MELLARD, J.P.*; FIELDS, D.M.; BROWN, J.; WEISSBURG, M.J.; YEN, J.; Georgia Institute of Technology: Effects of Viscosity on Copepod Signal Detection Copepods, an important member of most aquatic food webs, interact strongly with their physical fluid environment. To respond in an ecologically appropriate manner copepods use their sensory structures to identify fluid mechanical disturbances. Their […]

DUNHAM, A.E.; O’CONNOR, M.P.; Univ. of Pennsylvania; Drexel Univ.: Connecting physiology to demography and life history in ectotherms A fundamental assumption in ecology is that an animal�s habitat and physiology interact to limit the demography and distribution of a species. But physiological effects on population biology in the field have rarely been demonstrated. The paucity […]

HUBER, D.R.; DEAN, M.N.; SUMMERS, A.P.; University of South Florida; University of California, Irvine; University of California, Irvine: The crushing bite of the water bunny Hydrolagus colliei Holocephalans, the sister group to the sharks, skates and rays, have their upper and lower dentition fused into a bony beak well suited for crushing hard prey. The […]

JANOVETZ, J.; Sweet Briar College: The Functional Morphology of Prey Capture in Serrasalmine Fishes Despite being the characteristic method of feeding for a number of species-rich and ecologically important groups, the kinematics of biting prey capture in fishes have rarely been investigated. This study compares both biting and suction prey capture in three species of […]

PATEK, Sheila N.; CALDWELL, Roy L.; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of California, Berkeley: Snail smashing forces of the peacock mantis shrimp Peacock mantis shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus) use a specialized pair of forelimbs, the raptorial appendages, to smash open snail shells. The appendages accelerate to extreme speeds within milliseconds, producing high impact forces as well […]

REILLY, S.M.; MCBRAYER, L.D.*; Ohio University; Stephen F. Austin State University: Prey capture and prey processing behavior and the evolution of lingual and sensory characteristics: divergences and convergences in lizard feeding biology A central element of the sit-and-wait vs. wide foraging paradigm involves the tradeoff between prey capture function and chemosensory acuity. In general ambush […]

SUSTAITA, Diego; HERTEL, Fritz; California State University, Northridge; California State University, Northridge: Myology and biomechanics of the hindlimb and jaw of North American hawks and falcons in relation to bite and grip force Previous studies have indicated that differences in hindlimb and beak characteristics among raptors reflect differences in predatory mode and prey habits. Falcons […]

DUMONT, E.R*; PICCIRILLO, J.; GROSSE, I.R.; University of Massachusetts at Amherst; University of Massachusetts at Amherst; University of Massachusetts at Amherst: Morphology meets engineering: Finite element analyses of biting behavior in bats Field-based studies of feeding behavior in mammals demonstrate that mammals with similar ecological niches and craniofacial morphologies often use significantly different biting styles […]

MEYERS, J.J.*; HERREL, A.; NISHIKAWA, K.C.; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff; University of Antwerp, Belgium; Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff: Modelling of bite force in horned lizards (Phrynosoma): functional adaptations in a specialized clade The North American horned lizards (Phrynosoma) have long been noted for their myrmecophagous (ant-eating) behavior. However, the degree of dietary fidelity varies dramatically […]

TURINGAN, R.G.*; BECK, J.L.; Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne; Texas A & M, Galveston: Early ontogeny of prey capture performance in the teleost fish, Sciaenops ocellatus The kinematics of prey capture in the teleost fish (red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus) larvae was analyzed to explore stage-specific differences in feeding performance during early ontogeny. Larvae at first-feeding […]