▪ Abstract Understanding adaptation in morphological and physiological traits requires
elucidation of how traits relate to whole-organism performance and how performance relates …

Neuromechanics seeks to understand how muscles, sense organs, motor pattern
generators, and brain interact to produce coordinated movement, not only in complex terrain …

Geckos with adhesive toe pads rapidly climb even smooth vertical surfaces. We challenged
geckos (Hemidactylus garnotii) to climb up a smooth vertical track that contained a force …

We characterized prey-capture strategies in seven species of cichlid fishes representing
diverse trophic habits and anticipated feeding abilities. The species examined were Petenia …

1. Natural selection is generally thought to operate on organisms' maximal abilities to
perform ecological tasks in nature (ie whole-animal performance). However, selection may …

Significant relationships among morphology, behavior, performance and fitness have long
served as bona fide evidence for the role of selection in shaping natural populations. Here, I …

A challenge to ecologists and evolutionary biologists is predicting organismal responses to
the anticipated changes to global ecosystems through climate change. Most evidence …

Morphological variation in relation to habitat is known to occur in several lizard groups.
Comparative studies have linked morphology and habitat use, showing that locomotion is …

With the exception of the well-documented case for anoline lizards, recent studies have
found few evolutionary relationships between morphology and habitat use in lizards despite …

To understand how selection acts on performance capacity, the ecological role of the
performance trait being measured must be determined. Knowing if and when an animal …