Integration of biomechanics into ecology

Abstract

Biomechanics is the study of the morphology and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems. Broadly, an organism’s behavior is the result of accumulated motion; its morphology and locomotion, which are under mechanical constraints, affect the organism’s fitness via energy balance. Explorations of the mechanisms of biological systems have uncovered universal principles and functions of motion. Despite its wide implications, this field has been considered highly niche. We suggest that this perception can be overcome by addressing a wide range of questions across research themes in ecology. For example, there is growing interest in evolutionary biomechanics (i.e., mechanistic analysis of trade-offs between the functions and constraints of a given trait) as an effective path to addressing persistent evolutionary questions. Furthermore, we believe that biomechanics will continue to develop as an ecological field in its own right and in association with other fields. Here, we discuss current contributions of biomechanics to the field of ecology using representative research examples.