The constructional morphology of the dicondylic insect head: Mechanical interaction networks and their phylogenetic interpretation

The insect head is a mechanical structure optimized for various tasks including the processing of sensory information and feeding. How the different structures involved in e.g. feeding interact mechanically is a central question to better understand the phenotypic evolution of the insect head.

Here, a workflow is presented which allows to analyse the feeding mechanics of biting-chewing insects in a phylogenetic framework. Using multibody dynamics and finite element analysis, it is possible to study how phylogenetically relevant structures behave under load, i.e. feeding.

Phylogenetic correlation analysis is then used to study the interaction networks of such functionally linked structures and how this influences phylogenetic inference. The workflow is illustrated on the Palaeoptera problem – the debated relationships of dragonflies, mayflies and neopterous insects – but it could also be used on a broader scale to investigate the evolution of mechanically loaded structures.