Presenting Author New York Institute of Technology
Advancements in imaging modalities now allow for high-throughput acquisition of high-fidelity phenotypic data. Analytical pipelines that harness these rich sources of anatomical information, from data collection to results, are vital for the emergence and maturation of phenome-level research that aims to analyze phenotypes at organism-wide scale. Towards this goal, my colleagues and I have employed existing and newly developed high-dimensional geometric morphometric techniques––an approach that permits a more holistic investigation of not only how anatomical structures change forms across treatments or through time, but also how their subunits interact within and between each other through analysis of integration and modularity. Here, I highlight the utility of this high-dimensional approach with studies on skull shape evolution in squamate reptiles and neuroanatomical evolution in modern birds from their dinosaurian ancestors. Collectively, these studies show that evolutionary dynamics differ across taxa, time, and anatomical regions; and that diverse phenotypes could spring from conserved patterns of integration, as well as from more strongly integrated structures contrary to historical notion. As we collect and analyze high-dimensional data, however, we must also consider whether these datasets are, in fact, “better” at characterizing morphology. To address this issue, I present analytical explorations that demonstrate how and when a high-dimensional approach is superior to standard morphometric methods, including greater stability and reliability in morphological characterization and statistical analysis of variation and covariation. Combined with modern imaging technologies, a high-dimensional approach to shape analysis empowers morphologists to capture and understand phenotypic variation at unprecedented resolution and scale.
Support or Funding Information
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship, Dissertation Improvement Grant (DEB-1406849), Major Research Instrumentation Grant (DBI-1828305), Career Grant (IOS-2045466); European Research Council; Paleontological Society; Society of Vertebrate Paleontology; Jurassic Foundation; European Commission SYNTHESYS grant; American Museum of Natural History.
