ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2019
Divergent evolutionary morphology of the axial skeleton as a potential key innovation in modern cetaceans.
Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- The convergent evolution of the pelvic suction cup: A unique key innovation in spiny-finned fishes.Science advances · 2026Article
- The Complex Interplay between Evolutionary Flexibility and Diversification in a Family of Spiders.Systematic biology · 2026Article
- Morphology and function of pinniped necks: The long and short of it.Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2025Article
- Evolutionary trends in the vertebral morphology of extant Delphinidae.BMC ecology and evolution · 2025Article
- Vertebral microstructure marks the emergence of pelagic ichthyosaurs soon after the End Permian Mass Extinction.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- An update on captive cetacean welfare.PeerJ · 2025Review
- The influence of the land-to-sea macroevolutionary transition on vertebral column disparification in Pinnipedia.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2024Article
- Dawn of the Delphinidans: New Remains ofBiology · 2024Article
- Article
- 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
- Body-axis organization in tetrapods: a model-system to disentangle the developmental origins of convergent evolution in deep time.Biology letters · 2022Review
- Vertebral Trabecular Bone Mechanical Properties Vary Among Functional Groups of Cetaceans.Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England) · 2022Article
- Divergent evolutionary morphology of the axial skeleton as a potential key innovation in modern cetaceans.Proceedings. Biological sciences · 2019Article
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3 authors.
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Abstract
Cetaceans represent the most diverse clade of extant marine tetrapods. Although the restructuring of oceans could have contributed to their diversity, other factors might also be involved. Similar to ichthyosaurs and sharks, variation of morphological traits could have promoted the colonization of new ecological niches and supported their diversification. By combining morphological data describing the axial skeleton of 73 cetacean species with phylogenetic comparative methods, we demonstrate that the vertebral morphology of cetaceans is associated with their habitat. All riverine and coastal species possess a small body size, lengthened vertebrae and a low vertebral count compared with open ocean species. Extant cetaceans have followed two distinct evolutionary pathways relative to their ecology. Whereas most offshore species such as baleen whales evolved towards an increased body size while retaining a low vertebral count, small oceanic dolphins underwent deep modifications of their axial skeleton with an extremely high number of short vertebrae. Our comparative analyses provide evidence these vertebral modifications have potentially operated as key innovations. These novelties contributed to their explosive radiation, resulting in an efficient swimming style that provides energetic advantages to small-sized species.
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