Systematics and Function: Feeding Mechanisms in Ray-Finned Fishes

这项拟议中的研究将研究肌肉功能和骨骼 运动（生物体的生理特征）与 结构（形态学）和行为特征。 大多数工作， 数据集中在动物形态学上， 已经对特征的生理功能进行了研究 因为这些功能与形态和行为有关。 特别是，比较感兴趣的一般问题 生物学家将被解决：如何一致的分布是 生物体的生理和形态特征 鱼类头部的肌肉和骨骼 作为模型系统来研究这个问题。 拥有近 23，000种鱼类中，辐鳍鱼占一半以上 脊椎动物，并已被证明是一个很好的模型系统， 过去对动物功能的研究 此外，许多 要研究的鱼类群体具有相当大的经济重要性 而另一些发生在世界上有很大的 关注生物多样性的丧失。 这项研究将有助于我们理解（1） 检验比较假设的生理学数据的效用 在生物学中，（2）骨骼和肌肉功能的生物力学， 脊椎动物，（3）我们对生物多样性的理解， 最大的脊椎动物群。

The proposed research will study how muscle function and bone movement (physiological features of organisms) correlate with structural (morphological) and behavioral features. Most work to date has focused on animal morphology, and relatively little research has been done on the physiological function of features of organisms as these functions relate to morphology and behavior. In particular, a general question of interest to comparative biologists will be addressed: how congruent are the distributions of physiological and morphological characteristics in organisms? The muscles and bones of the head region in fishes will be used as a model system to investigate this question. With nearly 23,000 species, ray-finned fishes comprise more than half of all vertebrates, and have proven to be an excellent model system for the study of animal function in the past. In addition, many of the fish groups to be studied are of considerable economic importance while others occur in regions of the world where there is great concern for the loss of biodiversity. This research will contribute to our understanding of (1) the utility of physiological data for testing comparative hypotheses in biology, (2) the biomechanics of bone and muscle function in vertebrates, and (3) our understanding of the biodiversity of the largest group of vertebrates.