Morphological disparity across the K-Pg boundary in mollusk shells: A theoretical morphology approach.

ABSTRACT: Theoretical morphospace as a tool for understanding evolutionary changes in molluscan shell form is applied to analysis of biodiversity change across the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. Although empirical morphospaces based on geometric morphometric descriptors are widely used, theoretical morphospaces offer better insights into the macroevolutionary constraints on morphospace occupation. The purpose of this work is to characterize the morphological disparity in mollusk shells during the Cretaceous and Paleogene, and specifically across the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary. Disparity measurements are derived from a recently proposed theoretical morphospace that is based on shell geometric parameters closely related to molluscan ecology and functional morphology. The case study f

SUBMITTER: Contreras-Figueroa G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12923056 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature