides insights into human evolution. Disabled world. Retrieved June 15, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/education/anthropology/hominidae.php
Permanent link: Study of heart architecture provides insight into human evolution: Research has uncovered a new view of human evolution by comparing human hearts with those of other great apes.
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