Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Sutures of the Skull

Sutures of the Skull

The human skull is composed of several bones that come together to protect the brain and support the structures of the face. The junctions where these bones meet are called sutures.
Sutures are immobile joints between adjacent bones of the skull. The narrow gap between the bones is filled with dense, fibrous connective tissue that unites the bones. The long sutures located between the skull bones are not straight but instead follow irregular, tightly twisting paths. These twisting lines tightly...

Neurulation

Neurulation

Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...

Overview of the Skull

Overview of the Skull

The cranium (skull) is the skeletal structure of the head that supports the face and protects the brain. It is subdivided into the facial bones and the brain case, or cranial vault. The facial bones underlie the facial structures, form the nasal cavity, enclose the eyeballs, and support the teeth of the upper and lower jaws.
The cranial vault surrounds and protects the brain and houses the middle and inner ear structures. This cavity is bounded superiorly by the rounded top of the skull, which...

Convergent Evolution

Convergent Evolution

Evolution shapes the features of organisms over time, ensuring that they are suited for the environments in which they live. Sometimes, selection pressure leads to the rise of similar but unrelated adaptations in organisms with no recent common ancestors, a process known as convergent evolution.

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

Cranial Bones: Lateral View

The lateral view of the cranium is dominated by temporal, sphenoid, and ethmoid bones.
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Diversification dynamics in the global radiation of gobies.

Systematic biology·2026

Same author

Unlocking a flexible set of phylogenetic models for discrete and continuous trait evolution using discretized stochastic diffusion.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Habitat-specific temporal variation in the pace of fish diversification.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026

Same author

Latent feeding behaviors support trophic versatility in cichlids.

The Journal of experimental biology·2026

Same author

Chemical cues facilitate foraging across the water-land interface in a resident predatory fish.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2026

Same author

Multifaceted impacts of an innovation on dental diversity in an adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

Biting disrupts integration to spur skull evolution in eels.

David C Collar¹, Peter C Wainwright¹, Michael E Alfaro²

¹Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.

Nature Communications

|November 18, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Morphological evolution is constrained by how anatomical structures work together. Relaxing this functional integration, as seen in the shift from suction feeding to biting in eels, allows for greater skeletal diversification.

More Related Videos

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Published on: February 18, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 20, 2026

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy

Published on: January 30, 2014

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

Published on: May 7, 2016

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Creating Avian Forebrain Chimeras to Assess Facial Development

Published on: February 18, 2021

Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Comparative anatomy
Vertebrate paleontology

Background:

Functional integration of anatomical structures often limits morphological evolution.
Relaxed functional integration can facilitate evolutionary diversification.
Empirical evidence for this hypothesis across diverse taxa remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between prey capture strategies and skull diversification patterns.
To test if transitions in feeding behavior (suction vs. biting) alter functional integration and subsequent morphological evolution in eels (Anguilliformes).

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of skull morphology and evolutionary patterns in different eel feeding guilds.
Assessment of functional integration among skull components based on prey capture mechanics.
Phylogenetic comparative methods to infer evolutionary rates and patterns.

Main Results:

Transitions between suction feeding and biting in eels are linked to changes in skull diversification.
Biting eels exhibit greater evolutionary independence of jaws, hyoid, and operculum compared to suction feeders.
This increased morphological variation in biting eels correlates with relaxed functional integration required for their feeding strategy.

Conclusions:

Behavioral shifts in prey capture can alter the evolutionary potential of the vertebrate skeleton.
Weakened functional integration among skull elements, driven by behavioral transitions, promotes morphological diversification.
This study provides empirical support for the role of relaxed functional constraints in driving evolutionary innovation.