Modularity has emerged as a central concept for evolutionary biology, providing the field with theory of organismal structure and variation. This reframed long standing questions serves unified conceptual framework genetics, developmental biology multivariate evolution. Research programs in systems quantitative genetics are bridging gap between these fields. While this synthesis is ongoing, some major themes have empirical evidence modularity become abundant. In review, we look at from an...

Abstract Similarity of genetic and phenotypic variation patterns among populations is important for making quantitative inferences about past evolutionary forces acting to differentiate evaluating the evolution relationships traits in response new functional developmental relationships. Here, co-variance correlation structure compared Platyrrhine Neotropical primates. Comparisons range from species within a genus superfamily level. Matrix followed by Mantel's test vector responses random...

New World monkeys (NWM) display substantial variation (two orders of magnitude) in body size. Despite this, skull size and associated shape show a conserved allometric relationship, both within between genera. Maximum likelihood estimates quantitative ancestral states were used to compare the direction morphological differentiation with phenotypic (p(max)) genetic (g(max)) lines least evolutionary resistance (LLER). Diversification NWM skulls occurred principally along LLER defined by...

Comparisons of covariance patterns are becoming more common as interest in the evolution relationships between traits and evolutionary phenotypic diversification clades have grown. We present parallel analyses matrix similarity for cranial 14 New World Monkey genera using Random Skewers (RS), T-statistics, Common Principal Components (CPC) approaches. find that CPC approach is very powerful with adequate sample sizes, it can be used to detect significant differences structure, even matrices...

Significance Modularity, the tendency for parts of many biological systems to be organized into semiindependent groups, is crucial understanding diversification and interaction between a population its environment. In particular, population’s response selection dependent on modularity pattern, which, in turn, molded by selection. How these modular patterns evolve therefore central question biology. We show, using novel individual-level simulations, that directional very efficient at...

A central controversy among biologists is the relative importance of natural selection and genetic drift as creative forces shaping biological diversification (Fisher 1930; Wright 1931). Historically, this has been an effective engine powering several evolutionary research programs during last century (Provine 1989). While all agree that both processes operate in nature to produce change, there a diversity opinion about which process dominates at any particular organizational level (from DNA...

Abstract An organism is built through a series of contingent factors, yet it determined by historical, physical, and developmental constraints. A constraint should not be understood as an absolute obstacle to evolution, may also generate new possibilities for evolutionary change. Modularity is, in this context, important way organizing biological information has been recognized central concept biology bridging on developmental, genetics, morphological, biochemical, physiological studies. In...

Allometry is a major determinant of within-population patterns association among traits and, therefore, component morphological integration studies. Even so, the influence size variation over evolutionary change has been largely unappreciated. Here, we explore interplay between allometric variation, modularity, and life-history strategies in skull from representatives 35 mammalian families. We start by removing within-species data analyzing its on magnitudes, modularity patterns, responses...

Evolutionary change in New World Monkey (NWM) skulls occurred primarily along the line of least resistance defined by size (including allometric) variation (g(max)). Although direction evolution was aligned with this axis, it not clear whether macroevolutionary pattern results from conservation within population genetic covariance patterns (long-term constraint) or long-term selection a dimension, both, constraints and selection, were inextricably involved. Furthermore, G-matrix stability...

We present an open source package for performing evolutionary quantitative genetics analyses in the R environment statistical computing. Evolutionary theory shows that evolution depends critically on available variation a given population. When dealing with many traits this is expressed form of covariance matrix, particularly additive genetic matrix or sometimes phenotypic when unavailable. Given mathematical representation variation, EvolQG provides functions calculation relevant...

Morphological integration refers to the fact that different phenotypic traits of organisms are not fully independent from each other, and tend covary degrees. The covariation among is thought reflect properties species' genetic architecture thus can have an impact on evolutionary responses. Furthermore, if morphological changes along history a group, inferences past selection regimes might be problematic. Here, we evaluated stability evolution skull in Carnivora by using simulations...

We explored the evolution of morphological integration in most noteworthy example adaptive radiation mammals, New World leaf-nosed bats, using a massive dataset and by combining phylogenetic comparative methods quantitative genetic approaches. demonstrated that phenotypic covariance structure remained conserved on broader scale but also showed substantial divergence between interclade comparisons. Most space can be explained splits at beginning diversification major clades. Our results...

The study of the genetic variance/covariance matrix (G-matrix) is a recent and fruitful approach in evolutionary biology, providing window investigating for evolution complex characters. Although G-matrix studies were originally conducted microevolutionary timescales, they could be extrapolated to macroevolution as long remains relatively constant, or proportional, along period interest. A promising constancy G-matrices compare their phenotypic counterparts (P-matrices) large group related...

<ns4:p>We present an open source package for performing evolutionary quantitative genetics analyses in the R environment statistical computing. Evolutionary theory shows that evolution depends critically on available variation a given population. When dealing with many traits this is expressed form of covariance matrix, particularly additive genetic matrix or sometimes phenotypic when unavailable and there evidence sufficiently similar to matrix. Given mathematical representation variation,...

Abstract The family Phyllostomidae, which evolved in the New World during last 30 million years, represents one of largest and most morphologically diverse mammal families. Due to its uniquely functional morphology, phyllostomid skull is presumed have under strong directional selection; however, quantitative estimation strength selection this extraordinary lineage has not been reported. Here, we used comparative genetics approaches elucidate processes that drove cranial evolution...

No abstract

Abstract Patterns of interspecific differentiation in saki monkeys (Pithecia) are quantitatively described and possible evolutionary processes producing them examined. The comparison species correlation matrices to expected patterns morphological integration reveal significant similar development-based cranial among species. Aspects the facial region more heavily influenced by general size variation than features neural region. pooled within- between-groups V/CV suggests that genetic drift...

New World monkeys (NWM) display substantial variation (two orders of magnitude) in body size. Despite this, skull size and associated shape show a conserved allometric relationship, both within between genera. Maximum likelihood estimates quantitative ancestral states were used to compare the direction morphological differentiation with phenotypic (pmax) genetic (gmax) lines least evolutionary resistance (LLER). Diversification NWM skulls occurred principally along LLER defined by variation....

How are morphological evolution and developmental changes related? This rather old intriguing question had a substantial boost after the 70s within framework of heterochrony (changes in rates or timing development) nowadays has potential to make another major leap forward through combination approaches: molecular biology, experimentation, comparative systematic studies, geometric morphometrics quantitative genetics. Here I take an integrated approach combining life-history analyses,...

Most biological systems are formed by component parts that to some degree interrelated. Groups of more associated among themselves and relatively autonomous from others called modules. One the consequences modularity is usually present an unequal distribution genetic variation traits. Estimating covariance matrix describes these a difficult problem due number factors such as poor sample sizes measurement errors. We show this will be exacerbated whenever inversion required, in directional...