IRSCHICK, D.J.: Evolutionary approaches for studying functional morphology: Examples from studies of performance capacity

Without evolutionary information, the adaptive significance of interspecific differences in both morphology and function are difficult to discern. Here, I outline the utility of applying evolutionary approaches to functional morphology in general, and performance in particular by using two model systems. First, I test the hypothesis that performance capacities can predict both the average habitat use and habitat breadth that Anolis lizard species use. I also ask whether one can predict the kinematic characteristics of species based on their morphological and performance characteristics. To answer this latter question, I rely on data from the three-dimensional kinematics of high-speed locomotion in lizards. Using an explicitly evolutionary approach for both studies showed that performance capacities were excellent predictors of habitat use in Anolis lizards. In addition, while there was not a global correspondence between morphology, performance and kinematics in lizards, certain key morphological variables were excellent predictors of performance capacities. Both studies are good examples of the utility of incorporating evolutionary and ecological information for understanding how species specialize to their environments.