Meeting Abstract
The functional morphology of perciform fish skulls is complex and evolutionarily flexible. Their adaptive potential has contributed to the generation of thousands of species that utilize most aquatic food sources. The manner in which lineages diversify can be shaped by both environmental and intrinsic factors. Recent work has suggested that environmental forces may dominate in shaping adaptive radiations. Here we suggest that intrinsic patterns of skull integration have strongly affected perciform skull diversification. The functional requirements of successful feeding impose patterns of integration on fish skulls. These patterns manifest themselves as developmental, evolutionary and population level phenomena. Here we present the results of a comparative study that examined the macroevolutionary consequences of specific integration patterns. Our data suggest that particular patterns and degrees of integration have important evolutionary consequences for both the speed and direction of adaptive divergence. Specific integration patterns may predispose certain groups toward certain ecological niches or sets of niches. We discuss potential tradeoffs between different types of adaptive potential that are conferred by different patterns of skull integration. Directional shifts in the evolution of integration patterns and their consequences for evolutionary diversification invite further study. The mechanisms by which integration patterns are altered through shifts in skull morphogenesis are largely unknown, but may offer significant insights into how skull integration itself evolves.
