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Review
. 2014 Feb;117(1):70-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.zool.2013.10.006. Epub 2013 Dec 5.

Differential occupation of axial morphospace

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Review

Differential occupation of axial morphospace

Andrea B Ward et al. Zoology (Jena). 2014 Feb.

Abstract

The postcranial system is composed of the axial and appendicular skeletons. The axial skeleton, which consists of serially repeating segments commonly known as vertebrae, protects and provides leverage for movement of the body. Across the vertebral column, much numerical and morphological diversity can be observed, which is associated with axial regionalization. The present article discusses this basic diversity and the early developmental mechanisms that guide vertebral formation and regionalization. An examination of vertebral numbers across the major vertebrate clades finds that actinopterygian and chondrichthyan fishes tend to increase vertebral number in the caudal region whereas Sarcopterygii increase the number of vertebrae in the precaudal region, although exceptions to each trend exist. Given the different regions of axial morphospace that are occupied by these groups, differential developmental processes control the axial patterning of actinopterygian and sarcopterygian species. It is possible that, among a variety of factors, the differential selective regimes for aquatic versus terrestrial locomotion have led to the differential use of axial morphospace in vertebrates.

Keywords: Axial regionality; Axial skeleton; Vertebrae; Vertebral development.

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