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LeafJ: An ImageJ Plugin for Semi-automated Leaf Shape Measurement

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¹Karl Niklas is at the Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|January 14, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Engineering principles explain land plant evolution over 400 million years. Modern computer modeling of these principles offers insights into major morphological and anatomical changes during the Phanerozoic.

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Area of Science:

Paleobotany
Evolutionary Biology
Biomechanics

Background:

The fossil record reveals extensive morphological and anatomical changes in land plants over 400 million years.
Understanding the driving forces behind these evolutionary shifts is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To interpret and predict land plant evolution using engineering principles.
To investigate the factors motivating morphological and anatomical changes during the Phanerozoic.

Main Methods:

Applying standard engineering principles (mechanical stability, hydraulics) to fossil evidence.
Utilizing modern computer technology to construct theoretically based hypotheses.
Comparing theoretical models with major evolutionary trends in land plants.

Main Results:

Engineering principles provide a framework for understanding plant form and function evolution.
Computer-based hypotheses align with observed evolutionary trends in land plants.
Insights gained into the selective pressures shaping plant evolution.

Conclusions:

Morphological and anatomical changes in land plants are often predictable using engineering principles.
Modern computational approaches can illuminate evolutionary pathways.
Engineering and evolutionary biology are interconnected in understanding plant diversification.