Cranial integration and modularity in chamois: The effects of subspecies and sex
2022
Authors:
Milošević-Zlatanović, SvetlanaVukov, Tanja
Chovancová, Gabriela
Anderwald, Pia
Corlatti, Luca
Tomašević Kolarov, Nataša
Document Type:
Article (Published version)
,
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2022
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract:
Covariance structure patterning of the phenotype can provide important insights into the evolution of forms. In this paper, we characterize the sex-specific phenotypic structure of cranial morphology in the four subspecies of chamois Rupicapra rupicapra (balcanica, carpatica, tatrica and rupicapra). We investigate variation in 18 craniometric characters of 360 adults chamois. Compared to the other subspecies, tatrica showed a highly integrated cranium. The cranium of carpatica and balcanica evolved in a more modular fashion, with most conspicuous nasal and oral modules. Females showed stronger correlations among cranial traits than males, suggesting higher potential for adaptations to new environmental conditions in the latter, matching sex-specific behavioral features. Subspecies rupicapra and tatrica showed contrasting levels of overall integration, followed by low levels of modularity, with sexual differences only in rupicapra. Our results suggest that, patterns and magnitudes of correlations among skeletal elements of the skull can evolve within a species through habitat and sexual selection.
Keywords:
Covariance structure; Rupicapra rupicapra; Sexual dimorphism; Skull; SubspeciesSource:
Journal of Mammalian Evolution, 2022Funding / projects:
- Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia, institutional funding - 200007 (University of Belgrade, Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković') (RS-MESTD-inst-2020-200007)
- The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia (Grant No. 401-00-3288/2014-10)
DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09644-2
ISSN: 1064-7554
WoS: 000901703400002
Scopus: 2-s2.0-85144451679
URI
https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10914-022-09644-2http://radar.ibiss.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/5354