Changes in ontogenetic patterns facilitate diversification in skull shape of Australian agamid lizards.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Morphological diversity among closely related animals can be the result of differing growth patterns. The Australian radiation of agamid lizards (Amphibolurinae) exhibits great ecological and morphological diversity, which they have achieved on a continent-wide scale, in a relatively short period of time (30 million years). Amphibolurines therefore make an ideal study group for examining ontogenetic allometry. We used two-dimensional landmark-based geometric morphometric methods to characterise the postnatal growth patterns in cranial shape of 18 species of amphibolurine lizards and investigate the associations between cranial morphology, and life habit and phylogeny.

Results

For most amphibolurine species, juveniles share a similar cranial phenotype, but by adult

SUBMITTER: Gray JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6325775 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature