The influence of divergent reproductive strategies in shaping modularity and morphological evolution in mammalian jaws.

Marsupial neonates are born at an earlier developmental stage than placental mammals, but the rapid development of their forelimbs and cranial skeleton allows them to climb to the pouch, begin suckling and complete their development ex utero. The mechanical environment in which marsupial neonates develop is vastly different from that of placental neonates, which exhibit a more protracted development of oral muscles and bones. This difference in reproductive strategy has been theorized to constrain morphological evolution in the oral region of marsupials.

The Influence of Climatic Variability on Morphological Integration, Evolutionary Rates, and Disparity in the Carnivora.

Biodiversity is unevenly distributed in space and time. One possible explanation for this is the influence of climate on the ecology, evolution, and morphology of taxa. Here we investigated the link between climatic variability and phenotypic integration, rates of morphological evolution, and disparity (morphological diversity) in three carnivoran clades (Canidae, Felidae, and Mustelidae).