A groundbreaking study has shed light on how lizards and snakes -- the most diverse group of land vertebrates with nearly 12,000 species -- have evolved remarkably varied jaw shapes, driving their extraordinary ecological success.
A groundbreaking University of Bristol study has shed light on how lizards and snakes -the most diverse group of land vertebrates with nearly 12,000 species -- have evolved remarkably varied jaw shapes, driving their extraordinary ecological success.today, offers a new understanding of the intricate factors influencing the evolution of lower jaw morphology in these animals, known collectively as lepidosaurs.
"Interestingly, we found that jaw shape evolves particularly fast in ecologically specialised groups, such as in burrowing and aquatic species, and in herbivorous lizards, suggesting that evolutionary innovation in the lower jaw was key to achieve these unique ecologies," explained Dr Antonio Ballell Mayoral based in Bristol's School of Earth Sciences.
"We are exploring the relationship between skull shape and the arrangement of the jaw closing musculature through evolution, and how it has impacted the diversification of feeding mechanics and habits."
Nature Frogs And Reptiles Ecology Research Evolution Charles Darwin Human Evolution Origin Of Life
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