01177nas a2200121   4500008004100000245011200041210006900153300001200222490000700234520071400241100002000955856008000975       1984                        eng d00aMorphological Variation in Frog Pectoral Girdles Testing Alternatives to a Traditional Adaptive Explanation0 aMorphological Variation in Frog Pectoral Girdles Testing Alterna  a376-3880 v383 aThere are 2 types of pectoral girdles in frogs, defined by the fused vs. overlapping condition of the epicoracoid cartilages along the ventral midline. The 2 types show no correlation with different locomotor behaviors or ecology among frogs. Therefore, an hypothesis of functional equivalence between girdle types was proposed and tested by in vitro loading tests. Similar patterns of deformation were found between girdle types under static and dynamic loads, thus supporting the hypothesis. Additionally, 2 other aspects of variation in frog pectoral morphology, presence or absence of clavicles and presence or absence of epicoracoid horns, were forced mechanical correlations of a particular girdle type.1 aEmerson, S., B.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/E/emerson1984.pdf01312nas a2200121   4500008004100000245008600041210006900127300001200196490000700208520087500215100002001090856008001110       1988                        eng d00aTesting for Historical Patterns of Change a Case Study with Frog Pectoral Girdles0 aTesting for Historical Patterns of Change a Case Study with Frog  a174-1860 v143 aEvolutionary morphologists and paleontologists have long questioned whether there are general historical patterns to the distribution of morphological types. Few studies have rigorously addressed that question. This study tests the decoupling hypothesis, which predicts an increase in the number of morphological constraints with a reduction in the number of independent elements. Eight cases of historical transformation of the epicoracoid cartilages of frogs were selected for analysis. Similar morphological shape changes occurred across the independently derived historical transformations as determined by a triangle analysis of shape. These results support the decoupling hypothesis and indicate that there may be generalized historical pathways of structural change. This finding is important for the development of a predictive theory in evolutionary morphology.1 aEmerson, S., B.  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/E/emerson1988.pdf