ArticleBMC evolutionary biology2018
Adaptation and constraint in the evolution of the mammalian backbone.
Article in BMC evolutionary biology, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers.
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Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed.
- Morphological variation in atlas and axis of Neotropical spiny rats (Rodentia, Echimyidae).Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2026Article
- Evolution of the reptile spine reveals independent trajectories to axial skeletal complexity in amniotes.Nature communications · 2026Article
- The Peculiar Necks of Herons and Anhingas: A Study of Cervical Morphology in Pelecanimorph Birds.Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England) · 2026Article
- Modularity and integration of the neural arch and vertebral centrum in primates.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2026Article
- Cranial modularity drives phenotypic diversification and adaptive radiation of Antarctic icefishes.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- The Carnivoran Adaptive Landscape Reveals Trade-offs among Functional Traits in the Skull, Appendicular, and Axial Skeleton.Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England) · 2025Article
- Origins of mammalian vertebral function revealed through digital bending experiments.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Small- to medium-sized mammals show greater morphological disparity in cervical than lumbar vertebrae across different terrestrial modes of locomotion.Ecology and evolution · 2024Article
- Extreme neck elongation evolved despite strong developmental constraints in bizarre Triassic reptiles-implications for neck modularity in archosaurs.Royal Society open science · 2024Article
- Uncovering the mosaic evolution of the carnivoran skeletal system.Biology letters · 2024Article
- Evolutionary ecomorphology for the twenty-first century: examples from mammalian carnivores.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2023Review
- Morphological evolution of bird wings follows a mechanical sensitivity gradient determined by the aerodynamics of flapping flight.Nature communications · 2023Article
- The impact of the land-to-sea transition on evolutionary integration and modularity of the pinniped backbone.Communications biology · 2023Article
- The neck as a keystone structure in avian macroevolution and mosaicism.BMC biology · 2023Article
- Intravertebral vs. intervertebral integration and modularity in the vertebral column of mammalian carnivorans.Journal of anatomy · 2023Article
- Divergent vertebral formulae shape the evolution of axial complexity in mammals.Nature ecology & evolution · 2023Article
- From Fairies to Giants: Untangling the Effect of Body Size, Phylogeny, and Ecology on Vertebral Bone Microstructure of Xenarthran Mammals.Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England) · 2023Article
- Article
- Regulation of posterior Hox genes by sex steroids explains vertebral variation in inbred mouse strains.Journal of anatomy · 2022Review
- Phenotypic regionalization of the vertebral column in the thorny skate Amblyraja radiata: Stability and variation.Journal of anatomy · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe axial skeleton consists of repeating units (vertebrae) that are integrated through their development and evolution. Unlike most tetrapods, vertebrae in the mammalian trunk are subdivided into distinct thoracic and lumbar modules, resulting in a system that is constrained in terms of count but highly variable in morphology. This study asks how thoracolumbar regionalization has impacted adaptation and evolvability across mammals. Using geometric morphometrics, we examine evolutionary patterns in five vertebral positions from diverse mammal species encompassing a broad range of locomotor ecologies. We quantitatively compare the effects of phylogenetic and allometric constraints, and ecological adaptation between regions, and examine their impact on evolvability (disparity and evolutionary rate) of serially-homologous vertebrae.
resultsAlthough phylogenetic signal and allometry are evident throughout the trunk, the effect of locomotor ecology is partitioned between vertebral positions. Lumbar vertebral shape correlates most strongly with ecology, differentiating taxa based on their use of asymmetric gaits. Similarly, disparity and evolutionary rates are also elevated posteriorly, indicating a link between the lumbar region, locomotor adaptation, and evolvability.
conclusionVertebral regionalization in mammals has facilitated rapid evolution of the posterior trunk in response to selection for locomotion and static body support.
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