Jaw morphology in Poecilia reticulata does not differ in high- and low- predation environments


SOCIETY FOR INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
2021 VIRTUAL ANNUAL MEETING (VAM)
January 3 – Febuary 28, 2021

Meeting Abstract


P21-11  Sat Jan 2  Jaw morphology in Poecilia reticulata does not differ in high- and low- predation environments Khoriaty, M*; Kane, E; Bowdoin College; University of Louisiana at Lafayette mkhoriat@bowdoin.edu

Environmental variations can lead to changes in morphology, which in turn affect performance, or how an animal can use these structures. For example, exposure to predation has the capacity to influence many aspects of prey form and function to facilitate survival. Poecilia reticulata, Trinidadian guppies, live in both high- and low- predation environments, which are separated by waterfalls, and resulting predation-driven differences in jaw structures, consumption rates, and trophic status have been demonstrated. However, divergence has not been supported in kinematic performance of prey capture, making the links between structural and functional divergence unclear. Jaws were previously examined only from a dorsal view, but feeding uses movement in multiple planes, and viewing specimens from additional views may provide more insight to the potential for ecological divergence of feeding mechanics. Using CT scans of individuals from contrasting populations, I measured lengths of various functionally relevant bones in the jaw from dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. I used general linear models accounting for size differences between the fish and found that predation level did not affect functional jaw morphology. In this species, trophic differences are observed in the absence of corresponding morphological changes, and changes in prey capture due to predation are likely driven by other traits, such as behaviors.

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