Data from: Convergent evolution of sexual dimorphism in skull shape using distinct developmental strategies

Studies integrating evolutionary and developmental analyses of
morphological variation are of growing interest to biologists as they
promise to shed fresh light on the mechanisms of morphological
diversification. Sexually dimorphic traits tend to be incredibly divergent
across taxa. Such diversification must arise through evolutionary
modifications to sex differences during development. Nevertheless, few
studies of dimorphism have attempted to synthesize evolutionary and
developmental perspectives. Using geometric morphometric analysis of head
shape for 50 Anolis species, we show that two clades have converged on
extreme levels of sexual dimorphism through similar, male-specific changes
in facial morphology. In both clades, males have evolved highly elongate
faces whereas females retain faces of more moderate proportion. This
convergence is accomplished using distinct developmental mechanisms; one
clade evolved extreme dimorphism through the exaggeration of a widely
shared, potentially ancestral, developmental strategy whereas the other
clade evolved a novel developmental strategy not observed elsewhere in the
genus. Together, our analyses indicate that both shared and derived
features of development contribute to macroevolutionary patterns of
morphological diversity among Anolis lizards.