Authors
Kory M Evans, Emanuell Duarte-Ribeiro, HoWan Chan, Matt Friedman, M Laura Habegger, William Ludt, Todd Clardy, Ricardo Betancur-R
Published in
Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 37. Pages eaeh7825. Sep 11, 2026. Epub Sep 11, 2026.
Abstract
Adaptive radiations generate remarkable morphological diversity, yet traits often diversify at different rates and modes, producing mosaic patterns of evolution. Modularity, the semiautonomous organization of traits, can shape how selection and constraint interact during these radiations, but its macroevolutionary consequences remain unclear. We examined skull modularity during the post-Cretaceous radiation of carangarian fishes, a diverse marine clade that diversified along the benthic-pelagic axis after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Using three-dimensional morphometric data from 188 species integrated with phylogenetic comparative analyses, we found that the carangarian skull is highly modular and exhibits pronounced mosaic evolution. Oral jaw and "uro-cranium" modules evolved fastest and attained the greatest morphological disparity, whereas hyoid arch-derived modules evolved more slowly and remained comparatively constrained. Repeated transitions into pelagic habitats promoted often convergent oral jaw diversification across independent lineages, while elevated rates and disparity in the uro-cranium were concentrated within benthic flatfishes. These findings show how ecological opportunity and developmental architecture generate mosaic evolution during vertebrate radiations.
PMID:
42726880
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 12 Sep 2026.
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