Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA.
J Anat. 2009 Oct;215(4):444-51. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2009.01124.x. Epub 2009 Jul 9.
The semicircular canal system tracks head rotation and provides sensory input for the reflexive stabilization of gaze and posture. The purpose of this study was to investigate the intraspecific and intraindividual variation in the size of the three semicircular canals. The right and left temporal bones were extracted from 31 individuals of the short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) and scanned on a high-resolution x-ray computed tomography system. The radius of curvature was calculated for each of the three semicircular canals for each side. Paired t-tests and independent sample t-tests indicated no significant differences in canal size between the right and left canals of the same individuals or between those of males and females of the same species. Pearson product moment correlation analyses demonstrated that there was no significant correlation between canal size and body mass in this sample.
半规管系统跟踪头部的旋转，并为反射性地稳定注视和姿势提供感觉输入。本研究的目的是调查三种半规管大小的种内和个体内变异。从 31 只短尾鼩（Blarina brevicauda）个体中提取出右和左颞骨，并在高分辨率 X 射线计算机断层扫描系统上进行扫描。计算了每个半规管的三个半径。配对 t 检验和独立样本 t 检验表明，同一个体左右半规管之间或同一物种的雄性和雌性之间的管腔大小没有显著差异。皮尔逊积矩相关分析表明，在该样本中，管腔大小与体重之间没有显著相关性。
