Insectivory leads to functional convergence in a group of Neotropical rodents.
J Evol Biol
; 34(2): 391-402, 2021 02.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33617138
ABSTRACT
The mandible of vertebrates serves as insertion area for masticatory muscles that originate on the skull, and its functional properties are subject to selective forces related to trophic ecology. The efficiency of masticatory muscles can be measured as mechanical advantage on the mandible, which, in turn, has the property of correlating with bite force and shape. In the present work, we quantify the mechanical advantage of the mandible of akodontine rodents, which present a diverse radiation of insectivorous specialists, to assess their relationship to the estimated bite force and diet. We also tested the degree of morphofunctional convergence in response to insectivory on the group. We found the mechanical advantages to be convergent on insectivorous species, and associated with the estimated bite force, with higher mechanical advantages in species with a stronger bite and short, robust mandibles and lower mechanical advantages in insectivorous species with weaker bites and more elongated, dorso-ventrally compressed mandibles. Insectivorous species of Akodontini are functional specialists for the consumption of live prey and may exploit the resources that shrews, moles and hedgehogs consume elsewhere.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Fuerza de la Mordida
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Sigmodontinae
/
Evolución Biológica
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Conducta Alimentaria
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Mandíbula
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Evol Biol
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Brasil