title: Estimating rates and patterns of morphological evolution from phylogenies: lessons in limb lability from Australian Lerista lizards.
abstract: Squamates (lizards and snakes) offer an exciting model system for research on the evolution of body form. A new phylogenetic study in BMC Evolutionary Biology of Australian lizards shows remarkable evolutionary lability in digit numbers among closely related species, but also highlights important challenges in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, NY 11794-5245, USA. wiensj@life.bio.sunysb.edu
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wiens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D005075:Biological Evolution; D008116:Lizards / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors