Vertebrate Evolution

An introduction to tetrapod feeding

by Kurt Schwenk

Diversity of vertebrate feeding systems

by Kurt Schwenk

Morphometrical Variations of Malaysian Hipposideros Species. 2012

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Read Vijaya et al (2012)

A study on the morphometrical variations among four Malaysian Hipposideros species was conducted using voucher... more A study on the morphometrical variations among four Malaysian Hipposideros species was conducted using voucher specimens deposited in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) Zoological Museum and the Department of Widlife and National Park (DWNP) Kuala Lumpur. Twenty two individuals from four species of Hipposideros ater, H. bicolor, H. cineraceus and H. dyacorum were morphologically measured, in which a total of 27 linear parameters of body, skull and dentals of each were appropriately recorded. The statistical data were later subjected to discriminant function analysis (DFA) and canonical variate analysis (CVA) using SPSS version 15.0 and unweighted pair-group method average (UPGMA) cluster analysis using Minitab version 14.4. The highest character loadings observed in Function l, Function 2 and Function 3 were the forearm length (FA), the third digit second phalanx length (D3P2L) and the palatal length (PL) with standardised canonical discriminant function coefficient values of 21.910, 5.770 and 5.095, respectively. These three characters were identified as the best diagnostic features for discriminating these closely related species of Hipposideros. Hence, this morphometric approach could be a promising tool as an alternative to the molecular
DNA analysis for identification of Chiroptera species.

Biogeography and variation of the Malaysian fruit bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, in Sunda Shelf 2003

by M.T. Abdullah, PhD

Five more studies by BU, UKM & UNIMAS had tested and confirmed similar findings in this 2003 PhD study.

There are more then one species in the Malayan fruit bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, species complex based on the... more There are more then one species in the Malayan fruit bat, Cynopterus brachyotis, species complex based on the mophological and MtDNA cytochorome b analyses. The small form is found in the closed canopy forest while the larger form utilised the open habitat. There is a new species within the C. brachyotis populations yet to be described.

Phylogenetic informativeness profiling of 12 genes for 28 vertebrate taxa without divergence dates

by Jeffrey Townsend

Review of fossil pangolins (Mammalia: Pholidota) in respect to their phylogenetic relationships

by Georgia Maclean-Henry

An unpublished review

Darwin´s pigeons and the evolution of columbiforms: recapitulation of ancient genes

by Juan Martínez-Gómez

Acta Zoológica Mexicana (n.s.) 25(3): 719-741.  2009.

To commemorate the sesquicentennial of Charles Darwin´s “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”, we... more To commemorate the sesquicentennial of Charles Darwin´s “On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection”, we address an essential topic in this publication. Domestic pigeons were extremely important in shaping Darwin’s theory of evolution: pigeons featured prominently not only in his “Origin of Species”, but also in his treatise on “Variation under Domestication”, in his “Descent of Man” and finally in his “Expression of Emotions”. Darwin saw the process of domestication as solid evidence demonstrating the power of selection. He argued convincingly that all domestic pigeon breeds (some 150 in his day) descended from one ancestral species, the Rock Dove (Columba livia), and that from this single species, humans selected directionally for colors, sizes, shapes, peculiarities of bill shape and length, plumage characteristics and voice qualities. While these domestic races achieved remarkable morphological differentiation under selection in the course of human generations, extant genera of pigeons (Columbiformes) have attained similar traits during the course of natural selection in the wild. We present a comparison of such characters between modern domestic breeds of the Rock Dove, the original Darwin´s Pigeons plus new breeds, and wild pigeon species to encourage further studies on their evolution in the light of molecular techniques not available at Darwin´s time.

Morphology, characters, and the interrelationships of basal sarcopterygians

by Richard Cloutier

Authors: Cloutier, R. & P.E. Ahlberg
Year:1996
Reference: Pp. 445–479.  In M.L.J. Stiassny, L.R. Parenti & G.D. Johnson (eds.) Interrelationships of Fishes.  Academic Press, New York

Taxonomy and palaeobiology of the largest‐ever marsupial, Diprotodon Owen, 1838 (Diprotodontidae, Marsupialia)

by Gilbert Price

Price, G.J., 2008. Taxonomy and palaeobiology of the largest-ever marsupial, Diprotodon Owen 1838 (Diprotodontidae, Marsupialia). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 153, 389-417.

To determine accurately the rates of late Pleistocene megafaunal loss, it is fundamentally important to have accurate... more To determine accurately the rates of late Pleistocene megafaunal loss, it is fundamentally important to have accurate taxonomic information for every species. In Australia, accurate taxonomic information is lacking for several Pleistocene groups, including the largest marsupial ever to live, Diprotodon Owen, 1838. Diprotodon taxonomy has been complicated by early nomenclatural problems and by the occurrence of two distinct size classes of individuals that do not reflect an ontogenetic series. Traditionally, the two size classes have been regarded as separate species. However, a taxonomic investigation of large samples (> 1000 teeth) of Diprotodon material from several different fossil localities in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria suggests that there is little evidence for the discrimination of more than one morphospecies. Thus, Diprotodon is here considered a monotypic genus and the single morphospecies, D. optatum Owen, 1838 is considered to have been highly sexually dimorphic. By drawing analogy with extant sexually dimorphic megaherbivores and marsupials, the large form was probably male, and the small form was probably female. Diprotodon optatum probably moved in small, gender-segregated herds, and exhibited a polygynous breeding strategy. As a single morphospecies, D. optatum had a near-continental geographical distribution, similar to that of extant megaherbivores, possibly indicating its niche as a habitat generalist

Persistent predator–prey dynamics revealed by mass extinction

by Lauren Sallan

End-Devonian extinction and a bottleneck in the early evolution of modern jawed vertebrates

by Lauren Sallan

[poster] Methods of determining cranial and postcranial character congruence

by Ross Mounce

This was my poster for the 55th Palaeontology Association annual meeting 2011 in Plymouth. More information here: http://www.palass.org/modules.php?name=annual_meeting&page=19

Tests of partition homogeneity are routinely applied to matrices amalgamating data from more than one molecular... more Tests of partition homogeneity are routinely applied to matrices amalgamating data from more than one molecular marker, or combining molecular and morphological evidence.
Incongruent phylogenetic signals from different partitions are variously explicable in terms of different evolutionary histories (in the case of genes), different selective pressures, and/or different signal strengths and levels of noise. However, this approach has rarely been applied to partitions of morphological data sets. In this poster, I document the use of the incongruence length difference test to determine not only the amount of incongruence between cranial and postcranial character partitions but also its relative significance. Where significant incongruence is encountered we suggest this may be inferred as evidence for evolutionary modularity and/or a difference in the rate of evolution of these partitions.

Weak links and scene cliques in Shakespeare's plays.

by Matthew Hudson

Stiller, J. and Hudson, M., 2005. Weak links and scene cliques in Shakespeare's plays. Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology. 3, 57-73.

Forms of narrative such as drama allow for the transmission of information to large audiences. The drama therefore has... more Forms of narrative such as drama allow for the transmission of information to large audiences. The drama therefore has to contain structural elements that are easily accessible to the viewer. The structures of 10 plays by William Shakespeare were studied and shown to exhibit small world properties, in that any node (character) in a network is connected to any other node by only a few intermediate steps. It is suggested that the number of characters that are present within each scene reflect similar numbers to those of observed human support cliques. This might reflect possible cognitive limits, as when there is an increase in the number of characters within a play rather than add new characters to a scene Shakespeare has instead created new scenes, thus maintaining the scene clique size. These scene cliques are connected by a series of weak links (keystone characters) that maintain the flow of information within a growing network of characters. It is suggested that this might provide a useful basis for further research into the structure, purpose and development of drama.

Lee, M.S.Y., Gow, C., and Kitching, J.W. 1997. Anatomy and relationships of Pareiasuchus nasicornis (Pareiasauridae: Amniota), a large Permian reptile from Zambia. Palaeontology 40: 307-335.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

Lee, M.S.Y. 2005. Squamate phylogeny revisited: taxon sampling, character analysis, and data congruence. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 5: 25-45.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

Lee, M.S.Y., Scanlon, J.D. 2002. Snake phylogeny based on osteology, soft anatomy and behaviour. Biological Reviews 77: 333-401.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

Scanlon, J.D. and Lee, M.S.Y. 2001. Snakes from the serpent dreamtime. Nature Australia 27(3):36-45.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

Lee, M.S.Y. 2001. Snake origins and the need for scientific agreement on vernacular names. Paleobiology 27: 1-6.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

Caldwell, M. W. and Lee, M. S. Y. 2001. Live-bearing in Cretaceous marine lizards (Mosasauroidea). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences 268: 2397-2401.

by Michael S. Y. Lee

For press coverage see here...
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_4_111/ai_85281566/
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/08/polycotylus-the-good-mother-plesiosaur/

Lee, M.S.Y. 2001. Molecules, morphology and the monophyly of diapsid reptiles. Contributions to Zoology 70: 1-22.

by Michael S. Y. Lee