Patterns in the bony skull development of marsupials: high variation in onset of ossification and conserved regions of bone contact

摘要: Development in marsupials is specialized towards an extremely short gestation and highly altricial newborns. As a result, marsupial neonates display morphological adaptations at birth related to functional constraints. However, little known about the variability of skull development its relation diversity. We studied bony five species. The relative timing onset ossification was compared literature data sequence ancestor reconstructed using squared-change parsimony. high range variation meant that no patterns could be observed differentiate This finding challenges traditional studies concentrating on as marker for phylogeny or proxy. Our study presents observations developmental cranial bone-to-bone contacts their evolutionary implications. Although certain bone levels variation, connections early late are quite conserved informative. Bones surround oral cavity generally first connect bones occipital region among last. conclude contact preferable over studying development.