What is it about?
This study examined cranial size and shape in all six species of bristly ground squirrels using 61 cranial landmarks from 160 adult specimens collected across 76 localities. I tested how skull variation relates to body size, evolutionary relationships, habitat, diet, and environmental conditions.
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Why is it important?
The species differed clearly in skull size and shape, and cranial shape had high taxonomic value. Larger species showed predictable allometric changes, while diet, habitat, and arid-environment adaptations also contributed to morphological differences. Dorsal skull shape more strongly reflected phylogeny, whereas ventral shape showed stronger ecological influence.
Perspectives
I was particularly interested in separating recurring allometric patterns from ecological and phylogenetic effects. Bristly ground squirrels provide a useful comparison because the six species share a common evolutionary background but differ in diet, habitat, and degree of adaptation to arid environments.
Bader H. Alhajeri
Kuwait University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ecological drivers of cranial evolution in bristly ground squirrels (tribe Xerini), Organisms Diversity & Evolution, November 2025, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1007/s13127-025-00683-0.
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