A revised metric for quantifying body shape in vertebrates

Collar, David C.; Reynaga, Crystal; Ward, Andrea B.; Mehta, Rita S.

doi:10.1016/j.zool.2013.03.001

Cited by 24 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 50 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The most posterior vertebrae within fishes are the caudal vertebrae and feature both hemal and neural arches ( Fig. 1a; Collar et al, 2013). While the types of vertebrae present across fishes are consistent, actual vertebral number varies greatly (Ward and Brainerd, 2007).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How temperature‐induced variation in musculoskeletal anatomy affects escape performance and survival of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Ackerly

Ward

2015

J. Exp. Zool.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Fishes are particularly sensitive to the effects of environmental conditions during early development, which can significantly impact adult morphology, performance, and survival. Previous research has highlighted the sensitivity of fishes to the effects of temperature during early development on vertebral number and muscle composition, which are both important determinants of an individual's swimming performance. In this study, we investigated the effect of developmental temperature on vertebral and muscle variation, and the subsequent effect of any variation on burst swimming performance in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Following development at a range of temperatures, all individuals were shifted to and maintained at a common temperature before startle responses were recorded and individuals were analyzed for either vertebral number or muscle composition. Our results indicate that developmental temperature does not significantly affect muscle composition, but can affect an individual's vertebral number, and that individuals with more vertebrae achieved greater displacement and velocities during C-start performance. To determine the ecological importance of this vertebral variation and to identify the potential selective factors behind it, we exposed populations of zebrafish with various vertebral numbers to native predators, needlenose garfish (Xenentodon cancila). We found that only caudal vertebral number was related to survival, and that survivors had the same caudal vertebral number across developmental temperatures. Overall, this work highlights the importance of including variation in musculoskeletal anatomy when investigating what is driving selection in fishes. J. Exp. Zool. 325A:25-40, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

show abstract

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How temperature‐induced variation in musculoskeletal anatomy affects escape performance and survival of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Ackerly

Ward

2015

J. Exp. Zool.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…) and, more generally, on vertebrate morphology (Collar et al. ). These similarities suggest that EFT can describe both quantitatively and objectively the known morphological features and reveal more subtle components of morphological diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A morphometric dive into fish diversity

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Trait‐based approaches are increasingly popular in ecology to describe communities and their responses to natural or anthropogenic changes. Morphology is an integrative trait that combines functional and evolutionary information. However, the objective and quantitative description of the morphological diversity is quite challenging. Modern morphometrics encompass an array of mathematical approaches that turn shapes into quantitative variables. For models with no or only a few homologous points, outline analysis (e.g., elliptical Fourier transform) converts the outline geometry into quantitative variables, which can be used in the multivariate framework. The elliptical Fourier transform here describes the shape of 85 fish species found in the North Sea. This study shows that the main component of morphological diversity in the North sea is the elongation and development of dorsal, pelvic, and caudal fins. The spatial distribution of morphological diversity decreases along a latitudinal gradient, with higher diversity in the southern part of the study area. Compared to species diversity, our results indicate that environmental conditions filter morphological traits in the northern North Sea. Outline analysis is a powerful approach to provide an objective description of fish morphology and to improve our understanding of the diversity of large marine ecosystems.

show abstract

“…More probable is that changes in opercular shape reflect behavioural differences such as an increased importance of the opercular pump in gill ventilation relative to passive ram ventilation, or changes in body shape. We calculated Felsenstein's contrasts correlation (after Felsenstein, ) using the PDAP module (Midford, Garland & Maddison, ) in Mesquite (Maddison & Maddison, ) to examine the relationship between the depth : length ratio of the operculum and the fineness ratio (Collar et al ., ), a measure of axial elongation, in saurichthyids. Birgeria was excluded, as operculum morphology is not closely comparable to saurichthyids, and homology issues exist.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fork length was measured from the most anterior point on the fish to the most posterior point along the axial midline. The fineness ratio, a measure of axial elongation in saurichthyids, is defined as length divided by the maximum depth of the body as preserved (Collar et al ., ). Descriptions pertain to the holotype specimen unless explicitly noted to avoid confusion if the referred material is later reassigned.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Two new species ofSaurichthys(Actinopterygii: Saurichthyidae) from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland, with implications for character evolution in the genus

Maxwell

Romano

et al. 2015

Zool J Linn Soc

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Saurichthys, characterized by a long slender body and an elongated rostrum, is one of the most iconic genera of Late Paleozoic-Early Mesozoic fishes. The genus was particularly speciose in the Triassic, with a global distribution in both marine and freshwater habitats. Here, we describe two new species from the Middle Triassic Besano Formation of Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland, Saurichthys breviabdominalis sp. nov. and Saurichthys rieppeli sp. nov. S. breviabdominalis is characterized by a proportionately long operculum, short abdominal region and riblike mid-lateral scales, whereas S. rieppeli is divergent from other Middle Triassic saurichthyids in the block-like haemal arches, fringing fulcra on the pelvic and unpaired fins, and reduction of the squamation to a single row in the abdominal region. Phylogenetic analysis places S. rieppeli in a basal position relative to congeners from the Alpine Triassic, and supports previous hypotheses regarding the convergent evolution of reduced squamation within saurichthyids. S. breviabdominalis forms a monophyletic group with species from the same locality, suggesting divergence in sympatry. This finding has implications for our understanding of disparity and character evolution in saurichthyid fishes, as well as ecomorphological divergence and resource partitioning between closely related fishes in Triassic marine ecosystems.

show abstract

A revised metric for quantifying body shape in vertebrates

Cited by 24 publications

References 50 publications

How temperature‐induced variation in musculoskeletal anatomy affects escape performance and survival of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

How temperature‐induced variation in musculoskeletal anatomy affects escape performance and survival of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

A morphometric dive into fish diversity

Two new species ofSaurichthys(Actinopterygii: Saurichthyidae) from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio, Switzerland, with implications for character evolution in the genus

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About