Meeting Abstract
The evolution of limblessness and snakelike forms is a repeated theme in reptilian evolution. Within lizards, the loss of limbs or digits, and the association with a fossorial habitat is a key driver of diversity. However, because of the complex nature of their tubular bodies, quantifying the shapes of lizards with limb loss and reduced or lost limbs is challenging. We focused on the lizard group Brachymeles, which is widespread and diverse in the Philippines. This group is notable for their great variation in the loss of their limbs and digits and also in their degree of axial elongation. We used 3D photogrammetry to create 3D models of various species of Brachymeles lizards of varying sizes and shapes and degrees of limblessness. Our goal was to create new ways of describing their overall variation in body shape using 3D metrics. We used either a single camera or a multi-camera rig to create the 3D models, and then used Capturing reality software to reconstruct the model. Our work shows diverse evolution of body forms and a substantial amount of variation in the overall degree of axial evolution. Our work shows how novel 3D technologies can provide insights into general evolutionary issues.
