An ecomorphological approach to the relationship between craniomandibular morphology and diet in sigmodontine rodents from central-eastern Argentina.

The key role of the skull in food intake and processing implicates its morphology should be to some extent adapted to the functional demands present in different diets, while also showing similarities between those which are closely related. Sigmodontine rodents, with a generalist body plan and broad dietary habits, are an interesting case study to explore these relationships. We used linear morphometrics to assess craniomandibular morphology, and explored its relationship with dietary composition and phylogeny in a sample of sigmodontines from central-eastern Argentina, representative of this subfamily's morphological and ecological diversity.