Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
915
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
915 results for “morphological evolution”
Data from: Correlated evolution of body and fin morphology in the cichlid fishes
Body and fin shape are chief determinants of swimming performance in fishes. Different configurations of body and fin shape can suit different locomotor specializations. The success of any configuration is dependent upon the hydrodynamic interactions between body and fins. Despite the importance of body-fin interactions for swimming, there are few data indicating whether body and fin configurations evolve in concert, or whether these structures vary independently. The cichlid fishes are a diverse family whose well-studied phylogenetic relationships make them ideal for the study of macroevolution of ecomorphology. This study measured body, caudal and median fin morphology from radiographs of 131 cichlid genera, using morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to determine whether these traits exhibit correlated evolution. Partial least squares canonical analysis revealed that body, caudal fin, dorsal fin, and anal fin shapes all exhibited strong correlated evolution consistent with locomotor ecomorphology. Major patterns included the evolution of deep body profiles with long fins, suggestive of maneuvering specialization; and the evolution of narrow, elongate caudal peduncles with concave tails, a combination that characterizes economical cruisers. These results demonstrate that body shape evolution does not occur independently of other traits, but among a suite of other morphological changes that augment locomotor specialization.
Data from: Morphological innovation and the evolution of hadrosaurid dinosaurs
The hadrosaurids were a successful group of herbivorous dinosaurs. During the Late Cretaceous, 100 to 66 million years ago, hadrosaurids had high diversity, rapid speciation rates, and wide geographic distribution. Most hadrosaurids were large-bodied and had similar postcranial skeletons. However, they show important innovations in the skull, including disparate crests that functioned as socio-sexual display structures, and a complex feeding apparatus, with specialized jaws bearing dental batteries. Little is known about the macroevolutionary processes that produced these evolutionary novelties. Here we provide novel perspectives using evolutionary rates and disparity analyses. Our results show that hadrosaurid cranial evolution was complex and dynamic, but their postcranial skeleton and body size were conservative. High cranial disparity was achieved through multiple bursts of phenotypic innovation. We highlight contrasting evolutionary trends between the disparate facial skeleton and crests, which both showed multiple high-rate shifts, and the feeding apparatus, which had low variance and high rates on a single phylogenetic branch leading to the diverse Saurolophidae, within hadrosaurids. We reveal that rapid evolutionary rates were important for producing the high disparity of exaggerated crests, and present novel evidence that the hadrosaurid diversification was linked to both a key adaptive innovation in the feeding apparatus, and to multiple bursts of innovation in socio-sexual displays.
Data from: Rates of morphological evolution are correlated with species richness in salamanders
The tempo and mode of species diversification and phenotypic evolution vary widely across the tree of life, yet the relationship between these processes is poorly known. Previous tests of the relationship between rates of phenotypic evolution and rates of species diversification have assumed that species richness increases continuously through time. If this assumption is violated, simple phylogenetic estimates of net diversification rate may bear no relationship to processes that influence the distribution of species richness among clades. Here we demonstrate that the variation in species richness among plethodontid salamander clades is unlikely to have resulted from simple time-dependent processes, leading to fundamentally different conclusions about the relationship between rates of phenotypic evolution and species diversification. Morphological evolutionary rates of both size and shape evolution are correlated with clade species richness, but are uncorrelated with simple estimators of net diversification that assume constancy of rates through time. This coupling between species diversification and phenotypic evolution is consistent with the hypothesis that clades with high rates of morphological trait evolution may diversify more than clades with low rates. Our results indicate that assumptions about underlying processes of diversity regulation have important consequences for interpreting macroevolutionary patterns.
Data from: Multiple sexual selection pressures drive the rapid evolution of complex morphology in a male secondary genital structure
The genitalia of internally fertilizing taxa represent a striking example of rapid morphological evolution. Although sexual selection can shape variation in genital morphology, it has been difficult to test whether multiple sexual selection pressures combine to drive the rapid evolution of individual genital structures. Here, we test the hypothesis that both pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection can act in concert to shape complex structural variation in secondary genital morphology. We genetically modified the size and shape of the posterior lobes of Drosophila melanogaster males and tested the consequences of morphological variation on several reproductive measures. We found that the posterior lobes are necessary for genital coupling and that they are also the targets of multiple postcopulatory processes that shape quantitative variation in morphology, even though these structures make no direct contact with the external female genitalia or internal reproductive organs during mating. We also found that males with smaller and less structurally complex posterior lobes suffer substantial fitness costs in competitive fertilization experiments. Our results show that sexual selection mechanisms can combine to shape the morphology of a single genital structure and that the posterior lobes of D. melanogaster are the targets of multiple postcopulatory selection pressures.
Data from: A three-dimensional analysis of the morphological evolution and locomotor behaviour of the carnivoran hind limb
Background: The shape of the appendicular bones in mammals usually reflects adaptations towards different locomotor abilities. However, other aspects such as body size and phylogeny also play an important role in shaping bone design. We used 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics to analyse the shape of the hind limb bones (i.e., femur, tibia, and pelvic girdle bones) of living and extinct terrestrial carnivorans (Mammalia, Carnivora) to quantitatively investigate the influence of body size, phylogeny, and locomotor behaviour in shaping the morphology of these bones. We also investigated the main patterns of morphological variation within a phylogenetic context. Results: Size and phylogeny strongly influence the shape of the hind limb bones. In contrast, adaptations towards different modes of locomotion seem to have little influence. Principal Components Analysis and the study of phylomorphospaces suggest that the main source of variation in bone shape is a gradient of slenderness-robustness. Conclusion: The shape of the hind limb bones is strongly influenced by body size and phylogeny, but not to a similar degree by locomotor behaviour. The slender-robust "morphological bipolarity" found in bone shape variability is probably related to a trade-off between maintaining energetic efficiency and withstanding resistance to stresses. The balance involved in this trade-off impedes the evolution of high phenotypic variability. In fact, both morphological extremes (slender/robust) are adaptive in different selective contexts and lead to a convergence in shape among taxa with extremely different ecologies but with similar biomechanical demands. Strikingly, this "one-to-many mapping" pattern of evolution between morphology and ecology in hind limb bones is in complete contrast to the "many-to-one mapping" pattern found in the evolution of carnivoran skull shape. The results suggest that there are more constraints in the evolution of the shape of the appendicular skeleton than in that of skull shape because of the strong biomechanical constraints imposed by terrestrial locomotion.
Data from: Incongruence between morphological data sets: an example from the evolution of endoparasitism among parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Phylogenetic analyses of molecular and morphological data sets for a group of parasitic wasps (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) give strikingly different results. The molecular data indicate that the major life history transition from ectoparasitism to endoparasitism has occurred independently several times within the family while the morphological data indicate a single origin. Similar incongruent topologies are obtained if the morphological data are partitioned by either of two methods: distinguishing (1) characters of the larval stage and female reproductive system, or (2) characters selected individually by the authors prior to the analysis as likely to be mechanistically associated with endo/ectoparasitism. This result is supported by significant differences in tests of incongruence, and we propose that it is caused by convergence among morphological characters resulting from a shared life history strategy.
Data from: High lability of sexual system over 250 million years of evolution in morphologically conservative tadpole shrimps
Background: Sexual system is a key factor affecting the genetic diversity, population structure, genome structure and the evolutionary potential of species. The sexual system androdioecy -- where males and hermaphrodites coexist in populations -- is extremely rare, yet is found in three crustacean groups, barnacles, a genus of clam shrimps Eulimnadia, and in the order Notostraca, the tadpole shrimps. In the ancient crustacean order Notostraca, high morphological conservatism contrasts with a wide diversity of sexual systems, including androdioecy. An understanding of the evolution of sexual systems in this group has been hampered by poor phylogenetic resolution and confounded by the widespread occurrence of cryptic species. Here we use a multigene supermatrix for 30 taxa to produce a comprehensive phylogenetic reconstruction of Notostraca. Based on this phylogenetic reconstruction we use character mapping techniques to investigate the evolution of sexual systems. We also tested the hypothesis that reproductive assurance has driven the evolution of androdioecy in Notostraca. Results: Character mapping analysis showed that sexual system is an extremely flexible trait within Notostraca, with repeated shifts between gonochorism and androdioecy, the latter having evolved a minimum of five times. In agreement with the reproductive assurance hypothesis androdioecious notostracans are found at significantly higher latitudes than gonochoric ones indicating that post glacial re-colonisation may have selected for the higher colonisation ability conferred by androdioecy. Conclusions: In contrast to their conserved morphology, sexual system in Notostraca is highly labile and the rare reproductive mode androdioecy has evolved repeatedly within the order. Furthermore, we conclude that this lability of sexual system has been maintained for at least 250 million years and may have contributed to the long term evolutionary persistence of Notostraca. Our results further our understanding of the evolution of androdioecy and indicate that reproductive assurance is a recurrent theme involved in the evolution of this sexual system.
Data from: A continuous morphological approach to study the evolution of pollen in a phylogenetic context: an example with the order Myrtales
The study of pollen morphology has historically allowed evolutionary biologists to assess phylogenetic relationships among Angiosperms, as well as to better understand the fossil record. During this process, pollen has mainly been studied by discretizing some of its main characteristics such as size, shape, and exine ornamentation. One large plant clade in which pollen has been used this way for phylogenetic inference and character mapping is the order Myrtales, composed by the small families Alzateaceae, Crypteroniaceae, and Penaeaceae (collectively the "CAP clade"), as well as the large families Combretaceae, Lythraceae, Melastomataceae, Myrtaceae, Onagraceae and Vochysiaceae. In this study, we present a novel way to study pollen evolution by using quantitative size and shape variables. We use morphometric and morphospace methods to evaluate pollen change in the order Myrtales using a time-calibrated, supermatrix phylogeny. We then test for conservatism, divergence, and morphological convergence of pollen and for correlation between the latitudinal gradient and pollen size and shape. To obtain an estimate of shape, Myrtales pollen images were extracted from the literature, and their outlines analyzed using elliptic Fourier methods. Shape and size variables were then analyzed in a phylogenetic framework under an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process to test for shifts in size and shape during the evolutionary history of Myrtales. Few shifts in Myrtales pollen morphology were found which indicates morphological conservatism. Heterocolpate, small pollen is ancestral with largest pollen in Onagraceae. Convergent shifts in shape but not size occurred in Myrtaceae and Onagraceae and are correlated to shifts in latitude and biogeography. A quantitative approach was applied for the first time to examine pollen evolution across a large time scale. Using phylogenetic based morphometrics and an OU process, hypotheses of pollen size and shape were tested across Myrtales. Convergent pollen shifts and position in the latitudinal gradient support the selective role of harmomegathy, the mechanism by which pollen grains accommodate their volume in response to water loss.
Data from: The evolution of morphological integration in the ruminant skull
Patterns of morphological integration have the potential to influence evolutionary trajectories. However, this influence depends on the stability of the integration pattern relative to the rate of evolutionary change. Studying the evolution of integration over large phylogenetic scales is complicated by its multivariate nature and the need to have both large sample sizes and a comprehensive taxon coverage. As a result, the question of how integration evolves over long time scales is still poorly understood. In this study I examined the evolution of integration across the phylogeny of extant ruminants, as reflected in their within-population covariation structure. I analyzed interlandmark distances from 2,054 skulls, representing 47 out of the 200 extant species of ruminants, including all major subfamilies of bovids and cervids. I estimated the within-population covariance matrix for each species, and compared them using multidimensional scaling and phylogenetic comparative methods. Results show that closely-related taxa differ substantially from each other in their integration pattern. However, the differences among higher-level clades still reflect their history of common descent. Differences between bovids and cervids involve mainly the oral and nasal regions, in accord with their different feeding and locomotion adaptations. Thus, the effect of both natural selection and phylogenetic history can be detected in the ruminant skull even though integration varies considerably among closely-related species.
FIGURE 7 in Morphological and genetic evolution in eastern populations of the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae), with the descriptions of four new species
FIGURE 7. Proposed phylogenetic relationships among various species/lineages recognized in the Macrhybopsis aestivalis complex of eastern North America. Not all species in the complex were evaluated. One study is based on morphological characters (Eisenhour 2004 [A]), whereas the other two studies are based on allozyme variation. Underwood et al. (2003 [B]) focused on western diversity (SB = Sabine, BZ = Brazos, PC = Pecos River, SM = San Marcos River); and Mayden & Powers (2004 [C-G]) mostly involved eastern lineages, excluding Colorado River (CR) and Guadalupe River (GR). In Mayden & Powers (2004) different distances were examined, as well as parsimony: C = Edwards and Cavalli-Sforza Edwards Chord distances; D = Prevosti and Rogers distances; E = Cavalli-Sforza Edwards Arc and Modified Rogers distances; F = Fitch Generalized Parsimony with coded characters.
Supplementary material 1 from: Parasram N, Santana W, Vallès Y, Windsor AМ, Vallès H (2024) Morphological and molecular support for Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) and Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) as valid species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 15-30. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.109192
Phylogenetic trees of individual datasets of 12S, 16S, and ITS-1 genes
Supplementary material 8 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Table of coordinates used
Figure 3 from: Parasram N, Santana W, Vallès Y, Windsor AМ, Vallès H (2024) Morphological and molecular support for Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) and Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) as valid species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 15-30. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.109192
Figure 3 Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) adult male (BLSZ 331). A. Habitus, dorsal; B. Ventral view, locality: Barbados; C. Pleonal view of right G1 (BLSZ 222); D. Distal third of the right G1. Scale bars: 20 mm (A, B); 10 mm (C). Photos: Nadeshinie Parasram.
Supplementary material 7 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Haplotype network of the COI data analyzed of D. pampeana
Supplementary material 2 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Scree plots obtained from the morphometric and meristic data analyzed
Figure 2 from: Parasram N, Santana W, Vallès Y, Windsor AМ, Vallès H (2024) Morphological and molecular support for Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) and Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) as valid species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 15-30. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.109192
Figure 2 A.BI molecular phylogenetic tree for Amphithrax verrucosus, A. aculeatus and other selected species within the family Mithracidae MacLeay, 1838. Based on GTR+G nucleotide substitution model on the concatenated dataset for two mitochondrial (12S, 16S) and one nuclear (ITS-1) genes, represented as a maximum likelihood phylogram with Bayesian posterior probabilities and maximum likelihood bootstrap values (black diamond = ≤ 50% support, * = 16S sequences only). Note: ULLZ's 9148 and 4534, of Windsor and Felder (2014) and 13596 all re-identified as Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832); B.Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832), male (CW: 40.7 mm; CL: 29.5 mm), Barbados (BLSZ 218); C.Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790), juvenile female (CW: 53.8 mm; CL: 44.0 mm), Barbados (BLSZ 217).
Supplementary material 5 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Tukey box plot of most distinctive meristic data observed in analyzed specimens of Diapoma pampeana
Figure 6 from: Parasram N, Santana W, Vallès Y, Windsor AМ, Vallès H (2024) Morphological and molecular support for Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) and Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura) as valid species. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 15-30. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.109192
Figure 6 Colour in life. Young female of Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (BLSZ 217), Barbados. A. Habitus dorsal view; B. Ventral view. Adult male of Amphithrax aculeatus (Herbst, 1790) (MNHN-IU-2013-5929), Guadeloupe; C. Habitus, dorsal view; D. Ventral view. Adult male of Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) (GIC 072), Venezuela; E. Habitus, dorsal view; F. Ventral view. Female of Amphithrax verrucosus (H. Milne Edwards, 1832) (BLSZ 328), Barbados; G. Habitus, dorsal view; H. Ventral view. Scale bars: 20 mm. Photos: A, B, G, H. Nadeshinie Parasram. C, D. Joseph Poupin. E, F. William Santana.
Figure 4 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Figure 4 Most discriminant axes obtained from the PCA analyses performed using morphometric and meristic data of studied specimens of Diapoma pampeana (in each plot, the loadings are scaled to 90% of the PC scores). Size-corrected measurements: A. PC1 vs. PC2 plot; B. PC3 vs. PC4 plot. Meristic data; C. PC1 vs. PC2 plot; D. PC3 vs. PC4 plot. Only these variables that most loaded the components are indicated as follows: E- depth at dorsal-fin origin; F- snout to dorsal-fin origin; G- snout to pelvic-fin origin; H- Snout to anal-fin origin; I- distance between dorsal- and adipose-fin origins; J- dorsal fin to caudal-fin base; K- anal-fin base length; L- caudal peduncle length; M- longitudinal scales; N- lateral-line scales; P- scales between lateral line-dorsal origin; Q- scales between lateral line-pelvic origin; R- circumpeduncular scales; S- predorsal scales; T- number of branched anal-fin rays; U- gill rakers on upper limb of branchial arch; V- gill rakers on lower limb of branchial arch; W- number of maxillary teeth; X- number of dentary teeth.
Figure 3 from: Vanegas-Ríos JA, Serra Alanís WS, Azpelicueta MM, Litz T, Malabarba LR (2024) Population variation of Diapoma pampeana (Characiformes, Characidae, Stevardiinae) from an isolated coastal drainage in Uruguay, with new records: comparing morphological and molecular data. Zoosystematics and Evolution 100(1): 69-85. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.100.112778
Figure 3 Geographic distribution of Diapoma pampeana. A. View within South America; B. View within Brazil and Uruguay. All studied specimens from the Pando (Circle), Santa Lucía (triangle), Yi (diamond), and Upper Negro (star; holotype represented by not-filled pattern) are depicted. Other records presented by Ito et al. (2022) are also included.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.