View source for Morphospace ranges

|  [[VirtuaLab]]  |  [[MORPHOSPACE]]  |  '''[[1D-morphospace]]''' |  '''[[2D-morphospace]]''' |  '''[[3D-morphospace]]''' |  '''[[Morphotree|nD-morphospace]]''' |


[[Image:1DmorphoRanges1a.jpg|thumb|right|400px| <font size="2">Examples of different morphospace ranges defined within the one-dimensional   morphospace along changing translation factors (TF). Simple 2-chambered foraminiferal shells are illustrated. White chambers represent a proloculus (first chamber). Dotted lines at 0.0 TF-value indicate ‘undetermination’ of the shortest distance (LCP) from the previous aperture to the chamber surface. Different ranges of the morphospace are explained in the text (text and picture from [[Tyszka 2006]], modified).]]

[[Image:RangesScheme1.jpg|thumb|right|400px| <font size="2">Scheme of morphospace ranges (after [[Tyszka 2006]], modified)]]


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The complete theoretical foraminiferal morphospace covers all '''possible''' and '''impossible''' morphologies. Theoretically possible morphologies include all forms constructed from attached chambers with their internal parts connected via apertures (foramina). These theoretical-form assumptions derive directly from empirical morphologies of multilocular foraminiferal shells. In contrast, impossible morphologies represent the '''forbidden range''' (sensu Berger 1969) and incorporate two types of impossible forms at least, i.e. (1) those with detached chambers and (2) the others with disconnected foraminal paths (cited after [[Tyszka 2006]]).

If we start exploring a possible range of the morphospace in comparison to the empiric data, we see that this part of the morphospace is further split into two parts, including an ‘'''occupied range'''’ and an ‘'''unoccupied range'''’. The occupied part incorporates all existing forms known from reality (cited after [[Tyszka 2006]]).

General comparison of empirical morphologies with theoretical morphologies generated in the ‘unoccupied range’ allows distinguishing three lower rank categories (see Fig. below):
* ‘'''vacant range'''’ - an empty range that is most likely fully functional, but so far not recorded within empirical morphologies;
* ‘'''dysfunctional range'''’ - geometrically possible, but dysfunctional morphologies; e.g. parts of the morphospace with extreme values of parameters, such as non-functional proportions of chambers with very high scaling ratios or strongly limited chamber volume (see Fig. above);
* ‘'''deficient range'''’ - geometrically possible, but probably partly dysfunctional morphologies due to unconsidered (usually unknown) rules of the model (cited after [[Tyszka 2006]]).