Suction Feeding Evolution: Functional Morphology, Biomechanics and Performance

吸食被认为是硬骨鱼捕获猎物的祖先方法，并且被大多数水生摄食脊椎动物使用，包括大多数硬骨鱼和许多水生两栖动物，海龟和哺乳动物。虽然吸食是一个非常进化保守的机制，它支持无与伦比的多样性，因为它的有效性和多样性的猎物捕获的食性。这项研究的目的是确定在动物的吸食系统的机械设计的主要创新，以及如何在进化过程中，这个系统已被修改，以产生广泛的多样性，吸食器代表。这将是通过专注于两个主要机制的流体力学，使一些吸食放大他们施加在猎物项目的水动力，并通过使用高速视频记录和水流可视化技术的基础上的进化模式的研究在7个主要的鱼类辐射喂养行为的数据。这项研究将衡量几种机制在塑造这个复杂的机械系统的多样化的影响。研究结果将使人们更深入地了解功能上的突破如何影响随后的多样化，以及权衡和模块化设计等限制如何限制和促进进化。人们希望，一般的设计机制将被确定，进化已经能够克服基本的机械权衡，这些可能在人类设计的机制的适用性。该项目还将侧重于招聘和培训青年科学家，包括每年一名博士后研究员、一名博士研究生和四名本科生。外联活动将包括开发一个Youtube频道，公众可以在该频道观看吸食视频，一个针对本科生的研究博客，以及参与电视纪录片。

Suction feeding is believed to be the ancestral method of prey capture in bony fishes and is used by the majority of aquatic feeding vertebrate animals, including most bony fish and many aquatic amphibians, turtles and mammals. Although suction feeding is a very evolutionarily conserved mechanism, it supports unparalleled diversity in feeding habits because of its effectiveness and versatility for prey capture. This research is aimed at identifying major innovations in the mechanical design of suction feeding systems in animals and how this system has been modified during evolution to produce the extensive diversity that suction feeders represent. This will be accomplished by focusing on the fluid mechanics of two major mechanisms whereby some suction feeders amplify the hydrodynamic forces they exert on prey items, and by using data from high-speed video recordings and water-flow visualization techniques as the basis for studies of evolutionary patterns in feeding behavior across seven major fish radiations. This research will measure the impact of several mechanisms in shaping the diversification of this complex mechanical system. The results will lead to a deeper understanding of how breakthroughs in function impact subsequent diversification and how constraints such as trade-offs and modularity of design can both limit and facilitate evolution. It is hoped that general design mechanisms will be identified whereby evolution has been able to overcome fundamental mechanical trade-offs and these may have applicability in human-designed mechanisms. This project will also focus on the recruitment and training of young scientists, including a postdoctoral researcher, a doctoral graduate student and four undergraduate students per year. Outreach activities will include the development of a Youtube channel where the public can view suction feeding videos, a research blog aimed at undergraduate students, and participation in television documentaries.