Developmental Constraints Do Not Influence Long-Term Phenotypic Evolution of Marsupial Forelimbs as Revealed by Interspecific Disparity and Integration Patterns.

Abstract excerpt

Marsupials show a smaller range of forelimb ecomorphologies than placental mammals, and it is hypothesized that this results from macroevolutionary constraints imposed by the specialized reproductive biology of marsupials. Specifically, the accelerated development of the marsupial forelimb allows neonates to crawl to the mother's pouch but may constrain adult morphology. This hypothesis makes three main...

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