A quantitative assessment of bone area increase due to ornamentation in the Crocodylia.

Bone ornamentation, in the form of highly repetitive motives created by pits and ridges, is a frequent feature on vertebrate skull roofs and osteoderms. The functional significance of this character remains a matter of controversy and speculation. The many diverging hypotheses proposed to explain it all share a common logical prerequisite: bone ornamentation should increase significantly the surface area of the bones that bear it.

Does shape co-variation between the skull and the mandible have functional consequences? A 3D approach for a 3D problem.

Morpho-functional patterns are important drivers of phenotypic diversity given their importance in a fitness-related context. Although modularity of the mandible and skull has been studied extensively in mammals, few studies have explored shape co-variation between these two structures. Despite being developmentally independent, the skull and mandible form a functionally integrated unit.