Limb skeletal morphology of North American pine martens,<i>Martes americana</i>and<i>Martes caurina</i>, correlates with biome and climate

Lynch, Leigha M.

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/bly175

Cited by 4 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 80 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In order to potentially capture phylogenetic signal within limb shape, we chose landmarks that represented morphological characters frequently used in phylogenetic studies of carnivorans (Figure 3; Table 1; Leach, 1977;Zrzavý & Řičánková, 2004;Morlo & Peigné, 2010;Meachen-Samuels, 2012). We also chose landmarks that have been shown to reflect locomotor variation in mustelids (Fabre et al, 2015;Fabre, Cornette, Slater, et al, 2013) and that have successfully differentiated specimens of North American Martes from different biomes (Lynch, 2019b). Landmarks were aligned for each bone independently using a series of generalized Procrustes analyses (GPA; i.e., one GPA one for each limb element), and then the centroid size of each element was calculated for every specimen (all raw F I G U R E 3 Geometric morphometric landmarks on the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula used to quantify bone shape of specimens (from Lynch, 2019b).…”

Section: Appendicular Skeletal Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Landmarks were aligned for each bone independently using a series of generalized Procrustes analyses (GPA; i.e., one GPA one for each limb element), and then the centroid size of each element was calculated for every specimen (all raw F I G U R E 3 Geometric morphometric landmarks on the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, and fibula used to quantify bone shape of specimens (from Lynch, 2019b). These landmarks have been shown to successfully capture bone shape and differentiate specimens from different biomes (Lynch, 2019b). See Table 1 for landmark definitions Team, 2015).…”

Section: Appendicular Skeletal Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although they were once considered the same species (Clark, Anderson, Douglas, & Strickland, 1987), recent work has identified significant genotypic and phenotypic differences between M. caurina and M. americana. Limb skeletal morphology of these species has been found to significantly differ between not only species, but also among individuals inhabiting disparate biomes (Lynch, 2019b). When these observations are combined with marten biogeographic distributions (Figure 2), several patterns emerge for consideration.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today, these species are found in three distinct biomes: (Banfield, 1974;Clark et al, 1987;Nowak, 1999). The limb skeletal morphology of these species differs significantly between biomes and in correlation with climatic variables such as annual temperature and snowfall (Lynch, 2019b). This suggests that marten limbs may be adaptively plastic to extrinsic selective pressures that result from significant differences in habitat, such as vegetational substrate (e.g., deciduous broadleaf trees versus conifers) and the locomotory demands of snow absence, presence, and depth.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Martens shift their predominant locomotor patterns in response to vegetation density and type, and, therefore, the limbs provide a relatively direct interface between environmental selective pressures and the morphology these pressures influence (Andruskiw, Fryxell, Thompson, & Baker, 2008;Fuller & Harrison, 2005;Moriarty et al, 2015;Steventon & Major, 1982). Previous research has demonstrated that limb shape and proportions differ among marten populations from different biomes and within different climates (Lynch, 2019b). Within coniferous forest biomes, martens exhibit very robust limb morphologies with proportionally larger olecranon processes, elongated distal epiphyses on the radius, broad tibial plateaus, and enlarged fibular heads.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Appendicular skeletal morphology of North AmericanMartesreflect independent modes of evolution in conjunction with Pleistocene glacial cycles

Lynch

Felice

O’Brien

2020

The Anatomical Record

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pleistocene glacial cycles are thought to have driven ecological niche shifts, including novel niche formation. North American pine martens, Martes americana and M. caurina, are exemplar taxa thought to have diverged molecularly and morphologically during Pleistocene glaciation. Previous research found correlations between Martes limb morphology with biome and climate, suggesting that appendicular evolution may have occurred via adaptation to selective pressures imposed by novel and shifting habitats. Such variation can also be achieved through non-adaptive means such as genetic drift. Here, we evaluate whether regional genetic differences reflect limb morphology differences among populations of M. americana and M. caurina by analyzing evolutionary tempo and mode of six limb elements. Our comparative phylogenetic models indicate that genetic structure predicts limb shape better than size. Marten limb size has low phylogenetic signal, and the best supported model of evolution is punctuational (kappa), with morphological and genetic divergence occurring simultaneously. Disparity through time analysis suggests that the tempo of limb evolution in Martes tracks Pleistocene glacial cycles, such that limb size may be responding to shifting climates rather than population genetic structure. Contrarily, we find that limb shape is strongly tied to genetic relationships, with high phylogenetic signal and a lambda mode of evolution. Overall, this pattern of limb size and shape variation may be the result of geographic isolation during Pleistocene glacial advance, while declines in disparity suggest hybridization during interglacial periods. Future inclusion of extinct populations of Martes, which were more morphologically and ecologically diverse, may further clarify Martes phenotypic evolution. K E Y W O R D S limb shape, limb size, mustelid, phylogenetic comparative methods | INTRODUCTIONClimate is one of the most prominent extrinsic selective pressures influencing phenotypic evolution, as it often leads to shifts in environment that require adaptation or Evolution of Martes limb shape and size.

show abstract

Section: Appendicular Skeletal Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Appendicular Skeletal Morphologymentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Appendicular skeletal morphology of North AmericanMartesreflect independent modes of evolution in conjunction with Pleistocene glacial cycles

Lynch

Felice

O’Brien

2020

The Anatomical Record

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Ecological displacement in a Rocky Mountain hybrid zone informs management of North American martens (Martes)

Colella,

Freymueller,

Land

et al. 2024

Landsc Ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context Parapatric sister species are ideal for tests of ecological interactions. Pacific (Martes caurina) and American pine (M. americana) martens are economically and culturally valuable furbearers that hybridize in the north-central Rocky Mountains. Despite preliminary evidence of biased introgression, the hybrid zone has been geographically stable for 70 years, but interspecific ecological interactions have yet to be examined in detail. Objectives We test whether ecological interactions may influence the outcome of hybridization in this system. To that end, we estimate the fundamental niche of each species and gauge how suitability landscapes change when the two species are in contact. Methods We genotyped > 400 martens from the Rocky Mountain hybrid zone to diagnose individuals to species-level and identify putative hybrids. We then built range-wide ecological niche models for each species, excluding individuals in the hybrid zone, to approximate their respective fundamental niches. Those models were projected into the hybrid zone and compared with niche models trained on individuals within the hybrid zone to assess how niche dynamics change when the species are in sympatry. Results The fundamental niche of each species differed significantly, while the hybrid zone was equally suitable for both. Niches of each species based on models built within the hybrid zone showed that Pacific martens utilized significantly less suitable habitat than expected based on their range-wide fundamental niche, suggesting that species interactions shape local hybridization. We detected few admixed individuals (12%), with no evidence of directional (sex or species) biases. Interstate-90 further acts as a major dispersal barrier. Conclusions North American martens are currently managed as a single species by some state agencies, yet significant ecological and genetic differences indicate they should be managed separately. The observed ecological displacement of Pacific martens by American pine martens may partially explain the mixed success of historical, mixed-species wildlife translocations and cautions such translocations in the future. Landscape-scale consideration of ecological dynamics, in addition to molecular compatibility, will be essential to the success of future translocations.

show abstract

The life aquatic: an association between habitat type and skin thickness in snakes

Shine

Goiran

Shilton³

et al. 2019

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

An aquatic animal faces challenges not encountered by its terrestrial counterparts, promoting adaptive responses in multiple traits. For example, a thicker dermis might protect snakes when they are pushed against sharp objects by water currents, and might enable a snake to shed fouling organisms attached to its skin. We thus predicted that marine snakes should have thicker skin than terrestrial species, and that smaller sea snakes should have relatively thicker skin (because absolute, not relative, thickness determines vulnerability to fouling). Measurements of 192 snakes of 44 species supported those predictions. Many (but not all) sea snakes have skins 50% thicker than those of terrestrial and amphibious snake species, representing multiple independent evolutionary origins of thicker skin (in acrochordids, Laticauda sea kraits and both main clades of hydrophiine sea snakes). Marine snakes showed different allometries of skin thickness compared with their terrestrial counterparts; larger snakes had thicker skin within and among species of amphibious and terrestrial snakes, but larger aquatic snake species had thinner skin compared with smaller taxa. Interspecific variation in skin thickness was primarily due to increased collagen in the deep dermis, a physical barrier well suited to protecting against physical injury and to resisting penetration by epibionts.

show abstract

Limb skeletal morphology of North American pine martens,Martes americanaandMartes caurina, correlates with biome and climate

Cited by 4 publications

References 80 publications

Appendicular skeletal morphology of North AmericanMartesreflect independent modes of evolution in conjunction with Pleistocene glacial cycles

Appendicular skeletal morphology of North AmericanMartesreflect independent modes of evolution in conjunction with Pleistocene glacial cycles

Ecological displacement in a Rocky Mountain hybrid zone informs management of North American martens (Martes)

The life aquatic: an association between habitat type and skin thickness in snakes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About