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Skull morphological evolution in Malagasy endemic Nesomyinae rodents
Léa Terray1, Christiane Denys1, Steven M Goodman2,3
1Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, Paris, France.
Plos One
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Madagascar
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Zoology
- Paleontology
Background:
- Madagascar's unique geography fosters diverse endemic species.
- The Nesomyinae subfamily of rodents exhibits significant morphological variation.
- Understanding their evolution is key to Madagascar's ecological complexity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolution of skull morphology in Nesomyinae rodents.
- To characterize morphological disparity within the context of Madagascar's environment.
- To test the influence of ecological factors on skull size and shape.
Main Methods:
- Two-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of skull images.
- Analysis of 370 dorsal and 399 ventral skull images from 19 Nesomyinae species.
- Phylogenetic comparative analysis incorporating climate, locomotor habitat, and nychthemeral cycle.
Main Results:
- Skull shape significantly reflects phylogenetic relationships.
- Skull size does not show a significant phylogenetic signal.
- Climate influences skull shape, but ecological factors do not significantly impact skull size.
Conclusions:
- Nesomyinae skull evolution is strongly shaped by phylogeny and climate.
- Unexpected lack of ecological influence on skull size suggests unique evolutionary constraints.
- The radiation of Nesomyinae may have been limited by unusual local factors, not ecological release.
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