Comparative functional head morphology in modern rove beetles (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)

有超过63,650个已描述的物种，粉甲虫（葡萄球菌科）是最大的昆虫家族之一。与植食性昆虫相比，甲虫在凋落物层中以不同的方式生活。在本项目中，我们从系统和概念上扩展了我们之前对葡萄球菌的研究，采用综合功能和生态形态学的方法来研究现代主要是掠食性甲虫代表的功能头部形态。这是指几个物种丰富的单系亚家族的传统葡萄球菌群。作为考虑功能方面的广泛比较分析的一部分，我们的目标是全面了解这些物种分支的进化和形态多样化。基于同步加速器显微层析成像和扫描电镜对头部形态（口器形态，头部肌肉的存在/缺失，包括它们的起源和插入，下咽-前驱体复合体的结构和组织，幕的结构，前驱体的硬膜）的分析，口器的功能方面将与对捕食和摄食行为的直接观察相结合，并在系统发育背景下进行解释。我们将比较研究传统Staphylinine类群所有亚家族的37个代表（以及一些主要部落）。我们还将收集下颌和相关肌肉的形态测量数据，以评估下颌的相对咬合力和闭合速度。三维几何形态计量学将用于量化进化支和摄食类型之间的头部形态差异。基于已发表的系统发育方案，我们将进行特征映射分析，以识别进化变化和新颖性，包括由此产生的功能后果。为了进行分支分析，本项目中建立的头部形态特征将与申请人以前对其他葡萄球菌分支的研究中获得的特征矩阵相结合。这将有助于测试内部头部形态在多大程度上有助于澄清有关亚科和某些亚科内部落之间系统发育的开放性问题。分析还将阐明几个亚科/部落的自异形特征和自异形特征。最后，通过系统发育回归分析，下颌骨的生物力学/功能形态分析将与猎物捕获行为的观察相关联，从而促进功能背景下模式的解释，并提供这些特征对这些分支多样化的贡献的理解。

With more than 63,650 described species, rove beetles (Staphylinidae) are one of the largest insect families. In contrast to phytophagous insects, rove beetles have diversified through their different ways of living in the litter layer. Extending our previous work on staphylinids methodically and conceptually, we follow, in the present project, an integrative functional and eco-morphological approach to investigating the comparative functional head morphology of modern, mostly predatory representatives of rove beetles. This refers to several species-rich monophyletic subfamilies of the traditional Staphylinine group. As part of a broad comparative analysis that also considers functional aspects, we aim at attaining a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and morphological diversification of these speciose clades. Based on Synchrotron microtomographic and scanning electron microscopic analyses of head morphology (mouthpart morphology, presence / absence of head muscles including their origins and insertions, structure and organization of the hypopharynx-prementum complex, structure of the tentorium, sclerites of the prementum), the functional aspects of mouthparts will be combined with direct observations of predatory and feeding behavior and interpreted in a phylogenetic context. We will examine comparatively 37 representatives of all subfamilies of the traditional Staphylinine group (and the main tribes for some). We will also gather morphometric data of the mandibles and the associated muscles to evaluate the relative mandibular biting forces and closing velocities. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics will be used to quantify head morphological differences between clades and feeding types. Based on a phylogenetic scheme adopted from published sources, we will perform character mapping analysis with the goal of recognizing evolutionary changes and novelties including the resulting functional consequences. In order to perform a cladistic analysis, the head morphological characters established in the present project will be combined with a character matrix obtained from previous work of the applicant on other staphylinid clades. This will help to test the extent to which the internal head morphology can contribute to the clarification of open questions concerning the phylogeny among subfamilies and tribes within certain subfamilies. The analysis will also elucidate both the plesiotypic groundplan features and the autapomorphies of several subfamilies / tribes. Finally, by means of phylogenetic regression analyses, the biomechanical / functional morphological analyses of the mandibles will be related to the observations of prey-capture behavior, thereby facilitating the interpretation of patterns in a functional context and providing an understanding of the contribution of these characters to the diversification of these clades in general.