Trade-offs in Feeding Performance

Amphibious animals move between environments throughout their lifetime and must maintain certain levels of performance for various behaviors in order to survive. In particular I am interested in how feeding is accomplished during transitions between aquatic and terrestrial environments. My research uses high-speed videography to assess kinematics during feeding events in both environments, as well as dissections to better understand the morphology underlying these movements. During my dissertation work I also built and utilized a digital particle velocimetry system to quantify fluid velocity generated during suction feeding events.

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My research focuses on the link between morphology and performance from a functional standpoint. For these experiments I use salamanders from the Family Salamandridae as a model system because these animals have diverse ecology and feeding morphology. By studying this group of salamanders I can not only learn about animals that are traditionally semi-aquatic, living in both environments throughout their lives, but can compare their performance and morphology to organisms that only live in either aquatic or terrestrial environments as adults.

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By researching salamanders across a range of preferential environments, I can assess if animals are specialized for feeding in a particular environment, as well as determine what trade-offs occur in this system.