Squirrel Resurrection

Three years ago my family discovered a dead squirrel in our basement.  It was unclear how the squirrel got in, or exactly how the squirrel died, but it was in good condition when we found it.  So I convinced my dad to help me bury the squirrel so  that I could get a complete squirrel skeleton.  We wrapped the body of the squirrel in the black mesh that you put down under gardens to prevent weed growth so that the little bones would not get lost.  Next we dug a small hole out behind the shed and put the make shift mesh bag in.  After covering the body with dirt, we covered the burial with a large paving stone.

Today I dug up that squirrel!

Can you feel the anticipation??

Although the squirrel was probably fully skeletonized two years ago, I had completely forgotten about it, and usually when I am home for winter break the ground it frozen so it would be very difficult to recover the squirrel.  This winter has been surprisingly mild, so I was actually able to dig up the squirrel and sit outside for several hours sorting the skeletal remains out of the mass of dirt that has accumulated in the mesh. 

Big reveal!!! ;)

Ooooo, teeny tiny squirrel bones

After sorting out the bones from the dirt clods and roots, I was left with a nearly complete squirrel skeleton.  I was even able to collect most of the phalanges and a good number of carpals and tarsals.  I will need to look for a squirrel reference book, since I am not familiar with how many carpals and tarsals a squirrel should have.  Also, I learned that squirrels only have four toes on their front paws, though they do have five on their hind paws.  I was wondering why I only recovered four sets of metacarpals even after extensive searching so it was exciting to discover that I had actually collected them all.

Fingers and toes!!!

Ribs and verts

Box-o-squirrel

One interesting thing about this particular squirrel is that it was not fully grown.  I can determine this by looking at the epiphyseal fusion.  Epiphyses are the ends of the bones and form separately from the diaphysis or shaft of the element.  The epiphyses form via secondary ossification centers that are disconnected from the shaft.  As an individual grows, the shaft undergoes longitudinal growth (increase in length) reducing the space between the shaft and ends.  Eventually the portions meet along the metaphysis or growth plate and fusion occurs.  When the diaphysis and epiphysis initially come together a line can be seem at the point of union.  Over time this line is obliterated and it is impossible to see where the portions joined.  In this case, the distal femur (top of knee joint), proximal tibia (bottom of knee) and proximal humerus (at shoulder) are all unfused.  Furthermore, the fusion lines are still visible on the distal radius and ulna (wrist). 

After a little more cleaning, and research into squirrel skeletal development I will hopefully have a better idea of what happened to this little guy.  :)

Skel-art-ons

This is one of the coolest feats in textile creation that I have ever seen.  Yes, an anatomically correct knitted human skeleton!  First of all, WOW.  The detail of the skeleton is incredible.  I am impressed with the amount of knitting as well as the accuracy of the skeleton.  I have no idea how to knit, but I can crochet and thinking about the size and number of stitches that went into the skeleton project is overwhelming.  On top of that, the design and construction of each element, from the long bones to the skull to each individual tarsal, carpal and phalanx is very accurate, especially given that the medium use is yarn. 

It really is astounding.  I have a strong desire to create a similar project in crochet.  I realize it would be insane and that I don't really have the necessary free time to devote to such an endeavor, but maybe I can make separate bones over time and eventually form a skeleton.  It could be fun to create patterns for all the skeletal elements of the body. 

Skull embedded in wall (Capela dos Ossos)

After discovering a skeleton formed completely from yarn, I decided to look for other artists who created pieces inspired by the human skeleton.  Here are a couple that I was impressed with.

I like this piece by Monaux because the skull is embedded in the outline for the design.  It reminds me of the optical illusion designs like "All is Vanity" by C. Allan Gilbert (pictured below).

"All is Vanity"

While it is extremely unlikely that I would ever decide to get a tattoo, I have to admit that this invisible UV skeleton arm tattoo would be glorious.

I am also impressed with this sculpy model of a human skeleton.  The skeleton is beautiful and anatomically correct.  The musculature is also very detailed and looks correct, although I don't know as much about soft tissues.  Maybe after gross anatomy next semester I will be able to better appreciate the entire model.  I can't wait.  :)

You've got a Lizard in your Ear

The mammalian skull offers a unique opportunity to discuss evolutionary adaptation and and the difference between homologous and analogous features.  When examining the fossil record, the separation of modern "mammals" is demarcated by a change in joint connecting the mandible to the skull.  Prior to this point the connection was formed by two separate bones, the quadrate and the articular.  In birds and lizards and other non-mammalian genera these bone are separate from the body of the mandible and the cranium.  In mammals, the mandible articulates directly with the temporal bone of the cranium, without any intermediary bones.

Meow?

So, are the quadrate and articticular bones present in mammalian skulls?  In fact these bones are conserved, but they serve a different function in the mammalian skull.  Homologous features are the same physical structure between different taxa.  While the features are morphologically the same, they may preform different functions in different organisms.  On the other hand, analogous features have the same functional uses, but arise from different anatomical structures.  In mammals, the incus and the maleus bones of the ear are homologous to the quadrate and articular, respectively.  Although the bones are the same anatomical structure, in mammals, the bones preform a major role in hearing rather than jaw movement.  Instead, the articulation between the temporal and the mandible is analogous to the quadrate/ articular connection in non-mammals, since it has taken on the functional job of connecting the mandible to the cranium.

Transitional fossils have been found showing organisms with a jaw articulation between the temporal and mandible as well as the quadrate and articular.  The change in the jaw articulation is likely due to several different factors.  First of all, reduction in size of the articular and quadrate made them more sensitive to vibrations and improved the hearing capabilities of these organisms.  Organisms with better hearing were better able to avoid predators and reproduce.  Thus, the continued reduction of the ear bones was adaptively advantageous.  Alternatively, the reduction of the jaw joint limited the size of the jaw and the bite strength of the organism.  In this case, a larger joint was more advantageous because it allowed the organism to consume larger prey and also subdue the prey more efficiently.  Thus, decoupling these two functions, allowed mammals to benefit from both increased hearing and jaw size.

Be Aware, It's a Bear!!!

If life ever gets you down, just remember, you have a tiny little lizard jaw joint working in your ear. :)

Ties That Bind

There would I find a settled rest,
while others go and come;
no more a stranger or a guest,
but like a child at home.

-Psalm 23, para. Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Is it strange  that someone with almost no religious training has several biblical passages memorized?  Maybe not, since many of the old songs and musical arrangements that we learned in chamber choir were based on religious texts or ideas. This particular excerpt is from the end of an arrangement that we sang my senior year of high school.  While I don't recall most of the song, this part of the piece always stuck out as memorable.  Rather than any sort of divine, otherworldly experience, heaven is expressed in warmth and comfort of coming home.  The sense of truly belonging somewhere, seen through the innocent, unjaded eyes of a child.  As depictions of heaven go, this is definitely one of my favorites.

Even though I am a "grown up" now, I still love the thought of going home and being surrounded by my family.  I miss my parents and siblings and I am excited to be flying home for the holidays.  Most places you visit, you usually the need to be on your best behavior, to be entertaining and engaging.  But home is a place where you can just be.  Family sees you at your best and your worst and they still love you.  You don't always agree on things or even like each other, but the bonds of family endure.

DNA.  Deoxyribonucleic acid.  Lots of time little nucleic acids bonded together into a double stranded helical pattern.  Replicating over and over to produce the blueprint for each structure in the body.  It is almost incomprehensible to think that humans share 99.5% of their DNA with chimpanzees, and yet each human has a unique DNA profile that can be distinguished from all other humans.  DNA is both individualizing and encompassing, as is separates (distinguishes) the individual human from their contemporaries while simultaneously connecting humans to all other living organisms on earth.  In this image, a little girl returns home with the skeletal remains of her sister.  Unbreakable invisible bonds of DNA link the girl to what is left of her sister's bones, even though the recognizable features of flesh have been obliterated by decomposition.

DNA offers a powerful tool for identifying individuals and identifying those who we are closest to genetically.  In this case, the little girl is reunited with the remains of her relative combining the shared experiences and memories of family members with the shared genetic inheritance.  In this way, the siblings are able to return home together.

No more a stranger or a guest.

Ipharadisi

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile
Kulapho sophumla khona, Ipharadisi

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile

Ipharadisi, ikhaya labafile

where all the dead are living
May we one day join them all there, Ipharadisi

The song above is one that I learned during my time in high school chamber choir.  I don't remember the origin or if there was a specific author, but I always found the song comforting.  I suppose Ipharadisi represents some sort of heaven or ghost realm, though an actual translation isn't included in the song.

The image is one that I created in response to a class I took about genocide.  In the aftermath of genocide, a child sifts through human remains in hopes of recognizing family.  For me this idea is both deeply disturbing and surprisingly hopeful.  Reuniting the living and the dead offers a chance for closure, but it also forces the living to accept the reality of loss.  Following mass killings, the remaining community is forced to decide how to engage with the dead.  Although the dead are not recognized as having rights postmortem, the attached meaning and dignity of human life prevents them from ever really being just objects.  Can the living truly understand or come to terms with the dead or death while they are alive?