Promoter: Tim De Ridder
​Subject: Modern mustelids (weasels, otters etc. ) offer a unique opportunity to study the mammalian transition from land to water within a phylogenetically constrained group. Mustelid species cover almost the full spectrum of aquatic adaptation: from terrestrial species such as ferrets, to the almost fully aquatic sea otter, and a range of species in between. Swimming poses very different functional requirements due to the higher density of water (than air) and the resultant effect on other biomechanical parameters, such as drag. 91³Ô¹ÏÍøing the morphology and locomotion of the species along this spectrum offers insight into the requirements for swimming.
In this project you will work with CT scans of iodine stained limbs of a ferret, a European mink, an Asian small-clawed otter and a European otter. A set of muscles relevant for swimming will be segmented and fibre tracking done to describe the muscle architecture. The species can then be quantitatively compared to see if and how muscles change across the aquatic spectrum. There is scope for two students, one can do the forelimbs and one the hindlimbs.
Techniques: Segmentation (creating 3D models) from CT scans, automated fibre tracking, measuring of moment arms