Morphological and functional evolution of the tetrapod jaw: a 3D perspective

四足动物的颌部形态差异极大，反映了其主要功能——进食的不同方式。进食机制差别很大，例如，早期四足动物是吸吮进食，一些海龟是快速进食，食蚁兽是连续进食。颚部的适应使四足动物能够通过失去颚部、减少肌肉质量、改变下颌关节和改变肌肉结构来专门从事摄食生态。目前的研究通常集中在密切相关的生物（如鳄鱼）之间的形态和功能上，而不是跨类或分支呈现广泛的模式。这项研究将使用一个新的高分辨率3D数据集，涵盖化石和现存四足动物物种，首次提供四足动物颌骨形态和功能的宏观进化分析。使用系统发育框架以及庞大的形态学数据集，我将量化在类内和类之间以及通过主要转变的形态和功能颌骨变异的模式和速率。该项目还将通过生物力学建模研究功能，确定推动颌骨进化的因素。这些研究将允许在更广泛的宏观进化框架内探索四足动物下颚形态和功能多样性的具体点，为四足动物下颚进化提供一个整体的理解。

Jaw morphology is extremely diverse across tetrapods, reflecting the varied approaches to the predominant function: feeding. Feeding mechanisms vary widely from, for instance, suctionfeeding in early tetrapods, to rapid snapping in some turtles, to continuous ingestion in anteaters. Jaw adaptations have allowed tetrapods to specialise in feeding ecology, through loss of jaw elements, reduction in muscle mass, alterations to the jaw joint, and changes in muscle structure. Current research typically focuses on morphology and function between closely related organisms (such as crocodilians), rather than presenting broad-scale patterns across classes or clades. This research will provide the first macroevolutionary analysis of tetrapod jaw morphology and function, using a new high-resolution 3D dataset spanning fossil and extant tetrapod species. Using a phylogenetic framework alongside a vast morphological dataset, I will quantify patterns and rates of morphological and functional jaw variation within and between classes and through major transitions. This project will also identify factors driving jaw evolution through deep time by investigating function through biomechanical modelling. These investigations will allow the exploration of specific points of tetrapod jaw morphological and functional diversity within the broader macroevolutionary framework, providing a holistic understanding of tetrapod jaw evolution.