Jonathan M. Huie

Broadly, my research investigates the processes and mechanisms that generate phenotypic variation and biodiversity. I integrate bio-imaging techniques, functional morphology, biomechanical modelling, and laboratory experiments to quantify relationships between morphology, behavior, and performance in ecological contexts. I analyze these data with phylogenetic comparative methods to explore how such relationships evolve and diversify. My research centers around three overarching questions: 1) How do phenotypes evolve to meet ecological demands? 2) How do interactions among systems and traits promote diversification? 3) How do ecological, morphological, and functional novelties alter the tempo and mode of evolution?

I am an organismal biologists whose interests span topics and clades. Below are some current areas of research. Click the photos to read more.

Current Research

Extreme Habitat Transitions

Transitions between environments with large differences in physical demands can necessitate adaptations to entire phenotypes. Understanding how traits covary across systems (feeding, locomotion, sensory, etc) will provide insights into the capacity of animals to inhabit new environments. Do extreme transitions require synergistic changes across the body? How do species with intermediate ecologies cope?

Climbing Animals

Climbing is a ubiquitous behavior that enables animals to exploit the vertical axis of their environment. Gravity acts to dislodge climbers and promotes attachment mechanisms that reduce the risk of falling. Some climbers have claws or adhesive toe pads, but many lack these traits. What behaviors and morphologies determine climbing performance? What factors contribute to the diversification of climbers?

Trophic Novelty

Some fishes feed on unusual prey items (anemones, ectoparasites, fish scales, etc), resulting in trophic novelty. While the prey are abundant the predators are rare, indicating that these trophic niches are inaccessible to most. Why is that? Does novelty require behavioral and morphological innovations? Have different lineages converged on similar adaptations? How does trophic novelty evolve?

Biological Suction Cups

Some animals have adhesive discs that generate suction and help them stay put in high-flow aquatic environments. Understanding how disc anatomy affects adhesion provides fruitful inspiration for biomimetic technology. We ask how does adhesive performance vary across lineages with different disc morphologies and ecologies? Additionally, how do adhesive discs affect the evolution of the musculoskeletal system?

SlicerBiomech

Projects like oVERT and MorphSource provide access to thousands of free computed tomography (CT) datasets, but we are limited by how fast we can analyze these data. We developed SlicerBiomech, an extension for 3D Slicer, to help morphologists collect functional and biomechanical data from CT scans. There are tools for measuring cross-sectional shape and modelling tooth function with more to come.