Morphological integration and adaptation in the snake feeding system: a comparative phylogenetic study.

摘要: A long-standing hypothesis for the adaptive radiation of macrostomatan snakes is that their enlarged gape--compared to both lizards and basal snakes--enables them consume "large" prey. At first glance, this seems plausible, or even likely, given wealth studies showing a tight match between maximum consumed prey mass head size in snakes. However, has never been tested within comparative framework. We address issue here by testing 12 monophyletic clades using recently published phylogenies, data morphological measurements taken from large sample museum specimens. Our nonphylogenetically corrected analysis shows width--independent body size--is significantly related mean among these clades, relationship becomes more significant when phylogeny into account. Therefore, do support shape adapted Additionally, we calculated phylogenetically variance-covariance matrix examine role integration during evolution This width strongly covaries with jaw length out-lever lower jaw. As result, selection on will likely be associated concomitant changes