Cranial ecomorphology of turtles and neck retraction as a possible trigger of ecological diversification.

ABSTRACT: Turtles have a highly modified body plan, including a rigid shell that constrains postcranial anatomy. Skull morphology and neck mobility may therefore be key to ecological specialization in turtles. However, the ecological signal of turtle skull morphologies has not been rigorously evaluated, leaving uncertainties about the roles of ecological adaptation and convergence. We evaluate turtle cranial ecomorphology using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods. Skull shape correlates with allometry, neck retraction capability, and different aquatic feeding ecologies. We find that ecological variables influence skull shape only, whereas a key functional variable (the capacity for neck retraction) influences both shape and size. Ecology and functional pred

SUBMITTER: Hermanson G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9828723 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature