The main focus of ecomorphology is the relationship between morphological and ecological diversity. This relationship can exist at several levels: intraspecific, interspecific, between groups and communities. Intraspecific morphological variability leads to functional and performance differences, which are related to resource use and fitness. Morphological and ecological co-evolution occurs throughout evolution. Current ecomorphology has considerably improved its theoretical background by incorporating phylogenetic hypotheses. In our department, we address, for example, the relationship between ecology, morphology and physiology of frogs (Frýdlová et al. 2019), shape differences in the shell of turtles (Palupčíková et al. 2012; Protiva et al. 2016) or the differentiation of individual populations of giant tiliquas based on head shape. Our projects also focus on performance tests in specific species and forms of eyelid geckos and link them to data on body growth and hybridisation (Jančúchová-Lásková et al. 2015; Frynta et al. 2018). We welcome students to join our projects and learn how to apply state-of-the-art methodological procedures.
Frýdlová P., Sedláčková K., Žampachová B., Kurali A., Hýbl J., Škoda D., Kutílek, P., Landová E., Černý R., Frynta D. (2019). A gyroscopic advantage: phylogenetic patterns of compensatory movements in frogs. Journal of Experimental Biology 222(2), jeb186544.
Frynta, D., Jančúchová-Lásková, J., Frýdlová, P., Landová, E. (2018). Fast or slow? A comparative study of body weight trajectories in three species of the genus Eublepharis and their hybrids. Scientific Reports 8:2658.
Jančúchová-Lásková, J., Landova, E., & Frynta, D. (2015). Experimental crossing of two distinct species of leopard geckos, Eublepharis angramainyu and E. macularius: viability, fertility and phenotypic variation of the hybrids. PloS one, 10(12).
Palupčíková K., Somerová B., Protiva T., & Rehák I. (2012). Genetic and shell-shape analyses of Orlitia borneensis (Testudines: Geoemydidae) reveal limited divergence among founders of the European zoo population. Zootaxa, 3280(1), 56-66.
Protiva T., Gunalen D., Bauerová A., Palupčíková K., Somerová B., Frýdlová P., Jančuchová-Lásková J., Šimková O., Frynta D. & Rehák, I. (2016). Shell shape and genetic variability of Southeast Asian Box Turtles (Cuora amboinensis) from Borneo and Sumatra. Vertebrate Zoology 66(3), 387-396.