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Sabolić I, Mira Ó, Brandt DYC, Lisičić D, Stapley J, Novosolov M, Bakarić R, Cizelj I, Glogoški M, Hudina T, Taverne M, Allentoft ME, Nielsen R, Herrel A, Štambuk A. Plastic and genomic change of a newly established lizard population following a founder event. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17255. [PMID: 38133599 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how phenotypic divergence arises among natural populations remains one of the major goals in evolutionary biology. As part of competitive exclusion experiment conducted in 1971, 10 individuals of Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1810)) were transplanted from Pod Kopište Island to the nearby island of Pod Mrčaru (Adriatic Sea). Merely 35 years after the introduction, the newly established population on Pod Mrčaru Island had shifted their diet from predominantly insectivorous towards omnivorous and changed significantly in a range of morphological, behavioural, physiological and ecological characteristics. Here, we combine genomic and quantitative genetic approaches to determine the relative roles of genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in driving this rapid phenotypic shift. Our results show genome-wide genetic differentiation between ancestral and transplanted population, with weak genetic erosion on Pod Mrčaru Island. Adaptive processes following the founder event are indicated by highly differentiated genomic loci associating with ecologically relevant phenotypic traits, and/or having a putatively adaptive role across multiple lizard populations. Diverged traits related to head size and shape or bite force showed moderate heritability in a crossing experiment, but between-population differences in these traits did not persist in a common garden environment. Our results confirm the existence of sufficient additive genetic variance for traits to evolve under selection while also demonstrating that phenotypic plasticity and/or genotype by environment interactions are the main drivers of population differentiation at this early evolutionary stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Sabolić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Óscar Mira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Débora Y C Brandt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Duje Lisičić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jessica Stapley
- Department of Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Novosolov
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert Bakarić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Cizelj
- Zoological Garden of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Glogoški
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Maxime Taverne
- C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Valdés B. Vertebrate Pollination of Angiosperms in the Mediterranean Area: A Review. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:895. [PMID: 38592907 PMCID: PMC10976121 DOI: 10.3390/plants13060895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
For a long time, it was considered that entomogamy was the only pollination mechanism in the Mediterranean area. However, data recorded in this review prove that ornithogamy and saurogamy also take place. With the exception of the nectarivorous Cinnyris osea (Nectariniidae) which pollinates the mistletoe Picosepalus acaciae in Israel, all birds responsible for the pollination of several plant species in this area are primarily insectivorous, sedentary, or migrating passerine birds, particularly Sylvia atricapilla, S. melanocephala, Phylloscopus collibita and Parus caeruleus. They contribute, together with insects, to the pollination of Anagyris foetida, three species of Scrophularia with big flowers, Rhamnus alaternus, Brassica oleracea, and some other plants. The lacertid lizard Podarcis lilfordi acts as a pollinating agent on several W Mediterranean islands, where it effectively pollinates Euphorbia dendroides, Cneorum tricocum, and presumably Rosmarinus officinalis and Chrithmum maritimum. The flowers of some other plant species are visited by birds or by Podarcis species in the Mediterranean area, where they could also contribute to their pollination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benito Valdés
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Seville, 41004 Sevilla, Spain
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Sherpa S, Paris JR, Silva‐Rocha I, Di Canio V, Carretero MA, Ficetola GF, Salvi D. Genetic depletion does not prevent rapid evolution in island-introduced lizards. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10721. [PMID: 38034325 PMCID: PMC10682264 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental introductions of species have provided some of the most tractable examples of rapid phenotypic changes, which may reflect plasticity, the impact of stochastic processes, or the action of natural selection. Yet to date, very few studies have investigated the neutral and potentially adaptive genetic impacts of experimental introductions. We dissect the role of these processes in shaping the population differentiation of wall lizards in three Croatian islands (Sušac, Pod Kopište, and Pod Mrčaru), including the islet of Pod Mrčaru, where experimentally introduced lizards underwent rapid (~30 generations) phenotypic changes associated with a shift from an insectivorous to a plant-based diet. Using a genomic approach (~82,000 ddRAD loci), we confirmed a founder effect during introduction and very low neutral genetic differentiation between the introduced population and its source. However, genetic depletion did not prevent rapid population growth, as the introduced lizards exhibited population genetic signals of expansion and are known to have reached a high density. Our genome-scan analysis identified just a handful of loci showing large allelic shifts between ecologically divergent populations. This low overall signal of selection suggests that the extreme phenotypic differences observed among populations are determined by a small number of large-effect loci and/or that phenotypic plasticity plays a major role in phenotypic changes. Nonetheless, functional annotation of the outlier loci revealed some candidate genes relevant to diet-induced adaptation, in agreement with the hypothesis of directional selection. Our study provides important insights on the evolutionary potential of bottlenecked populations in response to new selective pressures on short ecological timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Sherpa
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanoItaly
| | - Josephine R. Paris
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'AmbienteUniversità degli Studi dell'AquilaL'Aquila‐CoppitoItaly
| | - Iolanda Silva‐Rocha
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIOVairãoPortugal
| | - Viola Di Canio
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Politiche AmbientaliUniversità degli Studi di MilanoMilanoItaly
| | - Miguel Angel Carretero
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos (CIBIO), InBIO Laboratório AssociadoUniversidade do PortoVairãoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land PlanningCIBIOVairãoPortugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | | | - Daniele Salvi
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica, Sanità Pubblica, Scienze della Vita e dell'AmbienteUniversità degli Studi dell'AquilaL'Aquila‐CoppitoItaly
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Westeen EP, Martínez‐Fonseca JG, d'Orgeix CA, Walker FM, Sanchez DE, Wang IJ. Dietary niche partitioning of three Sky Island Sceloporus lizards as revealed through DNA metabarcoding. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10461. [PMID: 37693939 PMCID: PMC10485322 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Lizard diets are highly diverse and have contributed to the diversification, biogeographical distributions, and evolution of novel traits across this global radiation. Many parts of a lizard's ecology-including habitat preferences, foraging modes, predation risks, interspecific competition, and thermal constraints, among others-interact to shape diets, and dietary niche partitioning simultaneously contributes to co-occurrence within communities. We used DNA metabarcoding of fecal samples to identify prey items in the diets of three sympatric Sceloporus lizards in the Madrean Sky Islands of Arizona, USA. We found evidence for dietary niche partitioning between interacting species concomitant with their respective ecologies. We also compared diet composition between populations to understand how conserved or plastic species' diets are between different environments. Our findings suggest that habitat generalists are also diet generalists in this system, while the same may be true for specialists. The identification of prey items to much lower taxonomic levels than previously documented further reveals hidden diversity in the diets of these species and underscores the utility of metabarcoding for understanding the full complexity of lizard diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin P. Westeen
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
| | | | | | - Faith M. Walker
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
- Pathogen and Microbiome InstituteNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
| | - Daniel E. Sanchez
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
- Pathogen and Microbiome InstituteNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffArizonaUSA
| | - Ian J. Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and ManagementUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
- Museum of Vertebrate ZoologyUniversity of California BerkeleyBerkeleyCaliforniaUSA
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Taverne M, Watson PJ, Dutel H, Boistel R, Lisicic D, Tadic Z, Fabre AC, Fagan MJ, Herrel A. Form-function relationships underlie rapid dietary changes in a lizard. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230582. [PMID: 37282532 PMCID: PMC10244978 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroevolutionary changes such as variation in habitat use or diet are often associated with convergent, adaptive changes in morphology. However, it is still unclear how small-scale morphological variation at the population level can drive shifts in ecology such as observed at a macroevolutionary scale. Here, we address this question by investigating how variation in cranial form and feeding mechanics relate to rapid changes in diet in an insular lizard (Podarcis siculus) after experimental introduction into a new environment. We first quantified differences in the skull shape and jaw muscle architecture between the source and introduced population using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and dissections. Next, we tested the impact of the observed variation in morphology on the mechanical performance of the masticatory system using computer-based biomechanical simulation techniques. Our results show that small differences in shape, combined with variation in muscle architecture, can result in significant differences in performance allowing access to novel trophic resources. The confrontation of these data with the already described macroevolutionary relationships between cranial form and function in these insular lizards provides insights into how selection can, over relatively short time scales, drive major changes in ecology through its impact on mechanical performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Taverne
- UMR 7179, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - P. J. Watson
- Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - H. Dutel
- Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - R. Boistel
- UMR 7179, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - D. Lisicic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Z. Tadic
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Rooseveltov trg 6, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - A-C. Fabre
- Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology & Evolution, Universität Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - M. J. Fagan
- Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - A. Herrel
- UMR 7179, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
- Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Bernastrasse 15, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
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Donihue CM, Herrel A, Taverne M, Foufopoulos J, Pafilis P. The Evolution of Diet and Morphology in Insular Lizards: Insights from a Replicated Island Introduction Experiment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1788. [PMID: 37889735 PMCID: PMC10251849 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Resource-limited environments may drive the rapid evolution of phenotypic traits and ecological preferences optimizing the exploitation of resources. Very small islands are often characterized by reduced food availability, seasonal fluctuations in resources and strong unpredictability. These features may drive the evolution of phenotypic traits such as high bite forces, allowing animals to exploit a wider variety of the available resources. They may also lead to more generalist dietary patterns in response to food scarcity. However, the lack of predators and competitors on such small islands often also leads to high densities and the evolution of strong sexual dimorphism, which may also drive the evolution of bite force. Here, we take advantage of a unique replicated introduction experiment to test whether lizards introduced into very small islands alter their feeding ecology and use different resources, resulting in the evolution of a large body size, large head size and large bite forces. Our results show that three years after their introduction, the island lizards were larger and had greater bite forces and more pronounced sexual dimorphism. However, the diets were only marginally different between animals from the source population on a very large nearby island and those on the islets. Moreover, distinct differences in diet between animals on the different islets were observed, suggesting that the local environment is a strong driver of resource use. Overall, lizards with absolutely and relatively (adjusted for body size) large bite forces did eat larger and harder prey. Taken together, our data suggest that intraspecific competition is an important driver of the rapid evolution of bite force, which may allow these lizards to exploit the scarce and fluctuating resources on the islets. Whether or not lizards will evolve to include other types of food such as plants in their diet, facilitated by their large bite forces, remains to be explored in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin M. Donihue
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Bâtiment d’Anatomie Comparée, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; (A.H.); (M.T.)
- Department of Biology, Functional Morphology, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Maxime Taverne
- UMR 7179 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Bâtiment d’Anatomie Comparée, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France; (A.H.); (M.T.)
| | - Johannes Foufopoulos
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA;
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece;
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece
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Pizarro JE, Laspiur A, Acosta JC, Blanco GM, Boretto JM. High reproductive effort in a vulnerable lizard from high altitudes in Argentina: Reproductive biology and sexual dimorphism in Phymaturus extrilidus. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2022; 94:e20210179. [PMID: 36515324 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202220210179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproductive biology is fundamental to understanding the ecology and evolution of lizards which, in turn, is essential for the definition of the species´ conservation status. We studied life-history traits related to the reproduction of the Phymaturus extrilidus lizard, including the male and female reproductive cycles, litter size, mean annual reproductive output, reproductive effort, sexual maturity size and sexual dimorphism, body condition, and fat body cycles. We found sexual dimorphism in size and shape, supporting the hypotheses of sexual and fecundity selection. Females exhibited biennial reproductive cycles synchronous with the annual prenuptial male cycle, adjusted for the maturation of the vitellogenic follicles of females. Females of P. extrilidus have the highest mean annual reproductive output (MARO=1.14) recorded in Phymaturus, and this is accompanied by the highest reproductive effort (C=0.28, C energetic =0.31). Births occur from late summer to early autumn. The female reproductive cycle, strictly biennial, like all species of the P. palluma group, and the vitellogenesis in particular, appear to be limited by body condition and the amount of fat body stored. This study presents the fundamental reproductive traits of P. extrilidus that can provide valuable information to be used in the evaluation of the conservation status of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesús E Pizarro
- Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Escuela Universitaria de Ciencias de la Salud, Rawson y Arenales, Albardón, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina.,Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Laboratorio de Eco-fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles, INIBIOMA, CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Juan C Acosta
- Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
| | - Graciela M Blanco
- Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Departamento de Biología, Físicas y Naturales, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (Oeste), Rivadavia, J5402DCS San Juan, Argentina
| | - Jorgelina M Boretto
- Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Laboratorio de Eco-fisiología e Historia de Vida de Reptiles, INIBIOMA, CONICET, Quintral 1250, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina
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Hernández-Salinas U, Ramírez-Bautista A, Cruz-Elizalde R, Torres-Hernández LA. Feeding Niche and Predator–Prey Size Relationship in the Whiptail Lizard Aspidoscelis lineattissima (Squamata: Teiidae) in Insular and Continental Populations of the Mexican Pacific. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1643/h2021062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uriel Hernández-Salinas
- Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigación para el Desarrollo Integral Regional (CIIDIR) Unidad Durango, Calle Sigma 119 Fraccionamiento 20 de Noviembre II Durango, Durango 34220, México;
| | - Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Km 4.5 carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo, 42184, Mineral de La Reforma, Hidalgo, México
| | - Raciel Cruz-Elizalde
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Diversidad Faunística, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Avenida de las Ciencias S/N, Santa Fe Juriquilla, C. P. 76230, Querétaro, Querétaro, México;
| | - Lizzeth A. Torres-Hernández
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Poblaciones, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Instituto de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo, Km 4.5 carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo, 42184, Mineral de La Reforma, Hidalgo, México
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Liang T, Wang L, Shi L. Sexual and natural selection interplay in sexual head shape dimorphism of two sympatric racerunners (Squamata: Lacertidae). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1016885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both natural and sexual selection can shape sexual dimorphism. However, determination of the contribution of these selection pressures is challenging. In lizards, sexual selection can contribute to the larger head size of males than that of females. However, males and females can also diverge in their head size to prey on different food resources under conditions of limited resources (and/or high competitors). Here, 109 individuals from two sympatric desert racerunners (Eremias grammica: 28 males and 30 females; Eremias velox: 25 males and 26 females) were studied to determine their sexual head shape (head length, width, and depth). Additionally, 191 and 169 feces samples of E. grammica and E. velox, respectively, were collected to assess the niche divergence hypothesis (a proxy for natural selection). We found that both species had dimorphic head shapes; male heads (i.e., length, width, and depth) were significantly larger than female heads (P < 0.05, in all cases) in E. grammica, and male heads of E. velox were significantly longer than those of females (P < 0.05). Chi-square test revealed that there were significant differences in the proportion (Hymenopteran and Orthopteran) and sizes of prey type between the two sexes of E. grammica; conspecific males and females of E. velox differed in the proportion of Coleopteran and Hymenopteran prey. Both males and females of these two species had a high niche overlap index (range from ∼ 0.78 to 0.99) with each other. There were also significant differences in the sizes of the heads and prey between the two species (P < 0.05). However, the interspecific differences were mainly caused by interspecific male–male differences in morphological and prey traits. In summary, we believe that both natural (pressures from resource competition) and sexual selection drive sexual head shape dimorphism in these two sympatric lizards, owing to high food resource competition in arid regions. Therefore, head trait divergence can reduce competition by resulting in a preference for different prey types.
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Wu Q, Aubret F, Wu L, Ding P. Sex‐specific shifts in morphology and diet in a frog after 50 years of anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
| | - Fabien Aubret
- School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences (SAEVS), Faculty of Science and Health Charles Sturt University Port Macquarie New South Wales Australia
| | - Lingbing Wu
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, College of Forestry Hainan University Haikou China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, College of Life Sciences Zhejiang University Hangzhou China
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11
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Proximate Drivers of Population-Level Lizard Gut Microbial Diversity: Impacts of Diet, Insularity, and Local Environment. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081550. [PMID: 36013968 PMCID: PMC9413874 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Diet has been suggested to be an important driver of variation in microbiota composition in mammals. However, whether this is a more general phenomenon and how fast changes in gut microbiota occur with changes in diet remains poorly understood. Forty-nine years ago, ten lizards of the species Podarcis siculus were taken from the island of Pod Kopište and introduced onto the island of Pod Mrčaru (Croatia). The introduced population underwent a significant dietary shift, and their descendants became omnivorous (consuming up to 80% plant material during summer). Variation in their gut microbiota has never been investigated. To elucidate the possible impact on the gut microbiota of this rapid change in diet, we compared the microbiota (V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene) of P. siculus from Pod Mrčaru, Pod Kopište, and the mainland. In addition, we explored other drivers of variation in gut microbiota including insularity, the population of origin, and the year of sampling. Alpha-diversity analyses showed that the microbial diversity of omnivorous lizards was higher than the microbial diversity of insectivorous lizards. Moreover, omnivorous individuals harbored significantly more Methanobrevibacter. The gut microbial diversity of insectivorous lizards was nonetheless more heterogeneous. Insectivorous lizards on the mainland had different gut microbial communities than their counterparts on the island of Pod Kopište. Bacillus and Desulfovibrio were more abundant in the gut microbiota from insular lizards compared to mainland lizards. Finally, we showed that the population of origin was also an important driver of the composition of the gut microbiota. The dietary shift that occurred in the introduced population of P. siculus has had a detectable impact on the gut microbiota, but other factors such as insularity and the population of origin also contributed to differences in the gut microbial composition of these lizards, illustrating the multifactorial nature of the drivers of variation in gut microbiota. Overall, our data show that changes in gut microbiota may take place on ecological timescales. Yet, diet is only one of many factors driving variation in gut microbiota across populations.
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OUP accepted manuscript. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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Taverne M, Dutel H, Fagan M, Štambuk A, Lisičić D, Tadić Z, Fabre AC, Herrel A. From micro to macroevolution: drivers of shape variation in an island radiation of Podarcis lizards. Evolution 2021; 75:2685-2707. [PMID: 34382693 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypictraits have been shown to evolve in response to variation in the environment. However, the evolutionary processes underlying the emergence of phenotypic diversity can typically only be understood at the population level. Consequently, how subtle phenotypic differences at the intraspecific level can give rise to larger-scale changes in performance and ecology remains poorly understood. We here tested for the covariation between ecology, bite force, jaw muscle architecture, and the three-dimensional shape of the cranium and mandible in 16 insular populations of the lizards Podarcis melisellensis and P. sicula. We then compared the patterns observed at the among-population level with those observed at the interspecific level. We found that three-dimensional head shape as well as jaw musculature evolve similarly under similar ecological circumstances. Depending on the type of food consumed or on the level of sexual competition, different muscle groups were more developed and appeared to underlie changes in cranium and mandible shape. Our findings show that the local selective regimes are primary drivers of phenotypic variation resulting in predictable patterns of form and function. Moreover, intraspecific patterns of variation were generally consistent with those at the interspecific level, suggesting that microevolutionary variation may translate into macroevolutionary patterns of ecomorphological diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Taverne
- UMR 7179, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Dutel
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Department of Engineering, Medical and Biological Engineering Research Group, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Michael Fagan
- Department of Engineering, Medical and Biological Engineering Research Group, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Duje Lisičić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Tadić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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Benítez-López A, Santini L, Gallego-Zamorano J, Milá B, Walkden P, Huijbregts MAJ, Tobias JA. The island rule explains consistent patterns of body size evolution in terrestrial vertebrates. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:768-786. [PMID: 33859376 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01426-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Island faunas can be characterized by gigantism in small animals and dwarfism in large animals, but the extent to which this so-called 'island rule' provides a general explanation for evolutionary trajectories on islands remains contentious. Here we use a phylogenetic meta-analysis to assess patterns and drivers of body size evolution across a global sample of paired island-mainland populations of terrestrial vertebrates. We show that 'island rule' effects are widespread in mammals, birds and reptiles, but less evident in amphibians, which mostly tend towards gigantism. We also found that the magnitude of insular dwarfism and gigantism is mediated by climate as well as island size and isolation, with more pronounced effects in smaller, more remote islands for mammals and reptiles. We conclude that the island rule is pervasive across vertebrates, but that the implications for body size evolution are nuanced and depend on an array of context-dependent ecological pressures and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Benítez-López
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Luca Santini
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (CNR-IRET), National Research Council, Monterotondo (Rome), Italy
| | - Juan Gallego-Zamorano
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Borja Milá
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Patrick Walkden
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Mark A J Huijbregts
- Department of Environmental Science, Institute for Wetland and Water Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
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15
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Evaluating the island effect on phenotypic evolution in the Italian wall lizard, Podarcis siculus (Reptilia: Lacertidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Islands are compelling natural laboratories for studying evolutionary processes. Nevertheless, the existence of general rules underlying morphological evolution on islands remains an unresolved issue. In this study, we investigated the insular phenotypic variability of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus) on a large geographical scale, in order to assess the putative existence of an island effect on three morphological head traits: shape, size and degree of sexual dimorphism. A geometric morphometric analysis was performed on 30 island and 24 mainland populations, involving a total of 992 specimens, and we analysed differences in both mean trait values and variances (disparity). We found increased shape disparity in insular lizards with respect to mainland ones. On the other hand, both size disparity and mean head dimensions of males decreased on islands, leading to a reduction in sexual dimorphism. Our results provide evidence for a multidirectional morphological diversification on islands concerning head shape of both sexes, while directional and canalizing selection likely occurred for head size, but only in males. Our findings improve our knowledge on the effect of insularity in Podarcis siculus, and highlight the need for an exstensive sampling scheme and a multi-trait methodological approach.
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Taverne M, King-Gillies N, Krajnović M, Lisičić D, Mira Ó, Petricioli D, Sabolić I, Štambuk A, Tadić Z, Vigliotti C, Wehrle B, Herrel A. Proximate and ultimate drivers of variation in bite force in the insular lizards Podarcis melisellensis and Podarcis sicula. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Bite force is a key performance trait in lizards because biting is involved in many ecologically relevant tasks, including foraging, fighting and mating. Several factors have been suggested to impact bite force in lizards, such as head morphology (proximate factors), or diet, intraspecific competition and habitat characteristics (ultimate factors). However, these have been generally investigated separately and mostly at the interspecific level. Here we tested which factors drive variation in bite force at the population level and to what extent. Our study includes 20 populations of two closely related lacertid species, Podarcis melisellensis and Podarcis sicula, which inhabit islands in the Adriatic. We found that lizards with more forceful bites have relatively wider and taller heads, and consume more hard prey and plant material. Island isolation correlates with bite force, probably by driving resource availability. Bite force is only poorly explained by proxies of intraspecific competition. The linear distance from a large island and the proportion of difficult-to-reduce food items consumed are the ultimate factors that explain most of the variation in bite force. Our findings suggest that the way in which morphological variation affects bite force is species-specific, probably reflecting the different selective pressures operating on the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Taverne
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Nina King-Gillies
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Maria Krajnović
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Duje Lisičić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Óscar Mira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Donat Petricioli
- D.I.I.V. Ltd, for Marine, Freshwater and Subterranean Ecology, Sali, Croatia
| | - Iva Sabolić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zoran Tadić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Chloé Vigliotti
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Beck Wehrle
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
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