The Genetic Basis of Baculum Size and Shape Variation in Mice.

ABSTRACT: The rapid divergence of male genitalia is a preeminent evolutionary pattern. This rapid divergence is especially striking in the baculum, a bone that occurs in the penis of many mammalian species. Closely related species often display diverse baculum morphology where no other morphological differences can be discerned. While this fundamental pattern of evolution has been appreciated at the level of gross morphology, nearly nothing is known about the genetic basis of size and shape divergence. Quantifying the genetic basis of baculum size and shape variation has been difficult because these structures generally lack obvious landmarks, so comparing them in three dimensions is not straightforward. Here, we develop a novel morphometric approach to quantify size and shape variation from three-d

SUBMITTER: Schultz NG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4856068 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature