Experimental and theoretical investigations of filter feeding mechanisms of recent and fossil crinoids

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This project is an interdisciplinary study to analyze filter feeding mechanisms in detail. Due to the great diversity, the wide morphological range and the passive suspension feeding strategy of crinoids, representatives of this group are ideal objects for studying the performance of biological filter mechanisms. Extant and extinct forms will be compared using modern computational approaches as well as flume (flow channel) experiments to test theoretical hypothesis and to obtain experimental data. The aim of the study is to: 1) contribute substantially to our knowledge of passive suspension feeding mechanisms, 2) analyze the effect of different filter architectures on flow patterns and filter efficiency, 3) draw conclusions on feeding strategies of crinoids and identify the possible role of filter feeding strategies in the evolution of crinoids, and 4) to obtain biomimetic concepts with respect to efficient particle capturing for different purposes. Applied methods include 1) flume experiments (Particle Image Velocimetry, PIV) on detailed artificial models of fossil Encrinus liliiformis (Middle Triassic) and extant Hyocrinus sp., 2) numerical simulations (FEM) on 3d models of E. liliiformis, Hyocrinus sp. and Neocrinus decorus (also extant), using a commercial program package. The application of computer simulations represents a method that has been recently introduced for analyzing biological filter mechanisms and has hitherto not been applied to crinoid filter feeding. PIV will be applied for analyzing filter feeding for the first time.