近年来,由于树鼩与灵长类动物的亲缘关系,它们引起了人类发展和疾病研究的兴趣。在这项对树鼩,鼠,狗,狒狒和人类的骨骼超微形态的比较研究中,我们定性分析了骨骼的微观结构和形态,以评估树鼩对人类的亲近程度。在3只成年雄性树鼩 (滇西亚种) (Tupaia belangeri chinensis）的股骨中,使用荧光素异硫氰酸盐样品制备和染色共聚焦成像研究了皮质骨的骨元结构,并使用酸蚀刻SEM观察了骨细胞穴的形态。总体而言,树鼩中骨样形成物的密度和结构以及骨细胞穴的形态更像鼠, 与人类,狗和狒狒都明显不同。这些发现表明,尽管树鼩在系统发育上比鼠更接近人类,但它们的骨骼超微形态仍与鼠接近。这是除狗和狒狒之外,第一次对树鼩的骨元和骨细胞穴进行超微影像的研究。这个比较研究的结果丰富了我们对早期灵长类动物骨骼发育,适应性和进化的理解。未来有必要进行进一步的定量比较研究来表征树鼩骨骼的微观形态。

In recent years, treeshrews have gained interest among researchers in the study of human development and disease owed to their phylogenetic closeness to primates. In this comparative study among a mouse, dog, human, baboon, and treeshrews, bone microstructure and morphology were quantitatively analyzed to assess the closeness of treeshrews to humans. In the femurs of three adult male Belanger's treeshrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis), the osteon structure of the cortical bone was studied using confocal imaging via Fluorescein Iso-Thio-Cyanate sample preparation and staining. Osteocyte lacunae morphology was visualized using acid-etched SEM. Overall, the density and structure of osteon-like formation as well as the morphology of osteocyte lacunae in Belanger's treeshrews bore greater resemblance to mice than humans. These findings indicate that although treeshrews are phylogenetically closer to humans than mice, their bone morphology and functionality are still close to those of mice. This scenario was the first time that osteons and osteocyte lacunae were visualized and characterized in addition to those in a dog and baboon, which enriches our understanding of bone development, adaptation, and evolution in early primates. Future quantitative comparative study is warranted to characterize the micromorphology of bone in treeshrews.