Evolution of the batoidea pectoral fin skeleton: convergence, modularity, and integration driving disparity trends.

ABSTRACT: Batoids (skates and rays) are the most speciose group of cartilaginous fishes with a diverse array of ecological adaptations and swimming modes. Early skeletal fossil remains and recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that convergence among batoids has occurred independently multiple times. The drivers for such disparity patterns and possible association with modularity and phenotypic integration among batoids are not fully understood. Here we employed geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to characterize the evolutionary trends in the basal fin skeleton of extinct and extant batoids and dorsoventrally flattened sharks. We found that the most speciose orders of batoids, Myliobatiformes and Rajiformes, display the lowest levels of morphological disparity, while Torpedin

SUBMITTER: Lopez-Romero FA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7617449 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature