Early bursts of disparity and the reorganization of character integration.

ABSTRACT: 'Early bursts' of morphological disparity (i.e. diversity of anatomical types) are common in the fossil record. We typically model such bursts as elevated early rates of independent character change. Developmental theory predicts that modules of linked characters can change together, which would mimic the effects of elevated independent rates on disparity. However, correlated change introducing suboptimal states should encourage breakup (parcellation) of character suites allowing new (or primitive) states to evolve until new suites arise (relinkage). Thus, correlated change-breakup-relinkage presents mechanisms for early bursts followed by constrained evolution. Here, I analyse disparity in 257 published character matrices of fossil taxa. For each clade, I use inverse-modelling to infer mo

SUBMITTER: Wagner PJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6253373 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature