Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

General Structure of a Vertebra01:30

General Structure of a Vertebra

8.3K
A typical vertebra, with the exception of the sacrum and coccyx, consists of a body, a vertebral arch, and seven different projections termed processes. The anterior portion of the vertebrae, the body, supports about half the body’s weight. The vertebral bodies progressively increase in size and thickness from the cervical region to the lumbar region of the vertebral column. The intervertebral discs present between the bodies of adjacent vertebrae firmly unites them, forming a continuous...
8.3K
Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature01:16

Vertebral Column: Regions and Curvature

11.7K
The vertebral column or spine is a flexible column that supports the head, neck, and body and  allows for their movements. It also protects the spinal cord.
Regions of the Vertebral Column
In an adult, the spine is subdivided into five regions: the cervical, the thoracic, the lumbar, the sacral, and the coccygeal region. The spine initially develops as a series of 33 vertebrae; after 20 years of age, the nine bones in the sacral region, five sacral, and four coccygeal bones fuse to form...
11.7K
Overview of the Axial Skeleton01:09

Overview of the Axial Skeleton

13.7K
The skeleton is subdivided into two major divisions—the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the vertical, central axis of the body. It includes all of the bones of the head, neck, chest, and back. It protects the brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs. It also serves as the attachment site for muscles that move the head, neck, and back and for muscles that act across the shoulder and hip joints to move their corresponding limbs.
The axial skeleton of the...
13.7K
Classification of Bones01:18

Classification of Bones

14.7K
The bones of the human skeletal system are of varied shapes, sizes, and functions. They can be classified based on their shape and function into four major classes: long bones, short bones, flat bones, and irregular bones. Some classifications include a fifth type, the sesamoid bones, as a separate class, whereas others categorize them under short bones.
Long and Short Bones
The appendicular skeleton, particularly the upper and lower limbs, is primarily made of long and short bones. The...
14.7K
Articulations of the Vertebral Column01:28

Articulations of the Vertebral Column

3.7K
In addition to being held together by the intervertebral discs, adjacent vertebrae also articulate with each other at synovial joints formed between the superior and inferior articular processes called zygapophysial joints (facet joints). These are plane joints that provide for only limited motions between the vertebrae. The orientation of the articular processes at these joints varies in different regions of the vertebral column and serves to determine the types of motions available in each...
3.7K
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

4.0K
The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
4.0K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

<i>Bicharracosaurus dionidei,</i> gen. et sp. nov., a new macronarian (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Late Jurassic Cañadón Calcáreo Formation of Argentina and the problematic early evolution of macronarians.

PeerJ·2026
Same author

First Report on Presence of Mitochondrial Introns in Freshwater Sponges, and Pseudogenic Evidence of Their Loss.

Journal of molecular evolution·2025
Same author

Genetic parallels in biomineralization of the calcareous sponge <i>Sycon ciliatum</i> and stony corals.

eLife·2025
Same author

Tooth row allometry in domestic rabbits and nondomestic lagomorphs: Evidence for a decoupling of body and tooth row size changes in evolutionary time.

Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)·2025
Same author

From wild to domestic and in between: how domestication and feralization changed the morphology of rabbits.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025
Same author

Effects of diet quality on the musculoskeletal system of the masticatory apparatus in Mus musculus domesticus.

The Journal of experimental biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
12:59

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

Published on: February 28, 2021

4.3K

Correlation between Hox code and vertebral morphology in archosaurs.

Christine Böhmer1, Oliver W M Rauhut2, Gert Wörheide2

  • 1Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften und GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, München 80333, Deutschland SNSB - Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Strasse 10, München 80333, Deutschland boehmer@vertevo.de.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|June 19, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Hox gene expression patterns correlate with vertebral morphology in archosaurs. This study links gene expression to skeletal evolution, revealing homologous vertebral units and inferring genetic mechanisms in extinct dinosaurs.

Keywords:
axial skeletonevolutionphenotypic variationregulatory genessauropodomorph dinosaurs

More Related Videos

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
09:16

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

11.8K
Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development
04:10

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Published on: February 18, 2021

1.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 9, 2026

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation
12:59

Three and Four-Dimensional Visualization and Analysis Approaches to Study Vertebrate Axial Elongation and Segmentation

Published on: February 28, 2021

4.3K
Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
09:16

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

11.8K
Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development
04:10

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Published on: February 18, 2021

1.5K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Developmental genetics
  • Vertebrate paleontology

Background:

  • Hox genes are crucial for anteroposterior patterning in vertebrate development.
  • Archosaurs exhibit significant variation in vertebral number and morphology.
  • Hox gene expression patterns are conserved despite morphological diversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between Hox gene expression and vertebral morphology in archosaurs.
  • To identify homologous vertebral units based on Hox gene codes.
  • To infer genetic mechanisms driving vertebral evolution in extinct dinosaurs.

Main Methods:

  • Geometric morphometrics to quantify vertebral morphology.
  • Analysis of Hox gene expression patterns in modern archosaurs.
  • Comparative analysis with extinct sauropodomorph dinosaurs.

Main Results:

  • A significant correlation was found between the vertebral Hox code and quantifiable vertebral morphology.
  • Boundaries between vertebral morphological groups align with anterior Hox gene expression boundaries.
  • Homologous cervical vertebral units with specific Hox gene patterns were identified in modern archosaurs.

Conclusions:

  • Hox gene expression patterns provide a framework for understanding vertebral evolution in archosaurs.
  • This approach allows inference of genetic mechanisms underlying morphological variation in extinct species.
  • The study enhances understanding of morphological disparity in archosaur vertebral columns.