Dissertation Research: The Ontogeny and Evolution of Myomere Morphology and Fast Start Ability in the Basal Actinopterygians

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

labarabs.doc 9423525 LaBarbera This research is directed toward understanding the evolution of swimming locomotion in bony fish, the most diverse group of vertebrates. It will demonstrate how muscle structure and function change during development in each of four families of fish, and how those changes affect the "fast- start" ability of the fish. The research will show what changes in muscle anatomy or physiology underlie superior locomotor performance in fish, and show how such changes are correlated with evolutionary success. The results will lead to increased understalding of the constraints that muscle development place on the ecology of larval fish, with possible application in managing populations of particular species.