Scholarlink

<p>In this study, I used geometric morphometrics to investigate cranial variation among <i>Chaetodipus</i> species. The dataset comprised 69 landmarks on the crania of 522 adult voucher specimens, which represented 18 species from 171 localities. My focus was on the components and magnitude of scaled cranial shape variation, its evolutionary trajectory, and the taxonomic insights derived from this variation. Significant differences in centroid size and scaled cranial shape were observed across species, and scaled cranial shape had high classification accuracy (92–95%), demonstrating the utility of cranial morphology for species identification. Although size may provide some taxonomic utility, scaled cranial shape was a more variable and reliable taxonomic character. Based on their scaled shapes, many species clustered with members of their phylogenetic subclades, especially based on dorsal landmarks, and basal lineages such as <i>Chaetodipus baileyi</i> + <i>C. rudinoris</i> occupied distinct morphospace positions. Notably, clustering based on scaled cranial shape diverged from traditional taxonomic groupings (or “species groups”). The cranial variation observed in this study likely reflects a complex interaction between allometric and ecological influences. Larger crania, characterized by expanded rostra and reduced braincases, may be associated with adaptations to larger seed sizes. Additionally, habitat substrate influenced dorsal cranial shape, with <i>Chaetodipus</i> species in challenging burrowing conditions exhibiting broader crania, particularly in regions associated with fossoriality in hard substrates. My findings, combined with previous research, supported a revised taxonomy of <i>Chaetodipus</i>. Elevating certain phylogenetic clades to the rank of distinct genera or subgenera would better reflect their evolutionary history. Formal taxonomic descriptions, however, should await further investigation.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Interspecific cranial variation in coarse-haired pocket mice (Chaetodipus): a geometric morphometric analysis within a phylogenetic framework

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年4月23日

查看全文
  • Bader H. Alhajeri

摘要

In this study, I used geometric morphometrics to investigate cranial variation among Chaetodipus species. The dataset comprised 69 landmarks on the crania of 522 adult voucher specimens, which represented 18 species from 171 localities. My focus was on the components and magnitude of scaled cranial shape variation, its evolutionary trajectory, and the taxonomic insights derived from this variation. Significant differences in centroid size and scaled cranial shape were observed across species, and scaled cranial shape had high classification accuracy (92–95%), demonstrating the utility of cranial morphology for species identification. Although size may provide some taxonomic utility, scaled cranial shape was a more variable and reliable taxonomic character. Based on their scaled shapes, many species clustered with members of their phylogenetic subclades, especially based on dorsal landmarks, and basal lineages such as Chaetodipus baileyi + C. rudinoris occupied distinct morphospace positions. Notably, clustering based on scaled cranial shape diverged from traditional taxonomic groupings (or “species groups”). The cranial variation observed in this study likely reflects a complex interaction between allometric and ecological influences. Larger crania, characterized by expanded rostra and reduced braincases, may be associated with adaptations to larger seed sizes. Additionally, habitat substrate influenced dorsal cranial shape, with Chaetodipus species in challenging burrowing conditions exhibiting broader crania, particularly in regions associated with fossoriality in hard substrates. My findings, combined with previous research, supported a revised taxonomy of Chaetodipus. Elevating certain phylogenetic clades to the rank of distinct genera or subgenera would better reflect their evolutionary history. Formal taxonomic descriptions, however, should await further investigation.