Whole body elongation drives coordinated vertebral shape evolution in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes
Callum V. Bucklow, Hannah Ugboma, Katharine E. Criswell, Mexford Mulumpwa, Roger Benson, Berta Verd
The paper examines how vertebral morphology evolves in Lake Malawi cichlids, finding strong integration between precaudal and caudal vertebrae shapes during body elongation.
bioRxiv · Jun 17, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology