Size, not phylogeny, explains the morphology of the endosseous labyrinth in the crown clade Crocodylia.

ABSTRACT: The endosseous labyrinths are associated with several functions, including hearing and spatial orientation. Throughout their evolutionary history, crocodylomorphs have thrived in diverse environments, and the morphology of their endosseous labyrinths has been suggested as a proxy for inferring their lifestyle. However, the relationships between the shape of their endosseous labyrinths and ontogenetic and phylogenetic factors are difficult to interpret and have rarely been investigated in depth previously, particularly in terms of dataset size. Here, we present the most complete dataset to date on the endosseous labyrinths of extant crocodylians, including 111 specimens covering 22 species of different ontogenetic status (from hatchlings to adults). Using 3D geometric morphometrics, we show

SUBMITTER: Pochat-Cottilloux Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11911125 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature