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Elizabeth Mendoza, M.S. student. Major advisor: Dan Moen. Evolutionary diversification and Biomechanics .
B.S. 2014, UC Riverside. |
Specific Interests
Biological springs allow animals to perform movements that would be nearly impossible with just muscle power. Collagenous tissues such as tendons, aponeurosis, and ligaments play multiple functions that facilitate animal locomotion including energy conservation, power attenuation, and power amplification. My line of research focuses on power amplification and how this may vary with ecological context. I study anurans from various lineages and use biomechanics and comparative biology methods to better understand how material changes can influence evolutionary diversification.