1
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Reppa A, Agori AF, Santikou P, Parmakelis A, Pafilis P, Valakos ED, Sagonas K. Small Island Effects on the Thermal Biology of the Endemic Mediterranean Lizard Podarcis gaigeae. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2965. [PMID: 37760365 PMCID: PMC10525772 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182965] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectotherms are vastly affected by climatic conditions as they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, and changes in their habitat thermal quality could seriously affect their overall biology. To overcome the problems of a thermally unfavorable habitat, lizards need to either adjust their thermoregulatory behavior or respond to directional selection and shift their preferred body temperatures. To assess the impact of habitat thermal quality on the thermoregulatory profile, we studied multiple islet and 'mainland' populations of the Skyros wall lizard Podarcis gaigeae, an endemic lacertid to Skyros Archipelago, Greece. We evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E) using the three main thermal parameters: body (Tb), operative (Te), and preferred (Tpref) temperatures. We first hypothesized that the spatial homogeneity, the scarcity of thermal shelters, and the exposure to higher winds on islets would result in more demanding climate conditions. Second, we anticipated that islet lizards would achieve higher E in response to the lower thermal quality therein. As hypothesized, thermal parameters differed between populations but not in the expected manner. Skyros 'mainland' habitats reached higher temperatures, had more intense fluctuations, and were of lower thermal quality. As a result, lizards showed higher accuracy, precision, and effectiveness of thermoregulation. Noteworthy, we found that lizards from different populations have shifted their thermal profile and preferred body temperatures to cope with the particular conditions prevailing in their habitats. The latter supports the labile view on the evolution of thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Reppa
- Section of Ecology and Taxonomy, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Ariadne Faidra Agori
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiota Santikou
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Aristeidis Parmakelis
- Section of Ecology and Taxonomy, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece; (P.P.); (E.D.V.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios D. Valakos
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece; (P.P.); (E.D.V.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas Sagonas
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
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2
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Valdez Ovallez FM, Gómez Alés R, Astudillo V, Córdoba M, Fava G, Acosta R, Blanco G, Villavicencio J, Acosta JC. Thermal biology and locomotor performance of the Andean lizard
Liolaemus fitzgeraldi
(Liolaemidae) in Argentina. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Franco M. Valdez Ovallez
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) San Juan Argentina
| | - Vanesa Astudillo
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Mariela Córdoba
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Gustavo Fava
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Rodrigo Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Graciela Blanco
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - José Villavicencio
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- Gabinete de Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de San Juan San Juan Argentina
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3
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Lowney AM, Thomson RL. Ecological engineering across a spatial gradient: Sociable weaver colonies facilitate animal associations with increasing environmental harshness. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1385-1399. [PMID: 35278217 PMCID: PMC9544845 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The spatial distribution of animals in a landscape depends mainly on the distribution of resources. Resource availability is often facilitated by other species and can positively influence local species diversity and affect community structure. Species that significantly change resource availability are often termed ecosystem engineers. Identifying these species is important, but predicting where they have large or small impacts is a key challenge that will enhance the usefulness of the ecosystem engineering concept. In harsh and stressful environments, the stress gradient hypothesis predicts that community structure and function will be increasingly influenced by facilitative interactions. To test this hypothesis, we investigate how the ecosystem engineering role and importance of sociable weavers Philetairus socius varies across a spatial gradient of harshness, for which aridity served as a proxy. These birds build large colonies that are home to hundreds of weavers and host a wide range of avian and non‐avian heterospecifics. We investigated the use of weaver colonies on multiple taxa (invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals) at multiple sites across a >1,000 km aridity gradient. We show that sociable weaver colonies create localized biodiversity hotspots across their range. Furthermore, trees containing sociable weaver colonies maintained localized animal diversity at sites with lower rainfall, an effect not as pronounced at sites with higher rainfall. Our results were consistent with predictions of the stress gradient hypothesis, and we provide one of the first tests of this hypothesis in terrestrial animal communities. Facilitation and amelioration by ecosystem engineers may mitigate some of the extreme impacts of environmental harshness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony M. Lowney
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7701 South Africa
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST‐NRF Centre of Excellence University of Cape Town Rondebosch 7701 South Africa
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4
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Victorica Erostarbe AE, Fava GA, Acosta JC. Restricted use of space in an endemic lizard of the Andes: addressing the effects of intrinsic and environmental factors. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03120-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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5
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Correspondence between thermal biology and locomotor performance in a liolaemid lizard from the southeastern coastal Pampas of Argentina. J Therm Biol 2021; 105:103173. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.103173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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6
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Stellatelli OA, Vega LE, Block C, Rocca C, Bellagamba P, Dajil JE, Cruz FB. Latitudinal pattern of the thermal sensitivity of running speed in the endemic lizard Liolaemus multimaculatus. Integr Zool 2021; 17:619-637. [PMID: 34496145 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Physiological performance in lizards may be affected by climate across latitudinal or altitudinal gradients. In the coastal dune barriers in central-eastern Argentina, the annual maximum environmental temperature decreases up to 2°C from low to high latitudes, while the mean relative humidity of the air decreases from 50% to 25%. Liolaemus multimaculatus, a lizard in the family Liolaemidae, is restricted to these coastal dunes. We investigated the locomotor performance of the species at 6 different sites distributed throughout its range in these dune barriers. We inquired whether locomotor performance metrics were sensitive to the thermal regime attributable to latitude. The thermal performance breadth increased from 7% to 82% with latitude, due to a decrease in its critical thermal minimum of up to 5°C at higher latitudes. Lizards from high latitude sites showed a thermal optimum, that is, the body temperature at which maximum speed is achieved, up to 4°C lower than that of lizards from the low latitude. At relatively low temperatures, the maximum running speed of high-latitude individuals was faster than that of low-latitude ones. Thermal parameters of locomotor performance were labile, decreasing as a function of latitude. These results show populations of L. multimaculatus adjust thermal physiology to cope with local climatic variations. This suggests that thermal sensitivity responds to the magnitude of latitudinal fluctuations in environmental temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Aníbal Stellatelli
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Laura E Vega
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Carolina Block
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Camila Rocca
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | | | - Juan Esteban Dajil
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Mar del Plata, Argentina
| | - Félix Benjamín Cruz
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (INIBIOMA), Universidad Nacional del Comahue - CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
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7
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Vicenzi N, Massarelli R, Ibargüengoytía N, Corbalán V. Basking and retreat site selection of Phymaturus palluma, a rock-dwelling lizard in the Highlands of Aconcagua. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2021; 93:e20190662. [PMID: 34076087 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120190662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Basking and retreat sites constitute a key resource in the habitat of any ectotherm. Identifying the elements that are used and modelling the microhabitat selection of species is crucial for assessing the impact of anthropogenic disturbances at the population level and, therefore, focusing on conservation efforts. We investigated how structural attributes of the microhabitat and biotic factors influence the probability of basking and retreat sites use by Phymaturus palluma, a rock-dwelling and viviparous lizard endemic to the Central Andes of Argentina. We measured the characteristics of a series of rocks (basking sites) and shelters (retreat sites) in the study area and compared lizard resource use versus availability using resource selection analyses (RSFs). According to our best RSF model, P. palluma select high and large rocks as basking sites and prefer those near their retreat sites and far from the basking sites of their neighbours. In contrast, retreat site selection is related to the length, depth, slope, and width of the shelter. Microhabitat site selection of P. palluma is associated with behavioural improvements such as enhancing basking capacity, reducing both intraspecific competition with neighbours and predation risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Vicenzi
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IADIZA-CONICET), Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, 5500 Ciudad de Mendoza, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Contreras 1300, 5500 Ciudad de Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Rubén Massarelli
- Dirección de Recursos Naturales Renovables, Secretaría de Ambiente y Ordenamiento Territorial, Av. L. Peltier 351, 5500 Ciudad de Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Nora Ibargüengoytía
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA-CONICET), Quintral 1250, 8400 Río Negro, Argentina.,Departamento de Zoología, Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche, Universidad del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400 Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Valeria Corbalán
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IADIZA-CONICET), Av. Ruiz Leal s/n, 5500 Ciudad de Mendoza, Argentina
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8
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Ibargüengoytía NR, Medina M, Laspiur A, Qu YF, Peralta CAR, Sinervo B, Miles DB. Looking at the past to infer into the future: Thermal traits track environmental change in Liolaemidae. Evolution 2021; 75:2348-2370. [PMID: 33939188 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The diversity of habitats generated by the Andes uplift resulted a mosaic of heterogeneous environments in South America for species to evolve a variety of ecological and physiological specializations. Species in the lizard family Liolaemidae occupy a myriad of habitats in the Andes. Here, we analyze the tempo and mode of evolution in the thermal biology of liolaemids. We assessed whether there is evidence of local adaptation (lability) or conservatism (stasis) in thermal traits. We tested the hypothesis that abiotic factors (e.g., geography, climate) rather than intrinsic factors (egg-laying [oviparous] or live-bearing [viviparous], substrate affinity) explain variation in field active body temperature (Tb ), preferred temperature (Tp ), hours of restriction of activity, and potential hours of activity. Although most traits exhibited high phylogenetic signal, we found variation in thermal biology was shaped by geography, climate, and ecological diversity. Ancestral character reconstruction showed shifts in Tb tracked environmental change in the past ∼20,000 years. Thermal preference is 3°C higher than Tb , yet exhibited a lower rate of evolution than Tb and air temperature. Viviparous Liolaemus have lower Tb s than oviparous species, whereas Tp is high for both modes of reproduction, a key difference that results in a thermal buffer for viviparous species to cope with global warming. The rapid increase in environmental temperatures expected in the next 50-80 years in combination with anthropogenic loss of habitats are projected to cause extirpations and extinctions in oviparous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Ruth Ibargüengoytía
- Ecophysiology and Life History of Reptiles: Research Laboratory. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marlin Medina
- CIEMEP, CONICET. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco sede Esquel, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- Ecophysiology and Life History of Reptiles: Research Laboratory. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | | | - Barry Sinervo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Coastal Sciences Building, 130, McAllister Way, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, 95065, USA.,Deceased
| | - Donald B Miles
- Department of Biological Sciences, 131 Life Sciences Building, Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA
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9
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ObregÓn RL, Scolaro JA, IbargÜengoytÍa NR, Medina M. Thermal biology and locomotor performance in Phymaturus calcogaster: are Patagonian lizards vulnerable to climate change? Integr Zool 2020; 16:53-66. [PMID: 32822078 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral and physiological traits of ectotherms are especially sensitive to fluctuations of environmental temperature. In particular, niche-specialist lizards are dependent on their physiological plasticity to adjust to changing environmental conditions. Lizards of the genus Phymaturus are viviparous, mainly herbivorous, and inhabit only rock promontories in the steppe environments of Patagonia and the Andes. Herein, we examine the vulnerability of the southernmost Phymaturus species to global warming: the endemic Phymaturus calcogaster, which lives in a mesic environment in eastern Patagonia. We studied body temperatures in the field (Tb ), preferred body temperatures in a thermogradient (Tpref ), the operative (Te ) and environmental temperatures, and the dependence of running performance on body temperature. P. calcogaster had a mean Tb (27.04°C) and a mean Te (31.15°C) both lower than their preferred temperature (Tpref = 36.61°C) and the optimal temperature for running performance (To = 37.13°C). Lizard activity seems to be restraint during the early afternoon due high environmental temperatures. However, both, the high safety margin and warming tolerance suggest that the expected increase in environmental temperatures due to global warming (IPCC report in 2018) would not threaten, but indeed enhance locomotor performance in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa L ObregÓn
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral, (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Argentina
| | - Jose A Scolaro
- Instituto de Diversidad y Evolución Austral, (CENPAT-CONICET), Puerto Madryn, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Trelew, Argentina
| | - Nora R IbargÜengoytÍa
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (INIBIOMA-CONICET), San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Marlin Medina
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CIEMEP-CONICET), Esquel, Argentina
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10
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11
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Latitudinal comparison of the thermal biology in the endemic lizard Liolaemus multimaculatus. J Therm Biol 2020; 88:102485. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.102485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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12
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Guerra-Correa ES, Merino-Viteri A, Andrango MB, Torres-Carvajal O. Thermal biology of two tropical lizards from the Ecuadorian Andes and their vulnerability to climate change. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228043. [PMID: 31978205 PMCID: PMC6980609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to analyze the thermal biology and climatic vulnerability of two closely related lizard species (Stenocercus festae and S. guentheri) inhabiting the Ecuadorian Andes at high altitudes. Four physiological parameters—body temperature (Tb), preferred temperature (Tpref), critical thermal maximum (CTmax), and critical thermal minimum (CTmin)—were evaluated to analyze the variation of thermophysiological traits among these populations that inhabit different environmental and altitudinal conditions. We also evaluate the availability of operative temperatures, warming tolerance, and thermal safety margin of each population to estimate their possible risks in the face of future raising temperatures. Similar to previous studies, our results suggest that some physiological traits (CTmax and Tb) are influenced by environmental heterogeneity, which brings changes on the thermoregulatory behavior. Other parameters (Tpref and CTmin), may be also influenced by phylogenetic constraints. Moreover, the fluctuating air temperature (Tair) as well as the operative temperatures (Te) showed that these lizards exploit a variety of thermal microenvironments, which may facilitate behavioral thermoregulation. Warming tolerance and thermal safety margin analyses suggest that both species find thermal refugia and remain active without reducing their performance or undergoing thermal stress within their habitats. We suggest that studies on the thermal biology of tropical Andean lizards living at high altitudes are extremely important as these environments exhibit a unique diversity of microclimates, which consequently result on particular thermophysiological adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefany S. Guerra-Correa
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrés Merino-Viteri
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas Laboratorio de Ecofisiología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - María Belén Andrango
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
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13
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Cabezas-Cartes F, Fernández JB, Duran F, Kubisch EL. Potential benefits from global warming to the thermal biology and locomotor performance of an endangered Patagonian lizard. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7437. [PMID: 31413930 PMCID: PMC6690334 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming can significantly affect many aspects of the biology of animal species, including their thermal physiology and physiological performance. Thermal performance curves provide a heuristic model to evaluate the impacts of temperature on the ecophysiology of ectotherms. When integrated with other thermal biology parameters, they can be used to predict the impacts of climate change on individual fitness and population viability. In this study, we combine holistic measures of thermal physiology and the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance with environmental temperatures measured at fine scale to estimate the vulnerability to global warming of the endangered Patagonian lizard Phymaturus tenebrosus. Our results indicate that this lizard exhibits its preferred temperatures and maximum locomotor performance at higher temperatures than the mean temperature it currently experiences in its habitat. In addition, it exhibits a low effectiveness of thermoregulation, being a poor thermoregulator. In view of the results obtained, we suggest that the climatic conditions of Patagonia may be advantageous for P. tenebrosus to survive future global warming, since its thermal physiology and locomotor performance may improve under increasing in environmental temperatures in its habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Facundo Cabezas-Cartes
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jimena B Fernández
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fernando Duran
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Erika L Kubisch
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología e Historia de vida de Reptiles, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, CONICET, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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14
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DURAN FERNANDO, BORETTO JORGELINAM, FERNÁNDEZ JIMENAB, MOLINA MORAIBÁÑEZ, MEDINA MARLINS, IBARGÜENGOYTÍA NORAR. Impact of immunological state on eco-physiological variables in one of the southernmost lizards in the world. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 91:e20190055. [DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201920190055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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15
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Stellatelli OA, Villalba A, Block C, Vega LE, Dajil JE, Cruz FB. Seasonal shifts in the thermal biology of the lizard Liolaemus tandiliensis (Squamata, Liolaemidae). J Therm Biol 2018; 73:61-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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16
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Reaney AM, Saldarriaga-Córdoba M, Pincheira-Donoso D. Macroevolutionary diversification with limited niche disparity in a species-rich lineage of cold-climate lizards. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:16. [PMID: 29409440 PMCID: PMC5801843 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1133-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Life diversifies via adaptive radiation when natural selection drives the evolution of ecologically distinct species mediated by their access to novel niche space, or via non-adaptive radiation when new species diversify while retaining ancestral niches. However, while cases of adaptive radiation are widely documented, examples of non-adaptively radiating lineages remain rarely observed. A prolific cold-climate lizard radiation from South America (Phymaturus), sister to a hyper-diverse adaptive radiation (Liolaemus), has extensively diversified phylogenetically and geographically, but with exceptionally minimal ecological and life-history diversification. This lineage, therefore, may offer unique opportunities to investigate the non-adaptive basis of diversification, and in combination with Liolaemus, to cover the whole spectrum of modes of diversification predicted by theory, from adaptive to non-adaptive. Using phylogenetic macroevolutionary modelling performed on a newly created 58-species molecular tree, we establish the tempo and mode of diversification in the Phymaturus radiation. RESULTS Lineage accumulation in Phymaturus opposes a density-dependent (or 'niche-filling') process of diversification. Concurrently, we found that body size diversification is better described by an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck evolutionary model, suggesting stabilizing selection as the mechanism underlying niche conservatism (i.e., maintaining two fundamental size peaks), and which has predominantly evolved around two major adaptive peaks on a 'Simpsonian' adaptive landscape. CONCLUSIONS Lineage diversification of the Phymaturus genus does not conform to an adaptive radiation, as it is characterised by a constant rate of species accumulation during the clade's history. Their strict habitat requirements (rocky outcrops), predominantly invariant herbivory, and especially the constant viviparous reproduction across species have likely limited their opportunities for adaptive diversifications throughout novel environments. This mode of diversification contrasts dramatically with its sister lineage Liolaemus, which geographically overlaps with Phymaturus, but exploits all possible microhabitats in these and other bioclimatic areas. Our study contributes importantly to consolidate these lizards (liolaemids) as promising model systems to investigate the entire spectrum of modes of species formations, from the adaptive to the non-adaptive extremes of the continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley M. Reaney
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Campus, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7DL UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY UK
| | - Mónica Saldarriaga-Córdoba
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago, Chile
| | - Daniel Pincheira-Donoso
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology of Adaptations, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Brayford Campus, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 7DL UK
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17
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Slow life histories in lizards living in the highlands of the Andes Mountains. J Comp Physiol B 2017; 188:491-503. [PMID: 29150716 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1136-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Revised: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 10/29/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
In the highlands of the Andes, lizards must balance precisely the allocation of energy for growth and reproduction to ensure their survival. We studied the individuals' age, growth rates, age at sexual maturity, and maximum life span of the viviparous lizard Phymaturus antofagastensis, endemic of cold and harsh environments at high altitudes in the Andes Mountains of Catamarca province, Argentina. We also estimated key life history parameters like reproductive effort, lifetime reproductive effort, net reproductive rate, and relative reproductive time in P. antofagastensis as well as in other Phymaturus to compare the interplay among growth, maintenance, and reproduction in species that live across a latitudinal and altitudinal gradient. We found that females and males of P. antofagastensis mature late in life, at 6-7 years old, respectively, and some individuals reached 20 years of age. Adult females showed higher specific growth rates than males and an adult life span of 9 years which, due to their biennial reproduction, results in an estimated production of only four litters in life. This species exhibits one of the highest lifetime reproductive efforts described for lizards. Our results indicate the existence of a tradeoff between the number of reproductive events throughout life and reproductive effort devoted to each event in Phymaturus, related to the phylogenetic group. The palluma group shows low reproductive effort but high number of reproductive events throughout their lives, whereas the patagonicus group shows high reproductive efforts in low number of reproductive events.
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18
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Pafilis P, Maragou P, Sagonas K, Valakos E. Partitioning thermal habitat on a vertical rock, a herculean task. J Therm Biol 2017; 70:54-60. [PMID: 29108558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2017] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Species occurring in sympatry have to effectively segregate their niche in order to co-exist. In the case of ectotherms in particular, the very important parameter of thermal biology has to be taken into account. Here we investigated the thermoregulatory effectiveness (E) of two endemic Greek lizards (Hellenolacerta graeca and Podarcis peloponnesiacus) that live syntopically on a rocky cliff in the Peloponnese. We presumed that the two species would select different microhabitats, to avoid interspecific competition, and follow a similar thermoregulation pattern as they experience the same conditions. We also expected that E values for both species would differ depending on the season. Overall, we found that the two species had similar E values for each season but differentiated partial thermoregulatory attributes. Though they both occurred in the same types of microhabitat, H. graeca selected higher sites (average 99cm above ground) than P. peloponnesiacus (average 44cm). Also, the latter achieved higher preferred temperatures during summer and winter. Finally, the effectiveness of thermoregulation for both species varied interseasonally and received its highest values during summer, in response to the lowest thermal quality that was observed then. Similar studies stress the importance of thermal shifts for ectotherm co-existence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Dept. of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia 15784, Greece.
| | | | - Kostas Sagonas
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS London, UK
| | - Efstratios Valakos
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Dept. of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia 15784, Greece
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Duran F, Kubisch EL, Boretto JM. Thermal physiology of three sympatric and syntopic Liolaemidae lizards in cold and arid environments of Patagonia (Argentina). J Comp Physiol B 2017; 188:141-152. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1116-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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20
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Living in sympatry: The effect of habitat partitioning on the thermoregulation of three Mediterranean lizards. J Therm Biol 2017; 65:130-137. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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21
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Thermal ecology of three coexistent desert lizards: Implications for habitat divergence and thermal vulnerability. J Comp Physiol B 2017; 187:1009-1018. [PMID: 28324161 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-017-1087-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
How ectotherms exploit thermal resources has important implications for their habitat utilization and thermal vulnerability to climate warming. To address this issue, we investigated thermal relations of three sympatric lizard species (Eremias argus, Eremias multiocellata, and Phrynocephalus przewalskii) in the desert steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. We determined the thermoregulatory behavior, body temperature (T b), operative temperature (T e), selected body temperature (T sel), and critical thermal maximum (CTmax) of adult lizards. Based on these physiological parameters, we quantified the accuracy and effectiveness of thermoregulation as well as thermal-safety margin for these species. The three species were accurate and effective thermoregulators. The P. przewalskii preferred open habitats, and had a higher T b than the two Eremias lizards, which preferred shade habitats and shuttled more frequently between the shade and sun. This indicated that the three sympatric lizards have different thermoregulatory behavior and thermal physiology, which might facilitate their coexistence in the desert steppe ecosystem. In addition, the P. przewalskii had higher T sel and CTmax, and a wider thermal-safety margin than the two Eremias lizards, suggesting that the two Eremias lizards would be more vulnerable to climate warming than P. przewalskii.
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FERNÁNDEZ JB, MEDINA M, KUBISCH EL, SCOLARO JA, IBARGÜENGOYTÍA NR. Reproductive strategies in males of the world's southernmost lizards. Integr Zool 2017; 12:132-147. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimena B. FERNÁNDEZ
- INIBIOMA-CONICET, Zoology Department; Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Institute, Universidad Nacional del Comahue; San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - Marlin MEDINA
- CIEMEP-CONICET, Biology Department; Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco; Esquel Argentina
| | - Erika L. KUBISCH
- INIBIOMA-CONICET, Zoology Department; Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Institute, Universidad Nacional del Comahue; San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
| | - José A. SCOLARO
- CENPAT-CONICET; Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco; Trelew Argentina
| | - Nora R. IBARGÜENGOYTÍA
- INIBIOMA-CONICET, Zoology Department; Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Institute, Universidad Nacional del Comahue; San Carlos de Bariloche Argentina
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Gómez Alés R, Acosta JC, Laspiur A. Thermal biology in two syntopic lizards, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus, in the Puna region of Argentina. J Therm Biol 2017; 68:73-82. [PMID: 28689724 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2016] [Revised: 01/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Body temperature is the most important ecophysiological variable affecting reptiles' life history. Moreover, thermoregulation in ectotherms implies a struggle to reach preferred temperatures in natural conditions due to the influence of biotic and abiotic factors. Our objective was to evaluate and compare the thermal biology of two syntopic species, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus, in the Puna region of San Juan, Argentina. We determined body temperature (Tb), micro-environmental temperatures (Ta and Ts) and operative temperatures (Te) in the field. In the laboratory, we measured preferred temperatures (Tpref) and calculated the index of thermoregulatory efficiency (E). Neither body temperatures in the field nor preferred temperatures varied between seasons and sexes. Body temperatures were lower than preferred temperatures for both species. Nevertheless, regardless of the low thermal offer available in habitat, both species did achieve body temperatures higher than operative temperatures during activity. Thermoregulatory effectiveness was moderate in P. extrilidus (E=0.65), while L. parvus presented greater thermoregulatory efficiency (E=0.78). We conclude that under the rigorous climate conditions of the Puna, Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus are able to actively and efficiently thermoregulate, maintaining body temperatures close to the preferred and higher than those of its habitat. Differences in thermal characteristics between Phymaturus extrilidus and Liolaemus parvus are a consequence of differential limitations imposed on each species by the environment and of forces inherent to their life histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Gómez Alés
- DIBIOVA (Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina; CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina.
| | - Juan Carlos Acosta
- DIBIOVA (Diversidad y Biología de Vertebrados del Árido), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina; CIGEOBIO-CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, Av. Ignacio de la Roza 590 (O), Rivadavia, San Juan CPA: J5402DCS, Argentina
| | - Alejandro Laspiur
- CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
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24
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DNA Barcoding ofPhymaturusLizards Reveals Conflicts in Species Delimitation within thepatagonicusClade. J HERPETOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1670/15-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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25
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Andrango MB, Sette C, Torres-Carvajal O. Short-term predicted extinction of Andean populations of the lizard Stenocercus guentheri (Iguanidae: Tropidurinae). J Therm Biol 2016; 62:30-36. [PMID: 27839547 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied the thermal physiology of the Andean lizard Stenocercus guentheri in order to evaluate the possible effects of global warming on this species. We determined the preferred body temperature (Tpref), critical thermals (CTmin, CTmax), and hours of restriction and activity. Tpref was 32.14±1.83°C; CTmin was 8.31°C in adults and 9.14°C in juveniles, whereas CTmax was 43.28°C in adults and 41.68°C in juveniles. To assess extinction risk, we used the model created by Sinervo et al. (2010) and predicted that 16.7% of populations will have a high risk of extinction by 2020, with an increase to 26.7% by 2050. These results suggest that this species, despite being able to maintain its Tpref through behavioral thermoregulation and habitat selection, could be physiologically sensitive to climate warming; thus, the potential for local adaptation may be limited under a warmer climate. Further studies focusing on the ability of S. guentheri to evolve higher Tpref and thermal tolerances are needed to understand the ability of this species to respond to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Belén Andrango
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
| | - Carla Sette
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.
| | - Omar Torres-Carvajal
- Museo de Zoología, Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre y Roca, Apartado 17-01-2184, Quito, Ecuador.
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Rymer TL, Thomson RL, Whiting MJ. At home with the birds: Kalahari tree skinks associate with sociable weaver nests despite African pygmy falcon presence. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tasmin L. Rymer
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- School of Marine and Tropical Biology; James Cook University; PO Box 6811 Cairns Qld 4870 Australia
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Department of Biology, Section of Ecology; University of Turku; Turku Finland
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria South Africa
| | - Martin J. Whiting
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Science; University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; Sydney New South Wales Australia
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