The neck is a critical portion of the avian spine, one that works in tandem with the beak to act
as a surrogate forelimb and allows birds to manipulate their surroundings despite the lack of …

The number of published studies using geometric morphometrics (GM) for analysing
biological shape has increased steadily since the beginning of the 1990s, covering multiple …

Developmental systems integrate inputs of variation from different origins into the
observable variation of the resulting phenotype. Different components of phenotypic …

Geometric morphometrics (GM) and finite element analysis (FEA) are increasingly common
techniques for the study of form and function. We show how principles of quantitative …

Bird necks display unparalleled levels of morphological diversity compared to other
vertebrates, yet it is unclear what factors have structured this variation. Using three …

Background Birds have highly mobile necks, but neither the details of how they realize
complex poses nor the evolution of this complex musculoskeletal system is well-understood …

The evolutionary radiation of birds has produced incredible morphological variation,
including a huge range of skull form and function. Investigating how this variation arose with …

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that the clear morphological differences
among vertebrae across the presacral column are accompanied by heterogeneous …

The vertebral column is a multicomponent structure whose organization results from
developmental and functional demands. According to their distinct somitic origins, individual …

Background The origin of birds from non-avian theropod dinosaur ancestors required a
comprehensive restructuring of the body plan to enable the evolution of powered flight. One …