A Geometric Morphometric and Histological Study of the Role of Development in Avialan Evolution

In order to fully understand the processes that influence phenotypic evolution, it is necessary to explore the role that developmental channeling plays in shaping morphology. In my doctoral research, I have investigated how an increased understanding of ontogenetic patterns gives insight into the evolution of birds. Here, I present the results of an integrative study combining material from multiple levels of the biological hierarchy (clade,...