Research Interests

There are three primary questions around which I build my research program: What is the tree of life? How do animals work? How is structural and functional diversity generated and maintained? In order to play a part in these fields of inquiry, the central goals of much of the research in my laboratory are

(1) to resolve the phylogenetic relationships of major coral reef fish groups,

(2) to investigate basic biomechanics and functional morphology in organisms, and

(3) to integrate phylogeny with biomechanics to understand the evolution of function in diverse groups of organisms.

This research focuses primarily on phylogenetic systematics and the study of function in an attempt to generate an integrative approach to evolution. We try to use a range of techniques and approaches to these questions, from the resolution of phylogenetic relationships among fishes using molecular phylogenetics, to computer modeling and detailed biomechanics of muscle-tendon-bone systems (e.g. feeding mechanics) in fishes, to field studies of ecological traits of animals (habitat, feeding biology), to the internal function of small animals using a novel method in high-energy physics called synchrotron imaging. Ideas and techniques are employed from the fields of comparative and functional morphology, phylogenetic systematics, mechanical engineering, muscle physiology, morphometrics, and field ecology. By integrating data from different aspects of the biology of a group of organisms, I hope to reveal a broader picture of the complex evolutionary history of a diverse taxonomic group or an interesting functional system than could be generated from any single discipline alone.

Students are welcome in the laboratory, and have worked on a much wider range of questions and organisms (fossils, birds, insects, lizards, snakes, and more!). Most students working in the lab have a general interest in evolution, biomechanics, phylogenetics, fishes, coral reefs, and/or field work.

Check out the pages on my Field Museum web site to see more detail on the projects going on in the Westneat Lab!

Selected Publications

Anderson, P. S. L. and M. W. Westneat. 2007. Feeding mechanics and bite force modelling of the skull of Dunkleosteus terrelli, an ancient apex predator. Biology Letters. 3, 76–79. (PubMed)

Fessler, J. L. and M. W. Westneat. 2007. Molecular phylogenetics of the butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae): Taxonomy and biogeography of a global coral reef fish family. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45, 50-68. (PubMed)

Socha, J. J., M. W. Westneat, J. F. Harrison, J. S. Waters, and W. K. Lee. 2007. Real-time phase-contrast x-ray imaging: a new technique for the study of animal form and function. BMC Biol. 5, 6-14. (PubMed)

Rice, A. N., M. W. Westneat, and J. R. Grubich. 2007. Functional morphology of bite mechanics in the great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda). In Press, Zoology. Cover photo.

Rice, A. N., Cooper, W. J. and Westneat, M. W. 2007. Diversification of coordination patterns during feeding behaviour in cheiline wrasses. In Press, Biological Journal of the Linnaen Society.

López, J. A., M. W. Westneat, and R. Hanel. 2007. The phylogenetic affinities of the mysterious anguilliform genera Coloconger and Thalassenchelys as supported by mtDNA sequences. In Press, Copeia.

Hale, M. E., R. D. Day, D. H. Thorsen and M. W. Westneat. 2006. Pectoral fin coordination and gait transitions in steadily swimming juvenile reef fishes. J. Exp. Biol. 209, 3708-3718. (PubMed)

Westneat, M. W. 2006. The Living Marine Resources of the Eastern Central Atlantic: FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Family Labridae. K. E. Carpenter, Ed. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Grubich, J. R. and M. W. Westneat. 2006. Four-bar linkage modelling in teleost pharyngeal jaws: computer simulations of bite kinetics. J. Anat. 209: 79-92. Cover photo. (PubMed)

Kammerer, C. F., L. Grande, and M. W. Westneat. 2006. Comparative and developmental functional morphology of the jaws of living and fossil gars (Actinopterygii: Lepisosteidae). J. Morph. 267, 1017-1031. Cover photo. (PubMed)

Rice, A. R. and M. W. Westneat. 2005. Coordination of feeding, locomotor and visual systems in parrotfishes (Teleostei:Labridae). J. Exp. Biol. 208: 3503-3518. (PubMed)

Westneat, M. W. 2005. Skull biomechanics and suction feeding in fishes. In Lauder, G. V. and R. E Shadwick, eds. Fish Biomechanics. Academic Press.

Westneat, M. W. and M. E. Alfaro. 2005. Phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the reef-fish family Labridae. Molec. Phylog. Evol. 36: 370-390. (PubMed)

Westneat, M. W., M. E. Alfaro, P. C. Wainwright, D. R. Bellwood, J. R. Grubich, J. Fessler, K. D. Clements, and L. Smith. 2005. Local phylogenetic divergence and global evolutionary convergence of skull biomechanics in reef fishes of the family Labridae. Proc. Roy. Soc. B. 272: 993-1000. (PubMed)

Thorsen, D. H. and M. W. Westneat. 2005. Diversity of pectoral fin structure and function in fishes with labriform propulsion. J. Morph. 263: 133-150. Cover photo. (PubMed)

Westneat, M. W. 2004. Evolution of levers and linkages in the feeding mechanisms of fishes. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44: 378-389. Cover photo.

Westneat, M. W., D. H. Thorsen, J. A. Walker, and M. E. Hale. 2004. Structure, function and neural control of pectoral fins in fishes. J. Oceanic Engineering 29: 674-684. (PubMed)

Mabuchi, K., M. Miya, T. P. Satoh, M. W. Westneat, and M. Nishida. 2004. Gene rearrangements and evolution of tRNA pseudogenes in the mitochondrial DNA of the parrotfishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Scaridae). J. Molec. Evol. 59: 287-297. (PubMed)

Clements, K. D., M. Alfaro, J. Fessler and M. W. Westneat. 2004. Relationships of the temperate Australasian labrid fish tribe Odacini. Molec. Phylog. Evol. 32:575-587. (PubMed)

Wainwright, P. C., D. R. Bellwood, M. W. Westneat, J. R. Grubich, & A. S. Hoey. 2004. A functional morphospace for labrid fishes: patterns of diversity in a complex biomechanical system. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 82: 1-25.

Randall, J. E., M. W. Westneat, and M. F. Gomon. 2003. Two new labrid fishes of the genus Oxycheilinus from the South Pacific. Proc. Cal. Acad. Sci. 54: 361-370.

Westneat, M. W., O. Betz, R. W. Blob, K. Fezzaa, W. J. Cooper, and W. K. Lee. 2003. Tracheal respiration in insects visualized with synchrotron x-ray imaging. Science 5606, 558-560. Cover photo. (PubMed)

Westneat, M. W. 2003. A biomechanical model for analysis of muscle force, power output and lower jaw motion in fishes. J. Theor. Biol. 223: 269–281. (PubMed)

Walker, J. A. and M. W. Westneat. 2003. Kinematics, dynamics and energetics of rowing and flapping propulsion in fishes. Integr. Comp. Biol. 42: 1032-1043. (PubMed)

Ferry-Graham, L. A., P. C. Wainwright, M. W. Westneat, and D. R. Bellwood. 2002. Mechanisms of benthic prey capture in labrid fishes. Mar. Biol. 141: 819-830.

Hanel, R., M. W. Westneat and C. Sturmbauer. 2002. Phylogenetic relationships, evolution of broodcare behaviour, and geographic speciation in the wrasse tribe Labrini. J. Molec. Evol. 55: 776-789. (PubMed)

Streelman, J.T., M. Alfaro, M.W. Westneat, D.R. Bellwood and S.A. Karl. 2002. Evolutionary history of the parrotfishes: biogeography, ecology and comparative diversity. Evolution 56: 961-971. (PubMed)

Hale, M. E., J. H. Long Jr, M. J. McHenry, and M. W. Westneat. 2002. Evolution of behavior and neural control of the fast-start escape response. Evolution 56: 993-1007. (PubMed)

Wainwright, P. C., Bellwood, D. R. and M. W. Westneat. 2002. Ecomorphology of locomotion in labrid fishes. Env. Biol. Fishes 65:47-62.

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