#Ecophysical #constraints on #avian #adaptation and #diversification
"The structure of avian #morphospace follows relatively simple rules defined by ecophysical constraints and trade-offs, but evolution trends toward specialized extremes, where extinction risk may increase"
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982225001496
Beautiful #morphospace illustration by a student (used with permission) from my undergraduate class in #paleontology. We discussed the original study by David Raup on shell coiling in #snails, #ConvergentEvolution and the use of a coiled shell for different functions. As well as #DataVisualization. Some students got excited by conveying their message in #Python, some in #Rlanguage, some in #Excel (it’s an undergraduate class so Excel is phased out gradually), but this version was the most beautiful 😊 #teaching #geoscience
Carlson & Stoddard introduce a 3D pattern morphospace built from biologically relevant pattern features to describe the evolution of plumage patterns in melanerpine woodpeckers. This framework can be applied to other animal taxa as well.
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/727508
