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.

海洋四足类支系（Marine tetrapod clades，如海豹、鲸类）在中生代（Mesozoic）与新生代（Caenozoic）时期独立演化出对海洋生境的适应性，同时也是趋同演化的经典研究范例。学界通常将表观形态趋同归因于物种对相似生态位的适应性演化，然而针对该假说的定量检验研究却较为罕见。本研究借助摄食数据对现生海洋四足类的取食生态开展分类，并识别出可区分不同支系间营养类群的头骨与牙齿形态特征模式。将上述形态特征模式映射至系统发育（phylogeny）框架后，可揭示不同海洋四足类演化支系中饮食与形态的协同演化转变。即便系统发育距离（phylogenetic distances）相差悬殊，具有相似食性的物种间仍存在形态相似性，这与“共同功能限制驱动海洋四足类趋同演化”的既往研究假说相符。