Evolution of the mantis shrimp raptorial appendage
In a previous research project, I studied the evolution of the raptorial appendage of mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda). These animals use their appendages either to capture and process prey or fight with conspecifics. These appendages are morphologically complex and are capable of moving at speeds comparable to the bullet of a gun. Furthermore, these structures exhibit an important inter-specific morphological disparity. Therefore, one of the fundamental goals of this research was to investigate what processes led these appendages to high specialization, permitting great mechanical performances, while allowing them to greatly diversify. Using morphological variations from a population of mantis shrimp, I first analyzed the underlying developmental organization of the appendages to discern whether some regions of the structure were morphologically independent from others. Then I measured variation across species and used comparative methods to link morphology to biomechanics and ecology. The findings of this research showed that modularity (the property of an organism to be divided in independent units) influenced the evolutionary dynamic of these appendages.