Testing Structure/Function Relationships in an Ecological Context: Integration of Biomechanics, Behavior and Performance during Aerial Predation in Dragonflies

项目名称：测试生态环境下的结构/功能关系：蜻蜓空中捕食过程中生物力学、行为和性能的整合。首席研究员：Stacey Anne combes为了理解在自然界中发现的动物身体形态的多样性，以及特定特征在人造设备上的潜在应用，有必要首先澄清给定结构与其进化的功能之间的关系。在动物运动的研究中，这种关系通常是在一个单一的、孤立的、容易引出和测量的功能的背景下进行检验的，比如以稳定的速度向前运动，没有任何明确的迹象表明这个功能对野生动物有多重要。通过研究特定身体结构对复杂、高要求的运动行为的影响，可以更全面地了解特定身体结构的作用，这些运动行为已知会影响动物的生存或繁殖成功。目前的研究将通过对蜻蜓捕食空中猎物的生物力学、行为和表现的综合分析来证明这种方法。研究将在一个新颖的室外人工蜻蜓栖息地进行，在这个栖息地中，自然的捕食行为可以从已知的个体中可靠地推断出来，并使用高速多摄像机系统拍摄，以重建三维身体运动。这将是第一个探索空中捕食的机械决定因素的项目，空中捕食是飞行动物最具挑战性和最复杂的行为之一。通过一系列的操作，这项工作将更好地理解身体质量分布、机翼灵活性和机翼损伤对飞行性能的影响。此外，该项目将对几名本科生和高中生进行基本的实验和现场技术培训，同时提供有关猎物捕获率和野生蜻蜓控制蚊子种群的有效性的数据。

PROJECT TITLE: Testing structure/function relationships in an ecological context: Integration of biomechanics, behavior and performance during aerial predation in dragonfliesPRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Stacey Anne CombesPROJECT NUMBER: IOS 0952471In order to understand the diversity of animal body forms found in nature, as well as the potential application of particular features to man-made devices, it is essential to first clarify the relationship between a given structure and the function(s) for which it has evolved. In studies of animal locomotion, this relationship has typically been examined in the context of a single, isolated function that is easy to elicit and measure, such as forward locomotion at a steady speed, without any clear indication of how important this function is for animals in the wild. A more complete understanding of the role of particular body structures can be gained by examining their effect on performance during complex, demanding locomotory behaviors that are known to affect an animal's survival or reproductive success. The current study will demonstrate this approach through integrated analyses of the biomechanics, behavior and performance of dragonflies hunting aerial prey. Studies will be conducted in a novel, outdoor artificial dragonfly habitat, in which natural predatory behaviors can be elicited reliably from known individuals, and filmed with a high-speed multi-camera system to reconstruct three-dimensional body motions. This will be the first project to explore the mechanical determinants of aerial predation, one of the most challenging and complex behaviors performed by flying animals. Through a series of manipulations, the work will provide a better understanding of the effects of body mass distribution, wing flexibility, and wing damage on flight performance. In addition, the project will train several undergraduate and high school students in basic experimental and field techniques, while providing data on prey capture rates and the effectiveness of wild dragonflies in controlling mosquito populations.