We review the origins, prominent innovations, and major patterns of diversification in suction
feeding by vertebrates. Non-vertebrate chordates and larval lamprey suspension-feed by …

This paper presents a review of biological mechanical linkage mechanisms. One purpose is
to identify the range of kinematic functions that they are able to perform. A second purpose is …

Background How particular changes in functional morphology can repeatedly promote
ecological diversification is an active area of evolutionary investigation. The African rift-lake …

Proximity to an adaptive peak influences a lineage's potential to diversify. We tested whether
piscivory, a high quality but functionally demanding trophic strategy, represents an adaptive …

Size and shape are often considered important variables that lead to variation in
performance. In studies of feeding, size‐corrected metrics of the skull are often used as …

Trade-offs are thought to bias evolution and are core features of many anatomical systems.
Therefore, trade-offs may have far-reaching macroevolutionary consequences, including …

The world's oceans are home to many fantastic creatures, including about 16,000 species of
actinopterygian, or ray-finned, fishes. Notably, 85% of marine fish species come from a …

The association between diversification and evolutionary innovations has been well
documented and tested in studies of taxonomic richness but the impact that such …

Suction feeding is pervasive among aquatic vertebrates, and our understanding of the
functional morphology and biomechanics of suction feeding has recently been advanced by …

Background The evolution of ecological divergence in closely related species is a key
component of adaptive radiation. However, in most examples of adaptive radiation the …