Fig. 3. Summary figure with directions for future research.

A flowchart represents the relationship between the environmental, life history, ecological, shape, and feeding performance variables analyzed in this study. Asterisks denote areas that might especially benefit from additional research to understand how life history and environmental variation directly influence cranial shape variation. Shaded arrows indicate likely feedback pathways that were not specifically analyzed in this study but, nevertheless, are important for future research into the relationships among feeding ecology, biomechanical performance, and cranial shape.