Biomechanics of Feeding in Vertebrates. - 18

Although feeding is not yet been thoroughly studied in manyvertebrates taxa, and different conceptual andmethodological approaches of the concerned scientists make asynthesis difficult, the aim of the editors is to provide acomprehensive overview of the feeding design in aquatic andterrestrial vertebrates with a detailed description of itsfunctional properties.

The book emphasizes the constantinteraction between function and form, behaviour andmorphology in the course of evolution of the feedingapparatus and way of feeding both complementary andbasically related to survival interspecific competition,adaptation to environmental changes and adaptive radiations.

Special stress is drawn onquantification of theobservational and experimental data on the morphology andbiomechanics of the feeding design and its element jaws,teeth, hyoidean apparatus, tongue, in order to allow presentand further comparisons in an evolutionary perspective.