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Influences on cranial morphology in whales: Investigating the evolutionary history and diversity of the cetacean skull
Coombs, Ellen; Clavel, Julien; Felice, Ryan et al.
2021Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting
 

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Abstract :
[en] Odontoceti (toothed whales) and Mysticeti (baleen whales) diverged ~39 Ma. Odontocetes evolved high-frequency echolocation and shifted cranial bones posteriorly, while mysticetes evolved larger masses and filter-feeding. Despite an excellent fossil record, little quantitative study of shape evolution spanning cetacean diversity has been done. Here, we quantify morphological disparity and evolutionary rate in cranial shape to identify the major factors driving its evolution, including ecological traits and palaeoclimate. We scanned 88 living and 111 Eocene to Pliocene fossil cetaceans, representing the largest 3D dataset for cetaceans ever constructed. We used 123 3D coordinate-based landmarks and 1905 curve semilandmarks to capture cranial shape and analyzed data within a phylogenetic framework. The largest component of cranial variation (PC1 = 41.6%) reflects a posterior shift in the nares, followed by rostrum length (PC2 = 23.0%) with dolichocephalic (e.g., Pontoporia blainvillei) and brachycephalic (e.g., Kogia sima) crania representing the extremes. After accounting for phylogeny, habitat had no significant effect on skull shape, but diet, feeding, and tooth type did. The highest morphological disparity is in the premaxilla and nasal, with the highest evolutionary rate ( 2 mult) in the frontal. Disparity rises rapidly in the Middle-Late Oligocene and peaks in the Middle-Late Miocene. A model with rate of cranial evolution tracking paleotemperature outperformed Brownian motion and Early Burst models and suggests highest rates in the Latest Eocene and Early-Mid Oligocene (during periods of global cooling) with a further peak in evolutionary rates during the Mid-Miocene warming period.
Disciplines :
Zoology
Author, co-author :
Coombs, Ellen;  Natural History Museum, London
Clavel, Julien;  Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1 - UCLB
Felice, Ryan;  University College London - UCL
Bennion, Rebecca  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Evolution and diversity dynamics lab
Beatty, Brian;  NYIT College Of Osteopathic Medicine
Goswami, Anjali;  Natural History Museum, London
Park, Travis;  Natural History Museum, London
Churchill, Morgan;  University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
Geisler, Jonathan;  New York Institute of Technology
Language :
English
Title :
Influences on cranial morphology in whales: Investigating the evolutionary history and diversity of the cetacean skull
Publication date :
2021
Event name :
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting
Event date :
3 January - 28 February 2021
Audience :
International
Available on ORBi :
since 12 May 2021

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