Morphological Variation in Frog Pectoral Girdles Testing Alternatives to a Traditional Adaptive Explanation

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1984
Authors:S. B. Emerson
Journal:Evolution
Volume:38
Pagination:376-388
Abstract:

There 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.

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