The evolution of morphospace in phytophagous scarab chafers: no competition--no divergence?

ABSTRACT: Body shape reflects species' evolution and mediates its role in the environment as it integrates gene expression, life style, and structural morphology. Its comparative analysis may reveal insight on what shapes shape, being a useful approach when other evidence is lacking. Here we investigated evolutionary patterns of body shape in the highly diverse phytophagous chafers (Scarabaeidae: Pleurosticti), a polyphagous group utilizing different parts of angiosperms. Because the reasons of their successful diversification are largely unknown, we used a phylogenetic tree and multivariate analysis on twenty linear measurements of body morphology including all major Pleurosticti lineages to infer patterns of morphospace covariation and divergence. The chafer's different feeding types resulted to b

SUBMITTER: Eberle J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4038600 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature