Geometric Morphometrics

Geometric morphometrics provide tools for analyzing the shapes of objects based on the coordinates of points placed on their surfaces. These tools can be used for a wide variety of analysis, ranging from statistical regression and MANOVA to ancestor reconstruction and evolutionary modeling. A central component of most geometric morphometric methods is the alignment of points to a common coordinate system using Procrustes superimposition, which has the benefit of mathematically removing size from the analysis. The use of thin‐plate spline deformation grids to graphically illustrate analytical results are one of geometric morphometrics' most iconic features. Advances in three‐dimensional scanning of objects are pushing the field in new directions.