Multifunctional Structures and Multistructural Functions: Integration in the Evolution of Biomechanical Systems.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Biomechanics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Integration, the coordination of system components, is crucial in complex biomechanical systems.
• It operates across various time scales, from microseconds to evolutionary epochs.
• Integration's role in promoting or constraining morphological evolution is debated and system-dependent.

Discussion:

• This introduction synthesizes the 2019 symposium on Multifunctional Structures and Multistructural Functions.
• It examines integration's role in functional integration and multifunctionality.
• Articles explore integration across kinematics, sensory-motor systems, physiology, development, and morphometrics.

Key Insights:

• Integration occurs at multiple organizational levels, influencing structural and functional phenotypes.
• Multifunctionality and integration are key concepts in understanding evolutionary patterns.
• Interactions between levels of organization create complex phenotypic outcomes.

Outlook:

• Future research should focus on the evolutionary implications of multifunctionality.
• Investigating interactions between different levels of biological organization is crucial.
• Understanding integration's role across diverse biological systems offers new evolutionary insights.