STELLA, M.P.*; KIER, W.M.; Univ. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill; Univ. of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill: The Morphology and Mechanics of Octopus Arms: Inspiration for Novel Robotics The eight arms of octopuses are used in locomotion, prey capture, feeding, manipulation and sensing of objects, grooming, and reproduction. Accomplishing such a diverse array of tasks requires […]

HSIEH, S.T.; Harvard University: Mechanics of terrestrial locomotion in aquatic, amphibious, and terrestrial blennies The amphibious Pacific leaping blenny, Alticus arnoldorum, exhibits a diverse terrestrial locomotor repertoire including jumping, crawling, and climbing. All of these movements involve a stereotyped movement of placing the tail beside the head, twisting the tail axially, and then pushing off […]

TAYLOR, J. R. A.*; KIER, W. M.; Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: Hydrostatic support in a land crab As crabs evolved adaptations for life on land, they retained a molting process similar to that of aquatic crabs and become soft and vulnerable each time they shed their rigid exoskeleton. Aquatic crabs remain mobile during […]

MIDDLETON, K.M.; GATESY, S.M.; Brown University, Providence, RI; Brown University, Providence, RI: Wing Design and Disparity in Flying Vertebrates The three vertebrate lineages in which powered flight arose faced similar mechanical demands when interacting with their fluid environment. The ancestors of pterosaurs, birds, and bats lengthened and broadened their forelimbs into aerodynamic appendages. Similarity of […]

MACRINI, T. E.*; ROWE, T. B.; The University of Texas at Austin; The University of Texas at Austin: Preliminary comparison of cranial endocasts of marsupials Descriptions of the brains of extant marsupials are not uncommon in the literature but little is known of how these correspond to their endocasts. A thorough understanding of the relationship […]

GOSWAMI, A; Univ. of Chicago, IL and The Field Museum, Chicago, IL: Morphometric analysis of higher-taxonomic-level variation in cranial modularity across mammals The correlated evolution of traits is a principal factor in morphological evolution, but it is typically studied in genetic or developmental systems. The concept of modules (genetically, developmentally, and morphologically integrated subsets of […]

HEESY, C.P.; HALL, M.I.; NYCOM; Stony Brook Univ.: Morphological Convergence and Functional Nonconvergence between Orbit Orientation and Visual Field Overlap in Avians and Mammals Orbit orientation has long been suggested to reflect eye position and to be correlated with the degree of binocular visual field overlap in vertebrates. Based on this assumption, a number of […]

HALL, M.I.; ROSS, C.F.; Stony Brook Univ.; Univ. of Chicago: Ecological Influences on Avian Eye Shape Avians are extremely visually dependent vertebrates that have radiated into a wide variety of ecological niches. These niches place diverse demands on their visual system resulting in changes in gross eye morphology within the basic vertebrate eye design. Morphological […]

HOLLIDAY, CM; WITMER, LM; Ohio University; Ohio University: Anatomical domains within sauropsid heads and their significance for functional interpretation of extinct taxa Heads are busy places, involving the intersection of numerous vital systems comprised of, for example, muscular, respiratory, and sensory components, all of which share a limited amount of cephalic space. Individually, each of […]

HOOVER, C.A.*; MARSH, A.G.; SLATTERY, M.; Univ. of Delaware; Univ. of Delaware; Univ. of Mississippi: Secondary metabolite synthesis and variability in the soft coral, Sinularia polydactyla Defensive secondary metabolites are present in Indo-Pacific soft corals presumably to deter predators, prevent epiphytic fouling, and/or to compete for space with other corals. The soft coral, Sinularia polydactyla, […]