Unveiling Nature's Architecture: Geometric Morphometrics as an Analytical Tool in Plant Biology.

IF 4 2区生物学 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

Plants-Basel Pub Date : 2025-03-05 DOI:10.3390/plants14050808

Federica Spani, Vittoria Locato, Laura De Gara

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Geometric morphometrics (GMM) is an advanced morphometric method enabling quantitative analysis of shape and size variations in biological structures. Through high-resolution imaging and mathematical algorithms, GMM provides valuable insights into taxonomy, ecology, and evolution, making it increasingly relevant in plant science. This review synthesizes the existing literature and explores methodological details, research questions, and future directions, establishing a strong foundation for further study in plant biology. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, a rigorous literature search finally identified 83 studies for review. The review organized data on plant species, organs studied, GMM objectives, and methodological aspects, such as imaging and landmark positioning. Leaf and flower structures emerged as the most frequently analyzed organs, primarily in studies of shape variations. This review assesses the use of GMM in plant sciences, identifying knowledge gaps and inconsistencies, and suggesting areas for future research. By highlighting unaddressed topics and emerging trends, the review aims to guide researchers towards methodological challenges and innovations necessary for advancing the field.

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揭示自然的建筑：几何形态计量学作为植物生物学的分析工具。

几何形态计量学（GMM）是一种先进的形态计量学方法，可以定量分析生物结构的形状和大小变化。通过高分辨率成像和数学算法，GMM为分类学、生态学和进化提供了有价值的见解，使其在植物科学中越来越重要。本文综述了现有文献，并对方法细节、研究问题和未来发展方向进行了探讨，为植物生物学的进一步研究奠定了坚实的基础。根据PRISMA 2020指南，严格的文献检索最终确定了83项研究供审查。综述整理了植物种类、研究器官、GMM目标和方法方面的数据，如成像和地标定位。叶和花的结构是最常被分析的器官，主要是在形状变化的研究中。这篇综述评估了GMM在植物科学中的应用，确定了知识差距和不一致之处，并提出了未来研究的领域。通过突出未解决的主题和新兴趋势，该综述旨在指导研究人员应对推进该领域所必需的方法挑战和创新。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Plants-Basel Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

CiteScore

6.50

自引率

11.10%

发文量

2923

审稿时长

15.4 days

期刊介绍： Plants (ISSN 2223-7747), is an international and multidisciplinary scientific open access journal that covers all key areas of plant science. It publishes review articles, regular research articles, communications, and short notes in the fields of structural, functional and experimental botany. In addition to fundamental disciplines such as morphology, systematics, physiology and ecology of plants, the journal welcomes all types of articles in the field of applied plant science.