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Functional constraints during development limit jaw shape evolution in marsupials.

Anne-Claire Fabre1,2, Carys Dowling1, Roberto Portela Miguez1

  • 1Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5DB, UK.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|April 28, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Marsupials exhibit diverse jaw shapes and functional adaptations similar to placental mammals. However, their unique reproductive biology constrains mandible evolution, resulting in lower evolutionary rates and disparity compared to placentals.

Keywords:
convergencedevelopmental constraintecomorphologymammalsmandible

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Comparative anatomy
  • Mammalogy

Background:

  • Mammalian jaw evolution is influenced by ontogeny and reproductive strategies.
  • Marsupials (metatherians) have distinct early development compared to placental mammals (eutherians).
  • Hypothesized constraints on marsupial morphological diversification due to early development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate ecomorphological diversity and evolutionary rates of mammalian jaws.
  • To compare jaw shape evolution between marsupials and placental mammals.
  • To assess the impact of reproductive mode on jaw morphology.

Main Methods:

  • Geometric morphometrics applied to 151 extant and extinct mammal species.
  • Analysis of jaw shape across diverse phylogenetic, developmental, and functional groups.
  • Statistical comparison of disparity and evolutionary rates between metatherians and eutherians.

Main Results:

  • Jaw shape is significantly influenced by reproductive mode and diet.
  • Substantial ecomorphological convergence observed between marsupials and placentals.
  • Marsupials show significantly lower disparity and rates of mandible evolution than placentals.

Conclusions:

  • Despite ecomorphological diversity and convergence, marsupial jaw evolution is constrained by reproductive biology.
  • Reproductive mode plays a critical role in shaping evolutionary trajectories of mammalian jaws.
  • Marsupial jaw evolution demonstrates a unique pattern shaped by developmental and reproductive specializations.