Kissane, Roger WP 
ORCID: 0000-0001-9385-2584, Griffiths, Amy and Sharp, Alana C ORCID: 0000-0001-5117-5335
(2025)
Functional anatomy of the wing muscles of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) using dissection and diceCT
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY, 246 (5).
pp. 685-695.
ISSN 0021-8782, 1469-7580
Abstract
Bats are unique among mammals for evolving powered flight. However, very little data are available on the muscle properties and architecture of bat flight muscles. Diffusible iodine contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT) is an established tool for 3D visualisation of anatomy and is becoming a more readily accessible and widely used technique. Here, we combine this technique with gross dissection of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) to compare muscle masses, fibre lengths and physiological cross-sectional areas (PCSA) of muscles with published forelimb data from an array of non-flying mammals and flying birds. The Egyptian fruit bat has a highly specialised pectoralis (pars posterior) architecturally optimised to generate power. The elbow flexion/extension muscles (biceps brachii and triceps brachii) have comparable PCSAs to the pectoralis, but shorter fibre lengths, which are optimised to generate large forces. Our data also show that the Egyptian fruit bat is more similar to flying birds than non-flying mammals with its highly disparate muscle architecture. Specifically, the Egyptian fruit bat have uniquely enlarged pectoralis muscles and elbow flexion and extension muscles (bicep brachii and triceps brachii) to aid powered flight. Finally, while the Egyptian fruit bat has a comparable heterogeneity in pectoralis (pars posterior) fibre length across the cranial-caudal axis to that seen in birds, the average normalised fibre length is larger than that seen in any of the surveyed birds. Our data here provide a greater understanding of the anatomy and functional specialisation of the forelimb musculature that powers flight.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | fibre lengths, flight, muscle architecture, PSCA |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Life Courses & Medical Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Sep 2024 15:46 |
| Last Modified: | 16 Jun 2026 17:08 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/joa.14145 |
| Open Access URL: | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.14... |
| Related Websites: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3184803 |
| Disclaimer: | The University of Liverpool is not responsible for content contained on other websites from links within repository metadata. Please contact us if you notice anything that appears incorrect or inappropriate. |
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