Meeting Abstract

P1.107  Wednesday, Jan. 4  Evolution of the adductor mandibulae and premaxillary protrusion angle across eastern North American minnows (Cyprinidae) HOLLINGSWORTH JR., PR*; HULSEY, CD; University of Tennessee phollin1@utk.edu

Premaxillary protrusion is an important ecomorphological innovation driving the success of modern Teleosts.  Cypriniformes exhibit a novel mechanism of premaxillary protrusion that is quite divergent from that of the well-studied Perciformes.  In this study, we use a multi-locus phylogenetic approach to trace the evolution of premaxillary protrusion angle (PPA) across the hyperdiverse eastern North American minnows.  We then examine the phylogenetically corrected correlations between PPA and the masses of the adductor mandibulae (AM) muscles to determine if changes in AM muscle masses are associated with enhanced PPA in cypriniform fishes.  Our results should inform our understanding of the role individual AM muscles play in the evolution of the Cypriniform mechanism of jaw protrusion.