Data from: Patterns of morphological integration in the appendicular skeleton of mammalian carnivores

We investigated patterns of evolutionary integration in the appendicular
skeleton of mammalian carnivores. The findings are discussed in relation
to performance selection in terms of organismal function as a potential
mechanism underlying integration. Interspecific shape covariation was
quantified by 2B-PLS analysis of 3D landmark data within a phylogenetic
context. Specifically, we compared pairs of anatomically connected bones
(within-limbs) and pairs of both serially homologous and functional
equivalent bones (between-limbs). The statistical results of all the
comparisons suggest that the carnivoran appendicular skeleton is highly
integrated. Strikingly, the main shape covariation relates to bone
robustness in all cases. A bootstrap test specifically developed to
compare the degree of integration between specialized cursorial taxa
(i.e., those whose forelimbs are primarily involved in locomotion) and
non-cursorial species (i.e., those whose forelimbs are involved in more
functions than their hind limb) showed that cursors have a more integrated
appendicular skeleton than non-cursors. The findings demonstrate that
natural selection can influence the pattern and degree of morphological
integration by increasing the degree of bone shape covariation in parallel
to ecological specialization.