Data from: Divergent evolutionary morphology of the axial skeleton as a potential key innovation in modern cetaceans ...

• Main Authors: Gillet, Amandine, Frederich, Bruno, Parmentier, Eric
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2019
• Subjects: ecomorphology; morphological diversity; Key innovation; Vertebral column; Cetacea; Marine mammals; baleen whales
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7dj6850; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.7dj6850

Cetaceans represent the most diverse clade of extant marine tetrapods. Although restructuring of oceans could have contributed to their diversity, other factors might also be involved. Similar to ichthyosaurs and sharks, variation of morphological traits could have promoted the colonization of new ecological niches and supported their diversification. By combining morphological data describing the axial skeleton of 73 cetacean species with phylogenetic comparative methods, we demonstrate that the vertebral morphology of cetaceans is associated to their habitat. All riverine and coastal species possess a small body size, lengthened vertebrae and a low vertebral count compared to open ocean species. Extant cetaceans have followed two distinct evolutionary pathways relative to their ecology. Whereas most offshore species such as baleen whales evolved towards an increased body size while retaining a low vertebral count, small oceanic dolphins underwent deep modifications of their axial skeleton with an extremely ... : Vertebral count of cetaceansCetacean vertebral counts per speciesVertebral_count.xlsxVertebral shape of cetaceansRaw linear and angular measurements on vertebrae of cetaceans.Vertebral_shape.xlsx ...