Adaptive landscapes unveil the complex evolutionary path to mammalian forelimb function and posture
R. J. Brocklehurst, M. Mercado, K. D. Angielczyk, S. E. Pierce
This study uses adaptive landscapes to analyze 3D humerus shape and function in fossil synapsids and extant species, revealing that the transition to parasagittal posture in mammals was not direct but involved evolutionary flexibility and multiple trait combinations.
bioRxiv · Mar 12, 2024 · PreprintPaleontology