scholarly journals An integrative method for testing form–function linkages and reconstructed evolutionary pathways of masticatory specialization

2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (107) ◽  
pp. 20150184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. Jack Tseng ◽  
John J. Flynn
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Integrate Form ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Evolutionary Pathways ◽  
And Function

Morphology serves as a ubiquitous proxy in macroevolutionary studies to identify potential adaptive processes and patterns. Inferences of functional significance of phenotypes or their evolution are overwhelmingly based on data from living taxa. Yet, correspondence between form and function has been tested in only a few model species, and those linkages are highly complex. The lack of explicit methodologies to integrate form and function analyses within a deep-time and phylogenetic context weakens inferences of adaptive morphological evolution, by invoking but not testing form–function linkages. Here, we provide a novel approach to test mechanical properties at reconstructed ancestral nodes/taxa and the strength and direction of evolutionary pathways in feeding biomechanics, in a case study of carnivorous mammals. Using biomechanical profile comparisons that provide functional signals for the separation of feeding morphologies, we demonstrate, using experimental optimization criteria on estimation of strength and direction of functional changes on a phylogeny, that convergence in mechanical properties and degree of evolutionary optimization can be decoupled. This integrative approach is broadly applicable to other clades, by using quantitative data and model-based tests to evaluate interpretations of function from morphology and functional explanations for observed macroevolutionary pathways.

scholarly journals Ecomorphology of Neotropical Electric Fishes: An Integrative Approach to Testing the Relationships between Form, Function, and Trophic Ecology

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
K M Evans ◽  
L Y Kim ◽  
B A Schubert ◽  
J S Albert
Keyword(s):  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Trophic Ecology ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Electric Fishes ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

SynopsisThe relationship between form and function is thought to play an integral role in structuring broad-scale patterns of morphological evolution and resource utilization. In ecomorphological studies, mechanical performance is widely understood to constrain the evolution of form and function. However, the relationship between form, function, and resource utilization is less clear. Additionally, seasonal fluctuations in resource availability may further complicate patterns of resource use. How organisms cope with these complexities, and the effect of these factors on broadscale patterns of morphological evolution is also poorly understood. Here we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics, biomechanics, stable isotope analysis, and gut-content analysis to study trophic evolution in a clade of riverine-adapted electric fishes from a region with high seasonal variability; the Amazon River. We find significant and phylogenetically structured relationships among measures of trophic ecology and skull shape. We also recover a significant relationship between the mechanical advantage of the mandible and trophic position, where species feeding at higher trophic levels have narrower jaws with lower mechanical advantages, and species feeding at lower trophic levels have deeper jaws with higher mechanical advantages. Our results indicate that selection is driving the evolution of mandible shape and performance toward specialization on different trophic ecologies.

scholarly journals Design principles of hair-like structures as biological machines

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (142) ◽  
pp. 20180206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeleine Seale ◽  
Cathal Cummins ◽  
Ignazio Maria Viola ◽  
Enrico Mastropaolo ◽  
Naomi Nakayama
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Large Surface Area ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Basic Design ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Mechanical Unit ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Range Of Functions ◽  
And Function

Hair-like structures are prevalent throughout biology and frequently act to sense or alter interactions with an organism's environment. The overall shape of a hair is simple: a long, filamentous object that protrudes from the surface of an organism. This basic design, however, can confer a wide range of functions, owing largely to the flexibility and large surface area that it usually possesses. From this simple structural basis, small changes in geometry, such as diameter, curvature and inter-hair spacing, can have considerable effects on mechanical properties, allowing functions such as mechanosensing, attachment, movement and protection. Here, we explore how passive features of hair-like structures, both individually and within arrays, enable diverse functions across biology. Understanding the relationships between form and function can provide biologists with an appreciation for the constraints and possibilities on hair-like structures. Additionally, such structures have already been used in biomimetic engineering with applications in sensing, water capture and adhesion. By examining hairs as a functional mechanical unit, geometry and arrangement can be rationally designed to generate new engineering devices and ideas.

scholarly journals Examining Form and Function of Dendritic Spines

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin F. H. Lee ◽  
Cary Soares ◽  
Jean-Claude Béïque
Keyword(s):  
Dendritic Spines ◽  
Laser Scanning ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Laser Scanning Microscopy ◽  
Spine Morphology ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Spine Structure ◽  
And Function ◽  
The Relationship

The majority of fast excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system takes place at protrusions along dendrites called spines. Dendritic spines are highly heterogeneous, both morphologically and functionally. Not surprisingly, there has been much speculation and debate on the relationship between spine structure and function. The advent of multi-photon laser-scanning microscopy has greatly improved our ability to investigate the dynamic interplay between spine form and function. Regulated structural changes occur at spines undergoing plasticity, offering a mechanism to account for the well-described correlation between spine size and synapse strength. In turn, spine structure can influence the degree of biochemical and perhaps electrical compartmentalization at individual synapses. Here, we review the relationship between dendritic spine morphology, features of spine compartmentalization and synaptic plasticity. We highlight emerging molecular mechanisms that link structural and functional changes in spines during plasticity, and also consider circumstances that underscore some divergence from a tight structure-function coupling. Because of the intricate influence of spine structure on biochemical and electrical signalling, activity-dependent changes in spine morphology alone may thus contribute to the metaplastic potential of synapses. This possibility asserts a role for structural dynamics in neuronal information storage and aligns well with current computational models.

scholarly journals Phenotypic Switch Induced by Simulated Microgravity on MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Grazia Masiello ◽  
Alessandra Cucina ◽  
Sara Proietti ◽  
Alessandro Palombo ◽  
Pierpaolo Coluccia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Simulated Microgravity ◽  
Living Systems ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Proliferation And Apoptosis ◽  
Cell Processes ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
And Function

Microgravity exerts dramatic effects on cell morphology and functions, by disrupting cytoskeleton and adhesion structures, as well as by interfering with biochemical pathways and gene expression. Impairment of cells behavior has both practical and theoretical significance, given that investigations of mechanisms involved in microgravity-mediated effects may shed light on how biophysical constraints cooperate in shaping complex living systems. By exposing breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells to simulated microgravity (~0.001 g), we observed the emergence of two morphological phenotypes, characterized by distinct membrane fractal values, surface area, and roundness. Moreover, the two phenotypes display different aggregation profiles and adherent behavior on the substrate. These morphological differences are mirrored by the concomitant dramatic functional changes in cell processes (proliferation and apoptosis) and signaling pathways (ERK, AKT, and Survivin). Furthermore, cytoskeleton undergoes a dramatic reorganization, eventually leading to a very different configuration between the two populations. These findings could be considered adaptive and reversible features, given that, by culturing microgravity-exposed cells into a normal gravity field, cells are enabled to recover their original phenotype. Overall these data outline the fundamental role gravity plays in shaping form and function in living systems.

Cleft Sentences: Form, Function, and Translation

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Information Structure ◽  
Individual Case ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Semantic Transparency ◽  
Semantic Equivalence ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Sentence Construction ◽  
Ultimate Cause ◽  
And Function

Although cleft sentences are possible constructions in both English and German, they are far more frequent in English texts. Durrell (2002: 479) observes in his Hammer's German Grammar and Usage that “with the exception of the type Er war es, der mich davon abhielt […], cleft sentence constructions sound unnatural in German and should be avoided.” The article discusses the form and function of cleft sentences in the context of other focusing devices. It shows that, although German and English cleft sentences have the same information structure, their stylistic value is very different. Using a short translation, Durrell's observation is confirmed: in translating cleft sentences into German, semantic equivalence is often sacrificed for stylistic appropriateness. Although structural features of both languages are the ultimate cause of the contrast, they cannot explain choices in each individual case. The article argues that structural typology should be complemented with a typology of parole: the respective frequencies of cleft sentences in both languages reflect neatly into the more verbal style, more hierarchical sentence construction and, in certain respects, greater semantic transparency of English texts (by comparison with their German counterparts).*

scholarly journals Search for the Relation of Form and Function Using the ForFun Database

2018 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-84
Author(s):  
Marie Mikulová ◽  
Eduard Bejček ◽  
Eva Hajičová ◽  
Jarmila Panevová
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language Processing ◽  
Natural Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
International Workshop ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Theoretical Linguistics ◽  
And Function ◽  
Annotated Corpora ◽  
Function Relation

Abstract The aim of the contribution is to introduce a database of linguistic forms and their functions built with the use of the multi-layer annotated corpora of Czech, the Prague Dependency Treebanks. The purpose of the Prague Database of Forms and Functions (ForFun) is to help the linguists to study the form-function relation, which we assume to be one of the principal tasks of both theoretical linguistics and natural language processing. We demonstrate possibilities of the exploitation of the ForFun database. This article is largely based on a paper presented at the 16th International Workshop on Treebanks and Linguistic Theories in Prague (Bejček et al., 2017).

Form and function in the acquisition of Korean wh-questions

1989 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia M. Clancy
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Korean Children ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Form Function ◽  
Wh Questions ◽  
Acquisition Order ◽  
And Function ◽  
Selection Of

ABSTRACTIn this paper the order in which wh-questions are acquired in the production and comprehension of two Korean children, aged 1;8–2;8 and 1;10–2; 10, is analysed and compared with the available crosslinguistic data. Consistencies in acquisition order are hypothesized to be based on universals of cognitive development, which constrain the comprehension and production of wh-forms and influence the order in which mothers introduce them, and on functionally based similarities in the input of form/function pairs across children and languages. Discrepancies in acquisition order are attributed to differences in interactive style across caregivers and children, leading to different input frequencies of particular forms and individual children's selection of different forms for use.

scholarly journals Reproductive Ontogeny and the Evolution of Morphological Diversity in Conifers and Other Plants

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 548-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
A B Leslie ◽  
J M Losada
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Morphological Diversity ◽  
Developmental Rate ◽  
Reproductive Organs ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Evolutionary Significance ◽  
Developmental Patterns ◽  
Functional Roles ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
And Function

Abstract Biologists often study morphological evolution through form and function relationships. But biological structures can perform multiple functional roles, complicating efforts to understand the evolutionary significance of any one relationship. Plant reproductive organs perform multiple roles in a sequence, however, which provides a unique opportunity to understand how structures evolve to meet multiple functional demands. Using conifers as a study group, we discuss how a shared developmental trajectory links the performance of sequential functional roles. Variation in development among lineages can underlie morphological diversity; pollination-stage seed cones in Pinaceae conifers function similarly but show diverse forms reflecting differences in developmental rate. As cones develop further, the morphologies that they use to perform later functional roles are influenced by the specific developmental patterns used to meet earlier demands, which may ultimately limit morphological diversity. However, we also show how selective pressures relating to the final functional stage (seed dispersal) may influence cone anatomy and morphology over all previous stages, highlighting the complex linkages among form, function, and development. We end by discussing the potential relationships between functional ontogeny and morphological disparity in plant reproductive structures more broadly, suggesting that the complex functional roles associated with seed plant reproduction probably underlie the high disparity in this group.

Form and function in early clause-combining

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
LYLE LUSTIGMAN ◽  
RUTH A. BERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Communicative Function ◽  
Linguistic Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
General Properties ◽  
Form Function ◽  
And Function ◽  
Clause Combining ◽  
Developmental Phases ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe study characterizes developmental trends in early Hebrew clause-combining (CC) by analyzing the interplay between linguistic form and communicative function in different interactional settings. Analysis applied to all utterances produced by three children aged 2;0–3;0 who combined two or more clauses, either self-initiated or on the basis of adult input. Ten types of CC were analyzed for marking by connectives (e.g. the Hebrew equivalents of ‘and’, ‘that’, ‘so’). Four shared consecutive developmental phases emerged: non-marking; partial marking by ‘and’ and ‘that’; use of ‘but’ and ‘because’, favored significantly in interlocutor-supported contexts; marking of adverbial relations and more varied use ofše-‘that’. These CC processes are interpreted as reflecting general properties of language development, in the form of gradually increasing specification of form–function relations under the impact of interlocutor–child interactive support combined with Hebrew-particular typological factors.

Do convergent ecomorphs evolve through convergent morphological pathways? Cranial shape evolution in fossil hyaenids and borophagine canids (Carnivora, Mammalia)

Paleobiology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 470-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijie Jack Tseng ◽  
Xiaoming Wang
Keyword(s):  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Shape Change ◽  
Morphological Evolution ◽  
Shape Evolution ◽  
Deep Time ◽  
Phylogenetic Constraint ◽  
Mechanisms Of Adaptation ◽  
Evolutionary Pathways ◽  
Length Reduction ◽  
Cranial Shape

Cases of convergent evolution, particularly within ecomorphological contexts, are instructive in identifying universally adaptive morphological features across clades. Tracing of evolutionary pathways by which ecomorphological convergence takes place can further reveal mechanisms of adaptation, which may be strongly influenced by phylogeny. Ecomorphologies of carnivorous mammals represent some of the most outstanding cases of convergent evolution in the Cenozoic radiation of mammals. This study examined patterns of cranial shape change in the dog (Canidae) and hyena (Hyaenidae) families, in order to compare the evolutionary pathways that led to the independent specialization of bone-cracking hypercarnivores within each clade. Geometric morphometrics analyses of cranial shape in fossil hyaenids and borophagine canids provided evidence for deep-time convergence in morphological pathways toward the independent evolution of derived bone-crackers. Both clades contained stem members with plesiomorphic generalist/omnivore cranial shapes, which evolved into doglike species along parallel pathways of shape change. The evolution of specialized bone-crackers from these doglike forms, however, continued under the constraint of a full cheek dentition and restriction on rostrum length reduction in canids, but not hyaenids. Functionally, phylogenetic constraint may have limited borophagine canids to crack bones principally with their carnassial instead of the third premolar as in hyaenids, but other cranial shape changes associated with durophagy nevertheless evolved in parallel in the two lineages. Size allometry was not a major factor in cranial shape evolution in either lineage, supporting the interpretation of functional demands as drivers for the observed convergence. The comparison between borophagines and hyaenids showed that differential effects of alternative functional “solutions” that arise during morphological evolution may be multiplied with processes of the “macroevolutionary ratchet” already in place to further limit the evolutionary pathways available to specialized lineages.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document