Mechanical sensitivity reveals evolutionary dynamics of mechanical systems

Anderson, Philip S. L.; Patek, S. N.

doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.3088

Cited by 51 publications

(97 citation statements)

References 45 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We gathered data on link length and KT from a previous study [22]. Briefly, morphological measurements were collected from 195 individual mantis shrimp from 36 species (electronic supplementary material, table S1).…”

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Morphology Biomechanics And Phylomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, some morphological traits in mechanically redundant systems contribute disproportionately to mechanical output. That is, the mechanical sensitivity of output varies among the system's underlying features [22]. For example, in the case of sprinting speed in anoles described above [18], even though similar velocities could be achieved through the different overall combination of limb bone lengths, equivalent changes in the size of individual traits did not produce equivalent changes to sprint speed; rather, the functional impact of morphological variation varied across the femur, tibia, and metatarsus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite this functional redundancy, the relationships between KT and the components of the four-bar linkage system are unequal: KT is considerably more mechanically sensitive to variation in the output link than the input or coupler links [22,30]. Small changes in the output link yield disproportionately large mechanical effects on the output (KT) compared with an equivalent change in the other links.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The four-bar linkage system exhibits functional redundancy across stomatopods, such that various morphological configurations of link sizes yield equivalent KT outputs [22]. Despite this functional redundancy, the relationships between KT and the components of the four-bar linkage system are unequal: KT is considerably more mechanically sensitive to variation in the output link than the input or coupler links [22,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[17,21,22]). However, the association between morphological and mechanical diversity may be unequal across the system's underlying morphological parts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Mechanical sensitivity and the dynamics of evolutionary rate shifts in biomechanical systems

2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The influence of biophysical relationships on rates of morphological evolution is a cornerstone of evolutionary theory. Mechanical sensitivity-the correlation strength between mechanical output and the system's underlying morphological components-is thought to impact the evolutionary dynamics of form-function relationships, yet has rarely been examined. Here, we compare the evolutionary rates of the mechanical components of the four-bar linkage system in the raptorial appendage of mantis shrimp (Order Stomatopoda). This system's mechanical output (kinematic transmission (KT)) is highly sensitive to variation in its output link, and less sensitive to its input and coupler links. We found that differential mechanical sensitivity is associated with variation in evolutionary rate: KT and the output link exhibit faster rates of evolution than the input and coupler links to which KT is less sensitive. Furthermore, for KT and, to a lesser extent, the output link, rates of evolution were faster in 'spearing' stomatopods than 'smashers', indicating that mechanical sensitivity may influence trait-dependent diversification. Our results suggest that mechanical sensitivity can impact morphological evolution and guide the process of phenotypic diversification. The connection between mechanical sensitivity and evolutionary rates provides a window into the interaction between physical rules and the evolutionary dynamics of morphological diversification.

show abstract

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Morphology Biomechanics And Phylomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[17,21,22]). However, the association between morphological and mechanical diversity may be unequal across the system's underlying morphological parts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mechanical sensitivity and the dynamics of evolutionary rate shifts in biomechanical systems

2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ecomorphological diversity of Australian tadpoles

Sherratt

Anstis

Keogh

2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Ecomorphology is the association between an organism's morphology and its ecology. Larval anuran amphibians (tadpoles) are classified into distinct ecomorphological guilds based upon morphological features and observations of their ecology. The extent to which guilds comprise distinct morphologies resulting from convergent evolution, the degree of morphological variability within each guild, and the degree of continuity in shape between guilds has not previously been examined in a phylogenetically informed statistical framework. Here, we examine tadpole ecomorphological guilds at a macroevolutionary scale by examining morphological diversity across the Australian continent. We use ecological data to classify species to guilds, and geometric morphometrics to quantify body shape in the tadpoles of 188 species, 77% of Australian frog diversity. We find that the ecomorphological guilds represented by Australian species are morphologically distinct, but there is substantial morphological variation associated with each guild, and all guilds together form a morphological continuum. However, in a phylogenetic comparative context, there is no significant difference in body shape among guilds. We also relate the morphological diversity of the Australian assemblage of tadpoles to a global sample and demonstrate that ecomorphological diversity of Australian tadpoles is limited with respect to worldwide species. Our results demonstrate that general patterns of ecomorphological variation are upheld in Australian tadpoles, but tadpole body shape is more variable and possibly generalist than generally appreciated.

show abstract

Linkage mechanisms in the vertebrate skull: Structure and function of three‐dimensional, parallel transmission systems

Olsen

Westneat

2016

Journal of Morphology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Many musculoskeletal systems, including the skulls of birds, fishes, and some lizards consist of interconnected chains of mobile skeletal elements, analogous to linkage mechanisms used in engineering. Biomechanical studies have applied linkage models to a diversity of musculoskeletal systems, with previous applications primarily focusing on two-dimensional linkage geometries, bilaterally symmetrical pairs of planar linkages, or single four-bar linkages. Here, we present new, three-dimensional (3D), parallel linkage models of the skulls of birds and fishes and use these models (available as free kinematic simulation software), to investigate structure-function relationships in these systems. This new computational framework provides an accessible and integrated workflow for exploring the evolution of structure and function in complex musculoskeletal systems. Linkage simulations show that kinematic transmission, although a suitable functional metric for linkages with single rotating input and output links, can give misleading results when applied to linkages with substantial translational components or multiple output links. To take into account both linear and rotational displacement we define force mechanical advantage for a linkage (analogous to lever mechanical advantage) and apply this metric to measure transmission efficiency in the bird cranial mechanism. For linkages with multiple, expanding output points we propose a new functional metric, expansion advantage, to measure expansion amplification and apply this metric to the buccal expansion mechanism in fishes. Using the bird cranial linkage model, we quantify the inaccuracies that result from simplifying a 3D geometry into two dimensions. We also show that by combining single-chain linkages into parallel linkages, more links can be simulated while decreasing or maintaining the same number of input parameters. This generalized framework for linkage simulation and analysis can accommodate linkages of differing geometries and configurations, enabling novel interpretations of the mechanics of force transmission across a diversity of vertebrate feeding mechanisms and enhancing our understanding of musculoskeletal function and evolution. J. Morphol. 277:1570-1583, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

show abstract

Mechanical sensitivity reveals evolutionary dynamics of mechanical systems

Cited by 51 publications

References 45 publications

Mechanical sensitivity and the dynamics of evolutionary rate shifts in biomechanical systems

Mechanical sensitivity and the dynamics of evolutionary rate shifts in biomechanical systems

Ecomorphological diversity of Australian tadpoles

Linkage mechanisms in the vertebrate skull: Structure and function of three‐dimensional, parallel transmission systems

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About