Cranial shape variation in domestication: a pilot study on the case of rabbits

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorGeiger, M.
dc.contributor.authorSánchez-Villagra, M.
dc.contributor.authorSherratt, E.
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractDomestication leads to phenotypic characteristics that have been described to be similar across species. However, this ‘domestication syndrome’ has been subject to debate, related to a lack of evidence for certain characteristics in many species. Here, we review diverse literature and provide new data on cranial shape changes due to domestication in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) as a preliminary case study, thus contributing novel evidence to the debate. We quantified cranial shape of 30 wild and domestic rabbits using micro CT-scans and 3D geometric morphometrics. The goal was to test (1) if the domesticates exhibit shorter and broader snouts, smaller teeth, and smaller braincases than their wild counterparts; (2) to what extent allometric scaling is responsible for cranial shape variation in wild and domestic rabbits; (3) if there is evidence for more variation in the neural crest-derived parts of the cranium compared to those derived of the mesoderm, in accordance with the ‘neural crest hypothesis’. Our own data is consistent with older literature records, suggesting that while there is evidence for some cranial characteristics of the ‘domestication syndrome’ being present in domestic rabbits – e.g., concerning a diminution of braincase size –, facial length is not reduced. In accordance with the ‘neural crest hypothesis’, we found more shape variation in neural crest vs. mesoderm derived parts of the cranium. Within the domestic group, allometric scaling relationships of the snout, the braincase, and the teeth shed new light on ubiquitous patterns among related taxa. This study – albeit preliminary due to the limited sample size – adds to the growing evidence concerning non-uniform patterns associated with domestication.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityMadeleine Geiger, Marcelo R. Sánchez, Villagra, Emma Sherratt
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 2022; 338(8):532-541
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/jez.b.23171
dc.identifier.issn1552-5007
dc.identifier.issn1552-5015
dc.identifier.orcidSherratt, E. [0000-0003-2164-7877]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/136067
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT190100803
dc.rights© 2022 The Authors This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1002/jez.b.23171
dc.subjectallometry; cranium; modularity; Oryctolagus cuniculus
dc.titleCranial shape variation in domestication: a pilot study on the case of rabbits
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
hdl_136067.pdf
Size:
1.06 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download

Collections

Zoology publications