Labroid intrarelationships revisited: morphological complexity, key innovations, and the study of comparative diversity
By Stiassny, Melanie, J.S. Jensen
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 151(5):269- 319 Apr-1987
" The morphological and taxonomic implications of pharyngognathy in acanthomorph fishes are clarified, and the monophyly of the pharyngognath Labroidei is established. Characters bearing upon hypotheses of labroid intrarelationships are reviewed and a single minimum length tree is presented and discussed. Morphological character transformations within the Labroidei display a disconcertingly large amount of homoplasy and, until a single highly corroborated phylogeny is available, statements about relationships within the suborder must remain tentative.
The predominance of attributes of the pharynx and pharyngeal jaw apparatus as a major locus for character data in the diagnosis of the Labroidei is discussed, and the implications of pharyngeal dominance in systematic analyses are explored. Finally, we review the concept of the key innovation of labroid pharyngeal specialization as a causal explanation for the morphologic and taxonomic diversification of the Labroidei "
Classification: Taxonomy and phylogeny.
Language: English
Stiassny, Melanie & J.S. Jensen. 1987. "Labroid intrarelationships revisited: morphological complexity, key innovations, and the study of comparative diversity". Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 151(5):269- 319 (crc05622) (abstract)