Collaborative Research: Integrative analysis of the scaling of primate feeding systems

进食系统是人类和其他灵长类动物的能量获取系统。牙齿、下颚和肌肉是灵长类动物与其环境之间最接近的界面。因此，了解形成这些组成部分的进化力量对于理解灵长类动物的适应和进化至关重要。这项工作测试了灵长类动物摄食系统多样性与食物摄取率大小相关变化的假设和模型。它记录了动物下颌骨的形状和运动，颌骨肌肉的大小和结构，以及每次咬入的食物量如何随着身体大小的变化而变化，以满足灵长类动物对食物摄取率的大小要求。这些数据将通过灵长类动物下颌骨的计算机断层扫描（CT）、灵长类动物咀嚼肌肉的解剖学研究和灵长类动物圈养喂养的行为研究来收集。研究人员将测试、修改和改进进食系统的数学模型，然后用于研究灵长类动物不同进化群体的进食系统设计如何在咬合力产生、咀嚼速度和间隙优势之间取得平衡。这项研究将创造新的和重要的数据集，这些数据集可以在未来被其他对喂养生物力学、骨生物力学和肌肉骨骼系统感兴趣的研究人员访问。调查人员将继续招募代表性不足的少数民族和女性本科生，在研究方面接受培训和指导，并为她们进入研究生院、医学院和其他专业学校提供建议。这些学生将在工作的各个方面进行合作，包括演示和出版。这些pi将继续在当地学校开展推广计划，并与其他nsf资助的项目协同开展活动。

Feeding systems are the energy-acquiring systems of humans and other primates. The teeth, jaws, and muscles, are the proximal interface between primates and their environments. Therefore, understanding the evolutionary forces that shape those components is essential to understanding the adaptation and evolution of primates. This work tests hypotheses and models relating diversity in the primate feeding system to size-related changes in food intake rate. It documents how shape and movements of the mandible, the size and architecture of the jaw muscles, and the amount of food an animal eats in a single bite change with body size to meet size-required changes in food intake rate of primates. These data will be collected using computed tomography (CT) scanning of primate mandibles, anatomical studies of primate chewing muscles, and behavioral studies of primates feeding in captivity. Mathematical models of the feeding system will be tested, modified and improved, then used to examine how feeding system designs in different evolutionary groups of primates balance trade-offs between advantages of bite force production, chewing speed and gape. This research will create novel and important data sets that can be accessed in the future by other researchers interested in feeding biomechanics, bone biomechanics, and musculoskeletal systems in general. The investigators will continue to recruit under-represented minority and female undergraduates to receive training and mentoring in research and advice on their paths to graduate, medical, and other professional schools. These students will collaborate in all aspects of the work, including presentation and publication. The PIs will continue their outreach programs to local schools and their synergistic activities with other NSF-funded projects.