A morphological character matrix describing shells from extant and extinct lucinid bivalves of the Western Atlantic
In: Historical Biology. TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD: Abingdon. ISSN 0891-2963; e-ISSN 1029-2381, more
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| Abstract |
Morphological datasets, such as character matrices, are essential for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships and understanding evolutionary trends in organismal form, functional morphology, ecological roles, and adaptive responses to environmental change. For fossil taxa, where molecular data are unavailable, morphological character matrices serve as the primary source of phylogenetic information. Sharing these datasets openly is essential for ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and replicability in evolutionary research. This data note presents a curated morphological character matrix for 52 Lucinidae species and two Thyasiridae outgroup taxa. The matrix includes 58 morphological characters with character state descriptions and associated character notes, a list of specimens examined, high-resolution images, the temporal range for fossil taxa, and a bibliography. Scoring was conducted through a combination of specimen examination and data extracted from published literature. The final matrix comprises 2,807 scorings with 6.93% missing data. The dataset is available at the open-access resource MorphoBank (Project P4896), ensuring long-term findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability in accordance with FAIR principles. It provides an important resource for lucinid phylogenetic analyses, species descriptions, faunal turnovers, conservation palaeobiology, and biodiversity of the lucinid-endosymbiont system. |
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