DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution, Development and Functional Morphology of Damselfish Oral Jaws

论文研究方向：雀鲷口颌的进化、发育和功能形态学。Westneat和W.詹姆斯·库珀菲尔德自然历史博物馆和芝加哥大学新的解剖结构和新的功能能力的进化涉及到在发育过程中物理结构如何形成的改变。 因此，了解脊椎动物进食的进化需要检查产生具有不同生物力学能力的头骨的发育变化。 对于海洋鱼类，如豆娘鱼（鱼科：Labroidei），头骨发育的进化变化有功能的后果喂养幼虫和少年。 这项研究将采用形状分析，基因表达研究和生物力学建模相结合，以描述在珊瑚礁鱼类动物群的数量占主导地位的组件-豆娘鱼头骨的形状和功能的发展变化。 详细检查成年头骨从所有雀鲷属将提供初步的框架，以确定如何发展的变化，雀鲷形态和功能的进化。 通过结合形状分析的结果与计算机模型能够预测的生物力学能力的鱼的下巴（如咬合力，咬速度，下巴突出的程度），我们将能够描述头骨形状的多样性和口颌功能多样性之间的连接在这个鱼的家庭。 然后将人工饲养几种雀鲷，以便收集它们的胚胎进行发育研究。 胚胎基因表达模式的检查将允许测试的假设，即在选定的调控基因的表达的位置和时间的差异与成人雀鲷颌骨形态和功能能力的差异。 为此目的，已经收集了假小丑鱼（Amphiprion ocellaris）、刺颊鱼（Premnas biaculeatus）和加里波第鱼（Hypsypops rubicunda）的胚胎。 这些物种（以及可能的其他物种）的孵化幼虫也将通过连续的幼虫和幼体阶段进行饲养，以跟踪整个发育过程中头骨形状和生物力学能力的变化。 通过与当地教师合作，拟议研究的各个方面已经并将继续纳入公立学校课程。

Dissertation Research: Evolution, development and functional morphology of damselfish oral jaws.Mark W. Westneat and W. James CooperThe Field Museum of Natural History and The University of ChicagoThe evolution of new anatomical arrangements and novel functional abilities involves alterations in how physical structures form during development. Understanding the evolution of vertebrate feeding therefore requires examination of the developmental changes that have produced skulls with different biomechanical abilities. For marine fishes such as damselfishes (Pomacentridae: Labroidei), evolutionary changes in skull development have functional consequences for feeding larvae and juveniles. This research will employ a combination of shape analyses, gene expression studies and biomechanical modeling to describe developmental changes in the shape and function of the skulls of damselfishes, a numerically dominant component of coral reef fish faunas. A detailed examination of adult skulls from all damselfish genera will provide the initial framework for determining how developmental changes have contributed to damselfish morphological and functional evolution. By combining the results of shape analyses with computer models capable of predicting the biomechanical abilities of fish jaws (e.g. bite force, biting speed, degree of jaw protrusion) we will be able to describe the connection between skull shape diversity and oral jaw functional diversity within this fish family. Several damselfish species will then be bred in captivity so that their embryos may be collected for developmental study. Examination of embryonic gene expression patterns will permit testing of the hypothesis that differences in the location and timing of expression of selected regulatory genes are correlated with differences in adult damselfish jaw morphology and functional abilities. Embryos of the false clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris), the spine-cheek anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) and the Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicunda) have already been collected for this purpose. Hatched larvae of these species (and potentially other species as well) will also be reared through successive larval and juvenile stages in order to track changes in skull shape and biomechanical ability throughout development. Aspects of the proposed research have been, and will continue to be, incorporated into public school courses through collaboration with a local teacher.