Catfish macroevolution

Post by **Silurus** » 06 Aug 2005, 12:17

Diogo, R & P Vandewalle, 2005. Catfishes, functional uncouplings, and morphological macroevolution. European Journal of Morphology 41: 139â??148.

Abstract

Many evolutionary biologists have stressed that functional uncouplings play an important role in morphological macroevolution, as they facilitate diversification and speciation by increasing the number of degrees of freedom and allowing more mechanical solutions for functional problems. In the present paper, the importance of functional uncouplings in the evolution of six major catfish structural complexes is briefly discussed, namely those constituted by the mandibular barbels and associated structures, the pectoral girdle complex, the elastic spring apparatus, the suspensorium, the palatineâ??maxillary system, and the adductor mandibulae complex. The overview of these major structural complexes indicates that functional uncouplings did effectively play an essential role on catfish evolutionary history. The study of this cosmopolitan and particularly diverse group representing about one-third of all freshwater fishes thus supports the importance of functional uncouplings in morphological macroevolution.

Post by **Dinyar** » 06 Aug 2005, 15:35

Can you please explain "functional uncoupling"? Thanks.

Post by **Silurus** » 07 Aug 2005, 03:02

From the paper:

Functional uncouplings "...refer to cases when part of a certain complex originally associated with a certain mechanism X gives rise to a complex associated with a mechanism Y, with the remaining of the original complex continuing to perform the original mechanism X."

Post by **Dinyar** » 07 Aug 2005, 04:09

Osteological and myological "complexes"? Can you give us an example in layman's terms?

Post by **Silurus** » 07 Aug 2005, 04:23

The bones and muscles associated with the pectoral fins.