Evolutionary genetics has recently made enormous progress in understanding how genetic
variation maps into phenotypic variation. However, why some traits are phenotypically …

Canalization is an elusive concept. The notion that biological systems ought to evolve to a
state of higher stability against mutational and environmental perturbations seems simple …

Although fluctuating asymmetry has become popular as a measure of developmental
instability, few studies have examined its developmental basis. We propose an approach to …

▪ Abstract Variation in the subtle differences between right and left sides of bilateral
characters, or fluctuating asymmetry (FA), has long been considered to be primarily …

This study introduces a new multivariate approach for analyzing the effects of quantitative
trait loci (QTL) on shape and demonstrates this method for the mouse mandible. We …

Fluctuating asymmetry, the random deviation from perfect symmetry, is a widely used
population-level index of developmental instability, developmental noise, and robustness. It …

Three widely used methods of estimating fluctuating asymmetry may yield serious
overestimates if directional asymmetry is present. When two sides of a bilateral trait grow at …

Although numerous studies have found that fluctuating asymmetry (FA) can have a heritable
component, the genetic and developmental basis of FA is poorly understood. We used a …

An ecomorphological analysis of the skeletal remains of large canids, Canis (Xenocyon)
falconeri and Canis etruscus (Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae), preserved in an assemblage …

Fluctuating asymmetry (FA), which has been examined in a variety of plants and animals, is
widely promoted as a useful bioindicator of exogenous stressors in habitats, whether of …