Morphological integration versus ecological plasticity in the avian pelvic limb skeleton.

Abstract excerpt

Understanding patterns and distributions of morphological traits is essential for discerning underpinning processes of morphological variation. We report on the variation in the avian pelvic limb skeleton. Length and width variables were measured in the skeletons of 236 avian species in order to examine the importance of body mass, ecological factors, phylogeny and integration in the formation of specific...

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