Meeting Abstract
Mesohippus, Miohippus, and Merychippus are three extinct horse species that date back fifteen to thirty million years ago, which spanned over three time periods in North America. Each of the horses habituated different terrains from swampy wet lands to dry savanna lands. Throughout time, the three species have shown a shift from tridactyl to monodactyl. The one-toe that has become prominent is the third metacarpal, which is the specimen of this study. The aim was to find a correlation with the third metacarpal bone thickness and terrain where species lived, which would support Wolff’s Law. Methods were conducted to discover the likelihood of being able to carry out this procedure with each horse fossil specimen that was obtainable. Imaging of the third metacarpal was accomplished by micro-CT scanning with a focus on the distal end. Each specimen was standardized using methodical steps to show feasibility. Reorientation was used to align anatomical landmarks of each fossil. Segmentation was performed and separated bone from non-bone. Volumes of interest were determined based on specimen size to reflect relative areas for comparison. The bone within these VOIs were able to be isolated into trabecular and subchondral bone for further quantitative analysis. Evolution of the equine foot is also important for equine health, particularly the orthopedic area of equestrian sports. This research also can provide information to equine foot paleontology-helping build fossil history. The data that supports equine orthopedics can analogously be converted to human orthopedics, particularly osteoporosis. As a feasibility study for future bone microarchitecture, this analysis serves to present an enhanced understanding of standardizing the third metacarpal of horse fossil bones.
