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Animals
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Application of Geometric Morphometrics to Understand Vertebrate and Invertebrate Morphological...
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Application of Geometric Morphometrics to Understand Vertebrate and Invertebrate Morphological Diversity

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 2302

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hugo A Benítez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Curicó, Chile
Interests: geometric morphometrics; insects; adaptations; pest ecology; biological invasions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Geometric morphometrics is a powerful tool that enables the measurement of variations in morphology by considering underlying factors. It offers greater sensitivity compared to traditional morphometrics, allowing for the detection of even minor changes in morphological variation. Consequently, it has become a useful methodology for addressing questions related to morphological diversification in comparative biology. Initially, it primarily served as a tool for addressing taxonomic questions and distinguishing between individuals, populations, or species. However, in recent years, its applications have significantly diversified, making it an exceptionally accurate tool for studying morphological variation in ecological and evolutionary contexts.

For this reason, the following Special Issue will cover articles which cover questions to which geometric morphometrics can be applied to better understand the morphological adaptation in diverse taxa of invertebrate and vertebrate species.

Dr. Hugo A Benítez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • morphological variation
  • geometric morphometrics
  • morphometrics
  • disparity
  • allometry

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 9016 KiB  
Article
Shape Evolution in Two Acts: Morphological Diversity of Larval and Adult Neoaustraranan Frogs
by Diego Almeida-Silva and Florencia Vera Candioti
Animals 2024, 14(10), 1406; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14101406 - 8 May 2024
Viewed by 434
Abstract
Phenotypic traits can evolve independently at different stages of ontogeny, optimizing adaptation to distinct ecological contexts and increasing morphological diversity in species with complex life cycles. Given the relative independence resulting from the profound changes induced by metamorphosis, niche occupation and resource utilization [...] Read more.
Phenotypic traits can evolve independently at different stages of ontogeny, optimizing adaptation to distinct ecological contexts and increasing morphological diversity in species with complex life cycles. Given the relative independence resulting from the profound changes induced by metamorphosis, niche occupation and resource utilization in tadpoles may prompt evolutionary responses that do not necessarily affect the adults. Consequently, diversity patterns observed in the larval shape may not necessarily correspond to those found in the adult shape for the same species, a premise that can be tested through the Adaptive Decoupling Hypothesis (ADH). Herein, we investigate the ADH for larval and adult shape differentiation in Neoaustrarana frogs. Neoaustrarana frogs, particularly within the Cycloramphidae family, exhibit remarkable diversity in tadpole morphology, making them an ideal model for studying adaptive decoupling. By analyzing 83 representative species across four families (Alsodidae, Batrachylidae, Cycloramphidae, and Hylodidae), we generate a morphological dataset for both larval and adult forms. We found a low correlation between larval and adult shapes, species with a highly distinct larval shape having relatively similar shape when adults. Larval morphological disparity is not a good predictor for adult morphological disparity within the group, with distinct patterns observed among families. Differences between families are notable in other aspects as well, such as the role of allometric components influencing shape and morphospace occupancy. The larval shape has higher phylogenetic structure than the adult. Evolutionary convergence emerges as a mechanism of diversification for both larval and adult shapes in the early evolution of neoaustraranans, with shape disparity of tadpoles reaching stable levels since the Oligocene. The widest occupation in morphospace involves families associated with dynamically changing environments over geological time. Our findings support the ADH driving phenotypic diversity in Neoaustrarana, underscoring the importance of considering ontogenetic stages in evolutionary studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Geometric Morphometrics to Understand Vertebrate and Invertebrate Morphological Diversity)
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13 pages, 3318 KiB  
Article
Wing Shape Variation between Terrestrial and Coastal Populations of the Invasive Box Tree Moth, Cydalima perspectalis, in Croatia
by Darija Lemic, Helena Viric Gasparic, Patricija Majcenic, Ivana Pajač Živković, Mario Bjeliš, Manuel J. Suazo, Margarita Correa, Jordan Hernández and Hugo A. Benítez
Animals 2023, 13(19), 3044; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13193044 - 28 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1515
Abstract
The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walker, 1859; Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive species naturally distributed in Asia. The caterpillars in all developmental stages cause damage through defoliation of plants, and ultimately the death of the plant itself may occur. It is [...] Read more.
The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis Walker, 1859; Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is an invasive species naturally distributed in Asia. The caterpillars in all developmental stages cause damage through defoliation of plants, and ultimately the death of the plant itself may occur. It is possible to recognize this species by its silk barriers and threads, and in the case of an intense attack, the entire plant will be covered with them. In Europe, this species’ presence was first recorded in 2007 in Germany and the Netherlands, and it is now widely distributed. In Croatia, its existence was first recorded in 2012, in Istria, while substantial damages were recorded in 2013. This work aimed to determine the morphological variability of C. perspectalis from Croatia and assess its invasive character, the possibility of flight, and the risk of further spread. The methods of geometric morphometrics were used as the analysis of wing shape. A total of 269 moths from different locations in Croatia were collected, the upper wings of males and females were analyzed using 14 landmarks. Significant differences in wing shapes between terrestrial and coastal populations were found, as well as subtle wing shape sexual dimorphism. The implications of this variability in species invasiveness and capacity of spread are discussed in this paper. We also extrapolate the usefulness of our results and suggest strategies for predicting and managing invasive species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Geometric Morphometrics to Understand Vertebrate and Invertebrate Morphological Diversity)
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