Analysis of morphological variability and heritability in the head of the Argentine Black and White Tegu ( Salvator merianae ): undisturbed vs. disturbed environments

Morphometric Variability in Lizards of the Genus Teius: A Comparative Study of Species with Different Reproductive Modes

“…In recent years, many researchers have applied geometric morphometrics to study the external morphology of lizards. For example, the geometric morphometric method has been used to determine if intersexual differences in bite force are related to differences in head size (Fabre et al, 2014), to investigate the proximate causes underlying adult head sexual dimorphism (Bruner et al, 2005; Kaliontzopoulou et al, 2008; Kaliontzopoulou, 2010), and to evaluate the degree and pattern of shape variation in relation to environmental pressures, functional cranial dynamics, or both (Bruner and Costantini, 2009; Imhoff et al, 2018). Studies of head shape often use scales as indicators of head morphology because scales cover the entire cephalic volume and develop alongside skull bones, representing visible and homologous anatomical references (Bellairs and Kamal, 1981; Bruner et al, 2005; Costantini et al, 2010).…”