Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Howard University intends to examine the change in the gill structure of an aquatic species over time. Undergraduate students will participate in this research that involves statistical analysis, 3D printers and other tools. The research results will be shared at the regional meeting of the Society of Integrative Biology.
Multifunctionality (structures performing more than one function) is common among organisms. The PI proposes that multifunctionality can act as a catalyst for morphological evolution through exaptation and diversification of existing structures and regionalized specialization of serially homologous structures. This is contrary to traditional ideas of multifunctionality as a limitation on the diversity of structure. The PI will test these ideas in three groups of fishes that use their cranial anatomy for burial (flatfishes), jet propulsion (frogfishes), and both burial and jet propulsion (banjo catfishes), in addition to suction feeding and gill ventilation (all three groups). Detailed character matrices for each clade will be assembled and used to construct statistical models the evolution of multifunctionality. These character matrices will include morphometrics, ecological data, kinematics, biomechanical measurements, and multifunctionality coded as a character. This work will contribute to our understanding of the role of multifunctionality in producing Earth's rich biodiversity.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
