DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Biomechanics and Evolution of Flight Reduction in Stick Insects

论文研究：竹节虫飞行减少的生物力学和进化

• 批准号: 1110855
• 负责人: Robert Dudley
• 金额: $ 0.92万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1110855&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Biomechanics; Evolution; Flight

How wings first appeared and then were lost in insects is not well understood. The proposed research will study transitions in insect wing structure within a functional context. The focus of the research is stick insects, which exhibit tremendous diversity of wing morphology and flight capacity. Initial studies have found flight performance to be correlated with relative wing size. This study samples wing morphology and flight biomechanics of stick insects from the field, and uses an integrative approach to compare wing morphology and flight biomechanics among different species and to analyze the history of these traits in an integrative, multi-dimensional manner. Anticipated results include demonstrations of how stepwise transitions of wing morphology correlate with changes in the flight performance, and the role of intermediates between flying and non-flying forms. Understanding of the transition between flying and flightless forms will be relevant to other fields, for example, to the design of micro air vehicles. In schools and museums, scientific results from this study can be used to help people understand the process of how insects gained or lost wings. Furthermore, this study enhances scientific communication between the U.S. and Malaysia, and continues to provide research opportunities to undergraduate students in both countries.

昆虫的翅膀是如何首先出现然后又消失的，目前尚不清楚。 拟议的研究将研究昆虫翅膀结构在功能背景下的转变。研究的重点是竹节虫，它们表现出翅膀形态和飞行能力的巨大多样性。初步研究发现飞行性能与相对机翼尺寸相关。本研究从野外采集了竹节虫的翅膀形态和飞行生物力学样本，并采用综合方法比较不同物种之间的翅膀形态和飞行生物力学，并以综合、多维的方式分析这些性状的历史。预期结果包括演示机翼形态的逐步转变如何与飞行性能的变化相关，以及飞行和非飞行形式之间的中间体的作用。 了解飞行和非飞行形式之间的过渡将与其他领域相关，例如微型飞行器的设计。 在学校和博物馆，这项研究的科学结果可以用来帮助人们了解昆虫如何获得或失去翅膀的过程。此外，这项研究加强了美国和马来西亚之间的科学交流，并继续为两国的本科生提供研究机会。