Leaves and Violins Evolved in the Same Fashion

A biologist is making the argument that the violin and your average plant leaf are a lot more similar than you may think, with both being shaped and changed over time thanks to ever-changing environments and trends of structure.

"There are many parallels between leaves and violins," Dan Chitwood, of the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, argued in a recent release. "Both have beautiful shapes that are potentially functional, change over time, or result from mimicry. Shape is information that can tell us a story. Just as evolutionary changes in leaf shape inform us about mechanisms that ultimately determine plant morphology, the analysis of cultural innovations, such as violins, gives us a glimpse into the historical forces shaping our lives and creativity."

Chitwood's research involves the tools of "morphometrics," which reportedly helps experts quantify traits of evolutionary significance and earn insight into an object's function or evolutionary relationships.

In a study recently published in the journal PLOS One, the researcher looks to violins in particular, detailing how the historical change in violin design mirrors similar structural trends seen in leaf evolution.

According to the study, Chitwood compiled data on the body shapes of more than 9,000 violins from over 400 years of design history using records collected from auction houses.

He then applied his knowledge of the evolutionary changes leaves underwent over millions of years to break down and classify the "evolution" of the violin's structure. (Scroll to read on...)

He found that specific shape attributes differentiate the variously aged instruments, and these details strongly correlate with certain moments in historical time. He was able to break key designs into different families, clustering images of averaged violin shapes into four major groups.

Interestingly, "genetics" also play a role, in which the origin of a specific violin's family will influence its design, despite the year that it was made in.

Chitwood now hopes to take some of the morphometric data he learned when conducting this study and apply it to an analysis of modern crops.

"I'll be a happy scientist and musician if by understanding violin evolution this helps lead to improved crop plants that are more productive and sustainable," he said.