Geometric morphometrics and the analysis of higher taxa: a case study based on the metendosternite of the Scarabaeoidea (Coleoptera)

A geometric morphometric analysis of families belonging to the Scarabaeoide a, using landmarks from three two-dimensional views (frontal, dorsal and la teral) of an internally situated rigid structure, the metendosternite, was carried out. Procrustes distances matrices were obtained to produce phenogr ams from the three analyses. Relative warp analyses were also performed and the first two relative warps for the three data sets plotted against each other. The metendosternite is an internally situated anatomical structure t hat has largely been neglected in past studies. However, it proved to be us eful in geometric morphometric studies, because it is rigid and landmarks c an be easily identified. Geometric morphometrics is shown to be a powerful tool to identify phenetic relationships between higher level taxa, and the metendosternite is a new structure available for beetle systematisists. (C) 2001 The Linnean Society of London.