Data from: Trophic convergence drives morphological convergence in marine tetrapods

Marine tetrapod clades (e.g. seals, whales) independently adapted to marine life through the Mesozoic and Caenozoic, and provide iconic examples of convergent evolution. Apparent morphological convergence is often explained as the result of adaptation to similar ecological niches. However, quantitative tests of this hypothesis are uncommon. We use dietary data to classify the feeding ecology of extant marine tetrapods and identify patterns in skull and tooth morphology that discriminate trophic groups across clades. Mapping these patterns onto phylogeny reveals coordinated evolutionary shifts in diet and morphology in different marine tetrapod lineages. Similarities in morphology between species with similar diets—even across large phylogenetic distances—are consistent with previous hypotheses that shared functional constraints drive convergent evolution in marine tetrapods.

海洋四足类演化支（marine tetrapod clades，如海豹、鲸类）在中生代至新生代期间独立适应海洋生活，是趋同演化（convergent evolution）的标志性范例。表观形态趋同通常被归因于对相似生态位（ecological niches）的适应。然而，针对这一假说的定量检验却较为罕见。本研究借助饮食数据对现生海洋四足类的摄食生态开展分类，并识别出能够区分不同演化支内营养类群的头骨与牙齿形态特征模式。将这些模式映射至系统发育树（phylogeny）后，可揭示不同海洋四足类支系中饮食与形态的协同演化转变。即便物种间的系统发育距离相差甚远，饮食习性相似的类群仍存在形态相似性，这与此前“共享功能限制驱动海洋四足类趋同演化”的假说完全一致。