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.pdf