SGER: Systematics and Function: Exploratory Research on Locomotion in Ray-finned Fishes

进化研究经常得出结论，生物体的谱系已经获得了“适应”--赋予个体有机体一些优势的新的形态、行为、生态或生殖特征。这些研究很少通过直接测量来确认实际优势。一个例子是对称(“同环”)鱼尾从不对称(“异环”)前体进化而来。结论是，同环尾巴具有更高的速度、更大的机动性和更快的加速度。George Lauder博士建议使用新开发的微型加速计，安装在流动水箱中游动的鱼的尾巴上，收集性能数据来检验这一结论。加速度计数据收集将与Lauder博士的高速视频成像和肌电(肌肉活动)监测系统进行协调。同环和异环鱼类的第一批性能数据将会出现。这项拟议中的研究本身就存在风险，因为这是首次将新传感器应用于生物问题。要将这三个数据流结合起来，需要进行广泛的软件开发。如果这个探索性研究的小额拨款项目成功，生物学家将获得一种强大的新技术来评估功能能力，鱼类进化中的一个重要问题将被解决。

Evolutionary studies often conclude that lineages of organisms have acquired "adaptations" -- novel morphological, behavioral, ecological, or reproductive features that confer some advantage to individual organisms. Very rarely do these studies confirm the actual advantage by direct measurement. One example is the evolution of the symmetrical ("homocercal") fish tail from asymmetric ("heterocercal") precursors. The conclusion has been that the homocercal tail conferred higher speed, greater maneuverability, and faster acceleration. Dr. George Lauder proposes to use newly developed micro-accelerometers, mounted on the tails of fish swimming in flow tanks, to gather performance data to test this conclusion. The accelerometer data gathering will be coordinated with Dr. Lauder's high-speed video imaging and electromyography (muscle activity) monitoring systems. The first performance data will emerge for homocercal and heterocercal fishes. The proposed research is inherently risky, being the first application of new sensors to a biological problem. Extensive software development will be necessary to couple the three data streams. If this Small Grant for Exploratory Research Project is successful, biologists will have acquired a powerful new technique for assessing functional capabilities, and a significant question in fish evolution will have been addressed.