Callum V. Bucklow

The paper examines how vertebral morphology evolves in Lake Malawi cichlids, finding strong integration between precaudal and caudal vertebrae shapes during body elongation.

This study shows that changes in vertebral regionalisation in African cichlids are driven by somite number changes, with homeotic effects as a by-product, and that intraspecific variation is canalised and decoupled from macroevolutionary patterns.

The paper examines macroevolutionary dynamics in African cichlid radiations, finding inverse correlation between vertebral count evolution rates and radiation age, but no early burst pattern within individual systems.