Elongated snake‐like bodies associated with limb reduction have evolved multiple times
throughout vertebrate history. Limb‐reduced squamates (lizards and snakes) account for the …

Time is inherent to biological processes. It determines the order of events and the speed at
which they take place. However, we still need to refine approaches to measure the course of …

Postcranial ossification sequences in 24 therian mammals and three outgroup taxa were
obtained using clear staining and computed tomography to test the hypothesis that the …

We investigated patterns of evolutionary integration in the appendicular skeleton of
mammalian carnivores. The findings are discussed in relation to performance selection in …

A table of developmental stages of the target species is useful for studying the development
of any animal. Although tables of developmental stages have been established for several …

Background The phylogenetic position of turtles is the most disputed aspect in the
reconstruction of the land vertebrate tree of life. This controversy has arisen after many …

Heterochrony, or a change in developmental timing, is an important mechanism of
evolutionary change. Historically the concept of heterochrony has focused alternatively on …

The concept of evolvability—the capacity of a population to produce and maintain
evolutionarily relevant variation—has become increasingly prominent in evolutionary …

Marsupials exhibit unique biological features that provide fascinating insights into many
aspects of mammalian development. These include their distinctive mode of reproduction …

Squamates constitute a major vertebrate radiation, representing almost one‐third of all
known amniotes. Although speciose and morphologically diverse, they remain poorly …