Collaborative research: RUI: Functional morphology and ecological implications of ant adhesion in the tropical forest canopy

许多生物体使用专门的粘合垫、爪子和类似的功能来实现可靠和可重复的基材附着。蚂蚁是热带森林树冠上的优势动物。工蚁没有翅膀，因此有效的黏附对生存至关重要。该项目将首次对热带蚂蚁的粘连机制和后果进行详细的、比较的评估。将在巴拿马和秘鲁的低地森林进行实地工作，结果将对全球蚂蚁的行为和生态产生广泛的影响。该项目在从生态学到机械工程等不同领域的五名具有互补技能的专业人员之间建立了正式的合作关系。结果的范围将是史无前例的；收集的100多个物种的数据将提供迄今为止任何动物群体中最全面的粘附性和行为评估。该项目还将为开发先进的工业胶粘剂提供一个框架，这种胶粘剂可以模拟ANT粘合垫的化学、材料和物理特性。这些粘合剂可用于需要在动态条件下进行强力但可逆粘合的医疗和工业应用。该项目的成果将以多媒体格式向公众公布。项目参与者将与巴拿马导游协调，向每年参观现场的国际游客展示成果。该项目还将通过针对K-12学生及其教师的正式和非正式外展努力，提高公众对科学的理解。本研究的主要目的是量化热带雨林冠层蚂蚁眼睑黏附的基本物理和化学性质，并将黏附性能与蚂蚁行为和生态联系起来。中心假设是，黏附失败决定了蚂蚁觅食行为、局部分布和跌倒频率的种间差异。这项工作将综合田间生态学、功能形态学、化学和材料科学的信息来回答三个基本问题：1)蚂蚁的附着形态、材料特性和化学在物种、营养类群和支系之间有何不同？2)附着的多样性(在一系列当地环境条件下保持的功能性)是否影响热带森林树冠中的蚂蚁行为？3)热带树栖蚂蚁的附着失败的生态模式和后果是什么？这项工作将通过量化蚂蚁在广泛的自然和实验条件下的黏附性能，为了解蚂蚁黏附系统的生态形态和进化提供基础。这项研究采用了最新的高科技化学、材料和生物力学分析方法。作为一个整体，该项目将首次全面评估任何分类群中黏附的功能形态，重点是黏附失效在低地热带森林中的生态后果。在这项研究中，PIS将为博士后助理、本科生和研究生提供跨学科的国际教育和培训。这项工作的结果将用于向公众介绍蚂蚁粘附剂的生态学和生物启发应用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Many organisms use specialized adhesive pads, claws, and similar features to achieve reliable and repeatable attachment to substrates. Ants are the dominant animal in the tropical forest canopy. Worker ants do not have wings, thus effective adhesion is essential for survival. This project will provide the first detailed, comparative evaluation of the mechanisms and consequences of adhesion in tropical ants. Field work will be conducted in lowland forests of Panama and Peru, and the results will have broad implications for ant behavior and ecology globally. This project establishes a formal collaboration among five professionals with complementary skillsets working in distinct fields, from ecology to mechanical engineering. The results will be unprecedented in scope; data collected for more than100 species will provide the most comprehensive evaluation of adhesive performance and behavior in any animal group to date. This project will also provide a framework for the development of advanced industrial adhesives that mimic the chemical, material, and physical properties of ant adhesive pads. These adhesives may be used for medical and industrial applications where strong but reversible adhesion in dynamic conditions is required. Results of this project will be made publicly available in multimedia formats. Project participants will coordinate with Panamanian tour guides to present results to international tourists who visit the field site each year. This project will also improve public understanding of science through formal and informal outreach efforts aimed at K-12 students and their teachers. The principal objectives of this study are to quantify the fundamental physical and chemical properties of tarsal adhesion in tropical rainforest canopy ants, and to relate adhesive performance to ant behavior and ecology. The central hypothesis is that adhesive failure determines interspecific differences in ant foraging behavior, local distribution, and frequency of falling. This work will integrate information from field ecology, functional morphology, chemistry, and materials science to answer three basic questions: 1) How do ant adhesive morphology, material properties, and chemistry differ among species, trophic groups, and clades?; 2) Does adhesive versatility (sustained functionality over a range of local environmental conditions) shape ant behavior in the tropical forest canopy?; and 3) What are the ecological patterns and consequences of adhesive failure in tropical arboreal ants? This work will provide the foundation for understanding the ecomorphology and evolution of the ant adhesive system by quantifying adhesive performance under a broad range of natural and experimental conditions. This research employs the latest high-technology chemical, material, and biomechanical analysis methods. As a whole, this project will provide the first comprehensive evaluation of the functional morphology of adhesion in any taxon, with a focus on the ecological consequences of adhesive failure in a lowland tropical forest. During this research, the PIs will provide cross-disciplinary, international education and training for a postdoctoral associate, and undergraduate and graduate students. The results of this work will be used to inform the general public about the ecology and bio-inspired application of ant adhesion.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.