Ecomorphological diversification in squamates from conserved pattern of cranial integration.

ABSTRACT: Factors intrinsic and extrinsic to organisms dictate the course of morphological evolution but are seldom considered together in comparative analyses. Among vertebrates, squamates (lizards and snakes) exhibit remarkable morphological and developmental variations that parallel their incredible ecological spectrum. However, this exceptional diversity also makes systematic quantification and analysis of their morphological evolution challenging. We present a squamate-wide, high-density morphometric analysis of the skull across 181 modern and extinct species to identify the primary drivers of their cranial evolution within a unified, quantitative framework. Diet and habitat preferences, but not reproductive mode, are major influences on skull-shape evolution across squamates, with fossorial an

SUBMITTER: Watanabe A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6642379 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature