Do different disparity proxies converge on a common signal? Insights from the cranial morphometrics and evolutionary history of Pterosauria (Diapsida: Archosauria)

Disparity, or morphological diversity, is often quantified by evolutionary biologists investigating the macroevolutionary history of clades over geological timescales. Disparity is typically quantified using proxies for morphology, such as measurements, discrete anatomical characters, or geometric morphometrics. If different proxies produce differing results, then the accurate quantification of disparity in deep time may be problematic. However, despite this, few studies have attempted to examine disparity of a single clade using multiple morphological proxies. Here, as a case study for this question, we examine the disparity of the volant Mesozoic fossil reptile clade Pterosauria, an intensively studied group that achieved substantial morphological, ecological, and taxonomic diversity during their 145+ million year evolutionary history. We characterise broadscale patterns of cranial morphological disparity for pterosaurs for the first time using landmark-based geometric morphometrics, ...