Form-function relationships in dragonfly mandibles under an evolutionary perspective.

ABSTRACT: Functional requirements may constrain phenotypic diversification or foster it. For insect mouthparts, the quantification of the relationship between shape and function in an evolutionary framework remained largely unexplored. Here, the question of a functional influence on phenotypic diversification for dragonfly mandibles is assessed with a large-scale biomechanical analysis covering nearly all anisopteran families, using finite element analysis in combination with geometric morphometrics. A constraining effect of phylogeny could be found for shape, the mandibular mechanical advantage (MA), and certain mechanical joint parameters, while stresses and strains, the majority of joint parameters and size are influenced by shared ancestry. Furthermore, joint mechanics are correlated with neithe

SUBMITTER: Blanke A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5378138 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature