Meeting Abstract 68.3  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Biomechanics of feeding in a jawless fish CLARK, A/J*; MARAVILLA, E/J; SUMMERS, A/P; Univ. of California, Irvine aclark@uci.edu Despite lacking jaws and substantial rigid support for feeding muscles, hagfishes can forcefully grasp and ingest chunks of flesh from their prey. It is surprising that the amount and arrangement of hard and […]

Meeting Abstract 67.5  Tuesday, Jan. 6  The role of the fronto-parietal sinus during bone-cracking in spotted hyenas TANNER, J. B.*; DUMONT, E. R.; SAKAI, S. T.; LUNDRIGAN, B. L.; HOLEKAMP, K. E.; UMass, Amherst; UMass, Amherst; Michigan Sate Univ., E. Lansing; Michigan Sate Univ., E. Lansing; Michigan Sate Univ., E. Lansing jtanner@bio.umass.edu The ability to break open […]

Meeting Abstract 67.3  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Polymorphic trap-jaws: intra- and interspecific scaling of jaw forces in trap-jaw ants SPAGNA, J.C.*; PATEK, S.N.; SUAREZ, A.V.; William Paterson University; Univ. of California, Berkeley; Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign SpagnaJ@wpunj.edu Trap-jaw ants exhibit a remarkable range of mandible morphology from short and robust to elongate and spiny. One fundamental issue in […]

Meeting Abstract 67.2  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Intraspecific scaling of bite-force generation in a durophagous turtle, Sternotherus minor minor PFALLER, Joseph B*; ERICKSON, Gregory M; Florida State Univ., Tallahassee; Florida State Univ., Tallahassee jpfaller@bio.fsu.edu Among vertebrates, ontogenetic shifts towards more durable prey (durophagy) are common. Such transitions require the development of a feeding apparatus with sufficient morphology to […]

Meeting Abstract 67.4  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Feeding Biomechanics and Bite Force in bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) over ontogeny HABEGGER, M.L*; MOTTA, P.J; HUBER, D.R; University of South Florida; University of South Florida; University of Tampa mhabegge@mail.usf.edu Bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) are one of the most aggressive coastal shark species inhabiting subtropical and tropical seas around the world. […]

Meeting Abstract 67.1  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Biomechanical modeling of bite-force generation in the America alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) throughout ontogeny GIGNAC, P. M.*; ERICKSON, G. M.; Florida State University; Florida State University pgignac@bio.fsu.edu The American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, shows up to 5000-fold increases in mass during development. A substantial resource shift to increasingly larger and more durable prey […]

Meeting Abstract 66.4  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Tinkering with ectodysplasin reveals the dynamic basis of tooth development and morphology HARJUNMAA, E.**; THESLEFF, I.; JERNVALL, J.; Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Finland. enni.harjunmaa@helsinki.fi It is often thought that tinkering with signaling networks produces small changes in development, leading to phenotypic variation, and ultimately to evolutionary change. We have […]

Meeting Abstract 66.1  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Notch signaling during embryogenesis in the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis MARLOW, H. Q.; ROETTINGER, E.; MARTINDALE, M.Q.*; Univ. Hawaii, Kewalo Marine Lab mqmartin@hawaii.edu Nematostella vectensis, the startlet sea anemone, is an anthozoan cnidarian and early branching member of the metazoa. As a morphologically simple early metazoan it possesses only two tissue layers […]

Meeting Abstract 66.2  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Development and Evolution of Ptychoderid Hemichordates SWALLA, B.J.; Univ. of Washington bjswalla@u.washington.edu Hemichordata are the sister group to Echinodermata, yet share some morphological features with Chordata, including gill slits. Hemichordates contain both solitary enteropneust worms and colonial pterobranchs, but molecular phylogenies suggest that the colonial pterobranchs are a sister group to […]

Meeting Abstract 65.3  Tuesday, Jan. 6  Stress physiology and parasite burden differ during winter and summer breeding in a north-temperate zone temporal opportunist, the red crossbill Loxia curvirostra CORNELIUS, J.M.*; ZYLBERBERG, M.; BREUNER, C.W.; HAHN, T.P.; Univ. of California, Davis; Univ. of California, Davis; Univ. of Montana; Univ. of California, Davis cornelius@ucdavis.edu Physiological ecologists often explain seasonal […]