Patterns and implications of extensive heterochrony in carnivoran cranial suture closure.

ABSTRACT: Heterochronic changes in the rate or timing of development underpin many evolutionary transformations. In particular, the onset and rate of bone development have been the focus of many studies across large clades. In contrast, the termination of bone growth, as estimated by suture closure, has been studied far less frequently, although a few recent studies have shown this to represent a variable, although poorly understood, aspect of developmental evolution. Here, we examine suture closure patterns across 25 species of carnivoran mammals, ranging from social-insectivores to hypercarnivores, to assess variation in suture closure across taxa, identify heterochronic shifts in a phylogenetic framework and elucidate the relationship between suture closure timing and ecology. Our results show th

SUBMITTER: Goswami A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4166780 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature