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CAREER: Ontogeny and evolution of avian locomotion: the functional significance of rudimentary structures

职业：鸟类运动的个体发生和进化：基本结构的功能意义

基本信息

批准号：
1945878
负责人：
Ashley Heers
金额：
$ 57.73万
依托单位：
California State L A University Auxiliary Services Inc.
依托单位国家：
美国
项目类别：
Continuing Grant
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
美国
起止时间：
2020-08-01 至 2025-07-31
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1945878&HistoricalAwards=false
关键词：
CAREER Ontogeny evolution avian locomotion

项目摘要

This project will address an important and long-standing knowledge gap by exploring the functional relevance of rudimentary locomotor structures in birds. Over a 500-million-year history, animals have invaded dramatically different environments, acquiring new body plans and modes of locomotion. Theory can explain how these body plans work in their fully developed states, but if structures evolve slowly, through incremental, adaptive (beneficial) stages, how do organisms acquire new and complex structures that seem to be useful only in their fully assembled forms? In other words, what is the advantage of half a wing or only part of an eye? This “dilemma” of incipient or rudimentary stages has long troubled evolutionary biologists but is key to understanding the history of life. Rudimentary stages are less studied, but equally relevant, among developing organisms and animals with vestigial features, which navigate environments using underdeveloped structures that not only lack specializations, but often resemble features of extinct relatives. This project will address the dilemma of incipient stages by comprehensively exploring the functional relevance of rudimentary locomotor structures in three groups of birds: immature birds with developing wings, adult birds with reduced wings, and extinct birds with incipient “protowings.” The research will empower young scientists by (i) equipping participating students for careers in STEM at an institution where approximately one-third of the students are first-generation college students and more than half are women, (ii) incorporating research into classes and expanding a campus museum, and (iii) sharing the importance of rudimentary structures in a children’s book that imparts an encouraging and relatable lesson.How do rudimentary versions of highly specialized structures function? This research couples field observations with biomechanical analyses and musculoskeletal modeling to explore the gain and loss of wings on three time scales: (1) Incipient wings in extant developing birds. Most immature birds have small, “dinosaur-like” wings, which are vital to survival in waterfowl and gamebirds and likely play a key but diverse role in development. This project will examine how locomotor development (morphology, performance, behavior) in a wing-dependent long-distance flyer differs from that of a previously-studied, more leg-dependent, burst flyer. (2) Reduced wings in extant birds. Rudimentary flight apparatuses also occur in birds that are secondarily (semi)flightless or temporarily so due to molt or injury, and seem to provide important but under-appreciated contributions to locomotion. This project will quantify morphology and performance during a secondary loss of flight in waterfowl, and document behavior in zoo birds with small wings. (3) Rudimentary “wings” in extinct dinosaurs. The evolution of bird flight is preserved by dinosaur fossils with “protowings,” which are challenging to decipher but integral to understanding the avian body plan. This project will use biomechanical relationships established in living birds to investigate locomotor potential in an extinct dinosaur (Archaeopteryx). Collectively, this research will address an important knowledge gap, foster cross-disciplinary interactions, and train students at the undergraduate, Master’s and postdoctoral levels. In conjunction with the educational activities above, this work can help inspire a wide array of future scientists to creatively explore the development and evolution of body plans along the tree of life.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该项目将通过探索鸟类基本运动结构的功能相关性来解决重要且长期存在的知识差距。在五亿年的历史中，动物侵入了截然不同的环境，获得了新的身体结构和运动方式。理论可以解释这些身体计划如何在完全发育的状态下发挥作用，但如果结构通过增量、适应性（有益）阶段缓慢进化，那么生物体如何获得新的复杂结构，而这些结构似乎只有在完全组装的形式下才有用？换句话说，半个翅膀或只有一部分眼睛有什么好处？这种早期或初级阶段的“困境”长期以来一直困扰着进化生物学家，但却是理解生命历史的关键。对于发育中的有机体和具有退化特征的动物来说，初级阶段的研究较少，但同样重要，它们使用不发达的结构在环境中航行，这些结构不仅缺乏专门化，而且常常类似于已灭绝亲戚的特征。该项目将通过全面探索三类鸟类的基本运动结构的功能相关性来解决早期阶段的困境：翅膀正在发育的未成熟鸟类、翅膀缩小的成年鸟类和具有早期“原型”的灭绝鸟类。该研究将通过以下方式增强年轻科学家的能力：(i) 为参与的学生提供 STEM 职业培训，该机构大约三分之一的学生是第一代大学生，一半以上是女性；(ii) 将研究纳入课堂并扩大校园博物馆；(iii) 在一本儿童读物中分享基本结构的重要性，传授令人鼓舞和相关的课程。高度专业化结构的基本版本如何发挥作用？功能？这项研究将现场观察与生物力学分析和肌肉骨骼建模相结合，以探索三个时间尺度上翅膀的获得和丧失：（1）现存发育中的鸟类的初期翅膀。大多数未成熟的鸟类都有小的“恐龙般”的翅膀，这对于水禽和猎鸟的生存至关重要，并且可能在发育过程中发挥着关键但多样化的作用。该项目将研究依赖机翼的长距离飞行器的运动发育（形态、性能、行为）与之前研究的更依赖腿的爆发飞行器的运动发育（形态、性能、行为）有何不同。 (2) 现存鸟类的翅膀减少。基本的飞行装置也存在于由于蜕皮或受伤而二次（半）不能飞行或暂时不能飞行的鸟类中，并且似乎对运动提供了重要但未被充分认识的贡献。该项目将量化水禽二次飞行损失期间的形态和表现，并记录动物园小翅膀鸟类的行为。 (3) 已灭绝恐龙的初级“翅膀”。带有“原翼”的恐龙化石保存了鸟类飞行的进化过程，这些化石很难破译，但对于理解鸟类的身体结构来说却是不可或缺的。该项目将利用在现存鸟类中建立的生物力学关系来研究已灭绝恐龙（始祖鸟）的运动潜力。总的来说，这项研究将解决重要的知识差距，促进跨学科互动，并培训本科生、硕士和博士后水平的学生。结合上述教育活动，这项工作可以帮助激励众多未来的科学家沿着生命之树创造性地探索身体计划的发展和演变。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。