Functional Morphology of Feeding and Locomotion in Sharks

这个项目将研究鲨鱼进化过程中摄食和游泳行为之间的相互关系。第一项研究测试生态栖息地是否会影响鲨鱼的游泳行为。高速视频和肌电图仪将被用来分析带刺角鲨和竹鲨在游泳过程中的鳍、身体和尾巴的运动。角鲨是一种远洋游泳者，竹鲨是海底生活的鲨鱼。这项研究解决了公海鲨鱼的游泳方式是否与其他鲨鱼不同的问题。另一个将被解决的问题是，海底和开阔海洋的鲨鱼是否能够控制它们的鳍运动，以改变游泳时产生的力量。第二项研究调查了鲨鱼捕食硬质猎物的摄食机制。以坚硬的猎物为食的鲨鱼很少见。在进食过程中，将使用高速视频和肌电图仪分析头部和下巴的运动和肌肉活动。PI将分析竹鲨吃硬猎物、竹鲨吃软猎物和黑头鲨吃硬猎物。这一结果将被用来检验先前对鲨鱼的颌力和杠杆系统的预测。这项研究将增加我们对鲨鱼摄食和游泳行为的了解。

This project will investigate interrelationships between feeding and swimming behavior in the evolution of sharks. The first study tests whether ecological habitat influences swimming behavior in sharks. High-speed video and electromyography will be used to analyze fin, body, and tail movements during swimming in the spiny dogfish shark, a shark that is an open ocean swimmer, and the bamboo shark, a bottom-dwelling shark. The study addresses the question of whether open ocean sharks swim differently than other sharks. Another question that will be addressed is whether bottom-dwelling and open ocean sharks can control their fin movements to change the forces generated during swimming. The second study investigates the feeding mechanism of sharks eating hard prey. Feeding on hard prey is rare in sharks. High-speed video and electromyography will be used to analyzing head and jaw movements and muscle activity during feeding. The PI will analyze bamboo sharks eating hard prey, bamboo sharks eating soft prey, and bonnethead sharks eating hard prey. The results will be used to test previous predictions for jaw force and lever systems in sharks. This research will increase our understanding of feeding and swimming behavior in sharks.