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Bird MS, Bilton DT, Mlambo MC, Perissinotto R. Water beetles (Coleoptera) associated with Afrotemperate Forest patches in the Garden Route National Park, South Africa. Zookeys 2023; 1182:237-258. [PMID: 37900704 PMCID: PMC10612112 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1182.102866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Southern Afrotemperate Forest is concentrated in the southern Cape region of South Africa and whilst it is relatively well known botanically, the fauna, specifically the aquatic invertebrate fauna, is poorly documented. The majority of remaining intact forest habitat is contained within the Garden Route National Park (GRNP), which straddles the provincial boundary between the Western and Eastern Cape. This study undertakes a survey of the water beetle fauna inhabiting the GRNP. The aquatic ecosystems within temperate forests of the region are poorly researched from an ecological and biodiversity perspective, despite being known to harbour endemic invertebrate elements. We collected water beetles and in situ physico-chemical data from a total of 31 waterbodies across the park over two seasons (summer and late winter) in 2017. The waterbodies sampled were mostly small freshwater perennial streams and isolated forest ponds. A total of 61 beetle taxa was recorded (29 Adephaga, 32 Polyphaga) from these waterbodies. The water beetle fauna of these forests appears to be diverse and contains many species endemic to the fynbos-dominated Cape Floristic Region, but very few of the species appear to be forest specialists. This is in contrast to the fynbos heathland habitat of the region, which harbours a high number of water beetle species endemic to this habitat, often with Gondwanan affinity. Our study is the first to document the water beetles of Afrotemperate Forests in the southern Cape region and provides an important baseline for future work on such habitats in the region and in other parts of southern Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Bird
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South AfricaUniversity of JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - David T. Bilton
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006, Johannesburg, South AfricaUniversity of JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UKPlymouth UniversityPlymouthUnited Kingdom
| | - Musa C. Mlambo
- Department of Freshwater Invertebrates, Albany Museum, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Makhanda, 6139 Grahamstown, South AfricaRhodes UniversityGrahamstownSouth Africa
| | - Renzo Perissinotto
- Coastal and Marine Research (CMR), Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031 Gqeberha, South AfricaNelson Mandela UniversityGqeberhaSouth Africa
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2
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Sacchi R, Mangiacotti M, Scali S, Storniolo F, Zuffi MAL. Species-Specific Spatial Patterns of Variation in Sexual Dimorphism by Two Lizards Settled in the Same Geographic Context. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040736. [PMID: 36830523 PMCID: PMC9952635 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of sexual dimorphism (SD) results from intricate interactions between sexual and natural selections. Sexually selected traits are expected to depend on individual condition, while natural selected traits should not be. Islands offer an ideal context to test how these drivers interact with one another, as the size is a reliable proxy for resource availability. Here, we analysed SD in body size (snout-vent length) and head shape (assessed by geometric morphometric) in two species of lizards (Podarcis muralis and P. siculus) inhabiting the Tuscan archipelago (Central Italy). We found a strong SD variation among islands in both species. Furthermore, in P. muralis emerged some significant correlations between SD and island size, supporting the occurrence of possible effects of individual condition on SD. By contrast, SD in P. siculus followed opposite trajectories than in P. muralis, suggesting that in this species, natural selection could play a major role as a driver of SD. Our findings show that natural and sexual selection can interact in complex ways, and the responses are species-specific. Therefore, spatial patterns of variation in SD may strongly differ among species, even when they settle in the same geographic contest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Marco Mangiacotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Stefano Scali
- Museo di Storia Naturale, Comune di Milano, I-20121 Milano, Italy
| | - Federico Storniolo
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, I-27100 Pavia, Italy
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3
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Meloro C, Tamagnini D. Macroevolutionary ecomorphology of the Carnivora skull: adaptations and constraints in the extant species. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab075] [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
The mammalian order Carnivora is characterized by a broad taxonomic and ecological diversity. By using a large sample of extant species, we tested the impact of ecological factors on carnivoran skull (cranium and mandible) morphology, taking advantage of a combined geometric morphometrics and comparative method approach. We implemented several evolutionary models to account for different tempo and mode of evolution in size and shape data. These models validated the association between skull morphology and diet at the interspecific scale. The functional distinction between pinniped (aquatic) and fissiped (mostly terrestrial) taxa was found valid only in mandible shape and cranial size. High levels of morphological disparity and evolutionary rates were identified in specialized dietary groups, and positive association between rates and disparity was found for skull size. Cranium and mandible showed consistent patterns of covariation that reflect constrained functional processes, which stabilize the ecomorphological evolution of Carnivora. Aquatic adaptations allowed carnivorans to invade and persist within novel regions of the mandibular morphospace. This ecological shift did not increase morphological disparity but occurred at a faster rate than in terrestrial species. Those species exhibit a stronger level of cranio-mandibular covariation due to constraints imposed by more demanding masticatory adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Meloro
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Davide Tamagnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies ‘Charles Darwin’, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
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4
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Liang T, Meiri S, Shi L. Sexual size dimorphism in lizards: Rensch's rule, reproductive mode, clutch size, and line fitting method effects. Integr Zool 2021; 17:787-803. [PMID: 34216109 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Rensch's rule relates to a pattern whereby sexual size dimorphism is more female-biased in small-sized species and more male-biased in large-sized ones. We collected literature and museum data on the body size of males and females belonging to 4032 lizard species, as well as data on their reproductive modes and clutch sizes. We used phylogenetic comparative analyses, and general linear mixed models, to test Rensch's rule and examined how reproductive mode and clutch size affect sexual size dimorphism. Sexual size dimorphism was independent of clutch size in lizard species with variable clutch sizes and in oviparous lizards. Large litters were associated with female-biased sexual dimorphism in viviparous and in scincomorph lizards. Inference regarding Rensch's rule depended on the analytical method used to identify it. The widely used, but less conservative, reduced major axis regression usually support Rensch's rule while ordinary least squares regressions mostly show isometric relationships. The rule tended to apply more to oviparous than to viviparous lizards. We infer that Rensch's rule is, at best, a weak pattern in lizards. This is especially true in viviparous lineages where females reproduce infrequently and therefore evolve large sizes to maximise fecundity, resulting in female-biased dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Liang
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China.,College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology & the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lei Shi
- College of Animal Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
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5
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Boisseau RP, Ero MM, Makai S, Bonneau LJG, Emlen DJ. Sexual dimorphism divergence between sister species is associated with a switch in habitat use and mating system in thorny devil stick insects. Behav Processes 2020; 181:104263. [PMID: 33049376 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The habitat and resource use of females critically affects their pattern of distribution and consequently their monoposibility by males and the mating system of a species. Shifts in habitat use are therefore likely to be associated with changes in mating system and sexual selection acting on males' phenotypes, consequently affecting patterns of sexual dimorphism. Although sexual dimorphism is often correlated with shifts in habitat use at the macroevolutionary scale, the underlying microevolutionary processes involved are typically unclear. Here, we used the New Guinean stick insect genus Eurycantha to investigate how changes in habitat use and mating system were associated with a change in sexual dimorphism seen specifically in the thorny devil stick insects (Eurycantha calcarata and Eurycantha horrida). Male thorny devils display sexually dimorphic and enlarged hindlegs endowed with a sharp spine. Sexual size dimorphism is also very reduced in these species relative to other phasmids. Using field observations, morphological measurements and radiotelemetry, we investigated changes in mating system associated with the reduction of sexual dimorphism and tested predictions from the hypothesis that sexual selection drove the evolution of this unusual male morphology. We found that thorny devils switched from solitary roosting in the canopy during the day to communal roosting inside cavities of a few host trees, shifting the distribution of females from scattered to clumped. Male thorny devils used their large hindlegs to fight with rivals for positions on the tree close to cavities containing females, and larger males were associated with cavities containing relatively more females. In contrast, the sister species, Eurycantha insularis, displays relatively small and unarmoured males (ancestral state). Adult female E. insularis were always scattered in the canopy, and this species displayed a scramble competition mating system typical of other phasmids, where mobility, rather than fighting ability, is probably critical to males' reproductive success. Overall, our study illustrates how a drastic change in sexual dimorphism can be associated with a switch from solitary to communal roosting and from a scramble competition to a defense-based polygyny mating system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain P Boisseau
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States.
| | - Mark M Ero
- PNG Oil Palm Research Association Inc., Dami Research Station, PO Box 97, Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea
| | - Simon Makai
- PNG Oil Palm Research Association Inc., Dami Research Station, PO Box 97, Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea
| | - Luc J G Bonneau
- PNG Oil Palm Research Association Inc., Dami Research Station, PO Box 97, Kimbe, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea
| | - Douglas J Emlen
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
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6
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Adams DC, Glynne E, Kaliontzopoulou A. Interspecific allometry for sexual shape dimorphism: Macroevolution of multivariate sexual phenotypes with application to Rensch's rule. Evolution 2020; 74:1908-1922. [PMID: 32578880 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14049] [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] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Allometric trends in the degree of sexual dimorphism with body size have long fascinated evolutionary biologists. Many male-biased clades display more prominent sexual dimorphism in larger taxa (Rensch's rule), with most examples documenting this pattern for body size dimorphism. Although sexual dimorphism in traits other than body size is equally functionally relevant, characterizing allometric patterns of sexual dimorphism in such traits is hampered by lack of an analytical framework that can accommodate multivariate phenotypes. In this article, we derive a multivariate equivalency for investigating trends in sexual dimorphism-relative to overall body size-across taxa and provide a generalized test to determine whether such allometric patterns correspond with Rensch's rule. For univariate linear traits such as body size, our approach yields equivalent results to those from standard procedures, but our test is also capable of detecting trends in multivariate datasets such as shape. Computer simulations reveal that the method displays appropriate statistical properties, and an empirical example in Mediterranean lizards provides the first demonstration of Rensch's rule in a multivariate phenotype (head shape). Our generalized procedure substantially extends the analytical toolkit for investigating macroevolutionary patterns of sexual dimorphism and seeking a better understanding of the processes that underlie them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean C Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011
| | - Elizabeth Glynne
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011
| | - Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairão, Vila do Conde, Porto, 4099-002, Portugal
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7
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Ronco F, Roesti M, Salzburger W. A functional trade-off between trophic adaptation and parental care predicts sexual dimorphism in cichlid fish. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191050. [PMID: 31431167 PMCID: PMC6732390 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although sexual dimorphism is widespread in nature, its evolutionary causes often remain elusive. Here we report a case where a sex-specific conflicting functional demand related to parental care, but not to sexual selection, explains sexual dimorphism in a primarily trophic structure, the gill rakers of cichlid fishes. More specifically, we examined gill raker length in a representative set of cichlid fish species from Lake Tanganyika featuring three different parental care strategies: (i) uni-parental mouthbrooding, whereby only one parental sex incubates the eggs in the buccal cavity; (ii) bi-parental mouthbrooding, whereby both parents participate in mouthbrooding; and (iii) nest guarding without any mouthbrooding involved. As predicted from these different parental care strategies, we find sexual dimorphism in gill raker length to be present only in uni-parental mouthbrooders, but not in bi-parental mouthbrooders nor in nest guarders. Moreover, variation in the extent of sexual dimorphism among uni-parental mouthbrooders appears to be related to trophic ecology. Overall, we present a previously unrecognized scenario for the evolution of sexual dimorphism that is not related to sexual selection or initial niche divergence between sexes. Instead, sexual dimorphism in gill raker length in uni-parental mouthbrooding cichlid fish appears to be the consequence of a sex-specific functional trade-off between a trophic function present in both sexes and a reproductive function present only in the brooding sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizia Ronco
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marius Roesti
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland.,Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, 6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T1Z4.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Walter Salzburger
- Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland
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8
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Pinto BJ, Card DC, Castoe TA, Diaz RE, Nielsen SV, Trainor PA, Gamble T. The transcriptome of the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus): A resource for studying the evolution and development of vertebrates. Dev Dyn 2019; 248:702-708. [PMID: 30839129 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus) is an emerging model system for studying functional morphology and evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Chameleons possess body plans that are highly adapted to an arboreal life style, featuring laterally compressed bodies, split hands/ft for grasping, a projectile tongue, turreted independently moving eyes, and a prehensile tail. Despite being one of the most phenotypically divergent clades of tetrapods, genomic resources for chameleons are severely lacking. METHODS To address this lack of resources, we used RNAseq to generate 288 million raw Illumina sequence reads from four adult tissues (male and female eyes and gonads) and whole embryos at three distinct developmental stages. We used these data to assemble a largely complete de novo transcriptome consisting of only 82 952 transcripts. In addition, a majority of assembled transcripts (67%) were successfully annotated. RESULTS We then demonstrated the utility of these data in the context of studying visual system evolution by examining the content of veiled chameleon opsin genes to show that chameleons possess all five ancestral tetrapod opsins. CONCLUSION We present this de novo, annotated, multi-tissue transcriptome assembly for the Veiled Chameleon, Chamaeleo calyptratus, as a resource to address a range of evolutionary and developmental questions. The associated raw reads and final annotated transcriptome assembly are freely available for use on NCBI and Figshare, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan J Pinto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Daren C Card
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas
| | - Todd A Castoe
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas
| | - Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, Louisiana.,Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California
| | - Stuart V Nielsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Paul A Trainor
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
| | - Tony Gamble
- Department of Biological Sciences, Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.,Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota
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9
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Taylor JN, Ternes WM, Lattanzio MS. Natural selection favors local specialization in a widespread habitat generalist. Evolution 2018; 72:2090-2099. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Julie N. Taylor
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
| | - William M. Ternes
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
| | - Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Organismal and Environmental BiologyChristopher Newport University Newport News Virginia 23606
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10
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Milošević‐Zlatanović S, Tomašević Kolarov N, Vukov T, Stamenković S. Correlation patterns in roe deer cranium: sexual dimorphism across different habitats. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - N. Tomašević Kolarov
- Department of Evolutionary Biology University of Belgrade Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” Belgrade Serbia
| | - T. Vukov
- Department of Evolutionary Biology University of Belgrade Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković” Belgrade Serbia
| | - S. Stamenković
- Faculty of Biology University of Belgrade Belgrade Serbia
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11
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Dollion AY, Measey GJ, Cornette R, Carne L, Tolley KA, Silva JM, Boistel R, Fabre A, Herrel A. Does diet drive the evolution of head shape and bite force in chameleons of the genusBradypodion? Funct Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - G. John Measey
- Department of Botany and Zoology Centre for Invasion Biology Stellenbosch University Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- ‘Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité’ (ISYEB) UMR 7205 CNRS/MNHN/UPMC/EPHE 45 rue Buffon 75005 Paris France
| | - Liza Carne
- Department of Zoology Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University PO Box 77000 Port Elizabeth6031 South Africa
| | - Krystal A. Tolley
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre South African National Biodiversity Institute Private Bag X7 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology Stellenbosch University Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Jessica M. Silva
- Kirstenbosch Research Centre South African National Biodiversity Institute Private Bag X7 Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
| | - Renaud Boistel
- IPHEP, CNRS UMR 7262 Université de Poitiers 6 rue Michel Brunet 86073 Poitiers France
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12
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Kaliontzopoulou A, Carretero MA, Adams DC. Ecomorphological variation in male and female wall lizards and the macroevolution of sexual dimorphism in relation to habitat use. J Evol Biol 2014; 28:80-94. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Kaliontzopoulou
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources; InBIO; Universidade do Porto; Vila do Conde Portugal
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology; Iowa State University; Ames IA USA
| | - M. A. Carretero
- CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources; InBIO; Universidade do Porto; Vila do Conde Portugal
| | - D. C. Adams
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology; Iowa State University; Ames IA USA
- Department of Statistics; Iowa State University; Ames IA USA
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13
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da Silva JM, Herrel A, Measey GJ, Tolley KA. Sexual dimorphism in bite performance drives morphological variation in chameleons. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86846. [PMID: 24475183 PMCID: PMC3903609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic performance in different environments is central to understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive adaptive divergence and, ultimately, speciation. Because habitat structure can affect an animal’s foraging behaviour, anti-predator defences, and communication behaviour, it can influence both natural and sexual selection pressures. These selective pressures, in turn, act upon morphological traits to maximize an animal’s performance. For performance traits involved in both social and ecological activities, such as bite force, natural and sexual selection often interact in complex ways, providing an opportunity to understand the adaptive significance of morphological variation with respect to habitat. Dwarf chameleons within the Bradypodion melanocephalum-Bradypodion thamnobates species complex have multiple phenotypic forms, each with a specific head morphology that could reflect its use of either open- or closed-canopy habitats. To determine whether these morphological differences represent adaptations to their habitats, we tested for differences in both absolute and relative bite performance. Only absolute differences were found between forms, with the closed-canopy forms biting harder than their open-canopy counterparts. In contrast, sexual dimorphism was found for both absolute and relative bite force, but the relative differences were limited to the closed-canopy forms. These results indicate that both natural and sexual selection are acting within both habitat types, but to varying degrees. Sexual selection seems to be the predominant force within the closed-canopy habitats, which are more protected from aerial predators, enabling chameleons to invest more in ornamentation for communication. In contrast, natural selection is likely to be the predominant force in the open-canopy habitats, inhibiting the development of conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics and, ultimately, enforcing their overall diminutive body size and constraining performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. da Silva
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département d’Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates Research Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
| | - G. John Measey
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
| | - Krystal A. Tolley
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa
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14
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McElroy EJ, Bergmann PJ. Tail Autotomy, Tail Size, and Locomotor Performance in Lizards. Physiol Biochem Zool 2013; 86:669-79. [DOI: 10.1086/673890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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15
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Da Silva JM, Tolley KA. Ecomorphological variation and sexual dimorphism in a recent radiation of dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Kaliontzopoulou A, Adams DC, van der Meijden A, Perera A, Carretero MA. Relationships between head morphology, bite performance and ecology in two species of Podarcis wall lizards. Evol Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-011-9538-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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HOPKINS KEVINP, TOLLEY KRYSTALA. Morphological variation in the Cape Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion pumilum) as a consequence of spatially explicit habitat structure differences. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2011.01618.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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VANHOOYDONCK BIEKE, CRUZ FELIXB, ABDALA CRISTIANS, AZÓCAR DÉBORALMORENO, BONINO MARCELOF, HERREL ANTHONY. Sex-specific evolution of bite performance in Liolaemus lizards (Iguania: Liolaemidae): the battle of the sexes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01519.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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ANDREWS ROBINM, KARSTEN KRISTOPHERB. Evolutionary innovations of squamate reproductive and developmental biology in the family Chamaeleonidae. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01442.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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KALIONTZOPOULOU A, CARRETERO MA, LLORENTE GA. Intraspecific ecomorphological variation: linear and geometric morphometrics reveal habitat-related patterns within Podarcis bocagei wall lizards. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:1234-44. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2010.01984.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Johnson MA, Revell LJ, Losos JB. BEHAVIORAL CONVERGENCE AND ADAPTIVE RADIATION: EFFECTS OF HABITAT USE ON TERRITORIAL BEHAVIOR IN ANOLIS LIZARDS. Evolution 2009; 64:1151-9. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00881.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Labra A, Pienaar J, Hansen T. Evolution of Thermal Physiology inLiolaemusLizards: Adaptation, Phylogenetic Inertia, and Niche Tracking. Am Nat 2009; 174:204-20. [DOI: 10.1086/600088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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White TA, Searle JB. Ecomorphometric variation and sexual dimorphism in the common shrew (Sorex araneus). J Evol Biol 2009; 22:1163-71. [PMID: 19389155 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01729.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- T A White
- School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK.
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Measey GJ, Hopkins K, Tolley KA. Morphology, ornaments and performance in two chameleon ecomorphs: is the casque bigger than the bite? ZOOLOGY 2009; 112:217-26. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2008.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2008] [Revised: 08/26/2008] [Accepted: 09/13/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Pincheira-Donoso D, Hodgson DJ, Stipala J, Tregenza T. A phylogenetic analysis of sex-specific evolution of ecological morphology in Liolaemus lizards. Ecol Res 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-009-0607-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Selection for social signalling drives the evolution of chameleon colour change. PLoS Biol 2008; 6:e25. [PMID: 18232740 PMCID: PMC2214820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0060025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2007] [Accepted: 12/14/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid colour change is a remarkable natural phenomenon that has evolved in several vertebrate and invertebrate lineages. The two principal explanations for the evolution of this adaptive strategy are (1) natural selection for crypsis (camouflage) against a range of different backgrounds and (2) selection for conspicuous social signals that maximise detectability to conspecifics, yet minimise exposure to predators because they are only briefly displayed. Here we show that evolutionary shifts in capacity for colour change in southern African dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion spp.) are associated with increasingly conspicuous signals used in male contests and courtship. To the chameleon visual system, species showing the most dramatic colour change display social signals that contrast most against the environmental background and amongst adjacent body regions. We found no evidence for the crypsis hypothesis, a finding reinforced by visual models of how both chameleons and their avian predators perceive chameleon colour variation. Instead, our results suggest that selection for conspicuous social signals drives the evolution of colour change in this system, supporting the view that transitory display traits should be under strong selection for signal detectability. The ability to change colour has evolved in numerous vertebrate and invertebrate groups, the most well-known of which are chameleons and cephalopods (octopuses and their relatives). There is great variation among species, however, in the apparent capacity for colour change, ranging from limited changes in brightness to dramatic changes in hue. What drives the evolution of this remarkable strategy? We addressed this question by using a combination of field-based behavioural trials in which we quantified colour change, models of colour perception, and our knowledge of phylogenetic relationships for 21 distinct lineages of southern African dwarf chameleons. We show that evolutionary changes in the capacity for colour change are consistently associated with the use of social signals that are highly conspicuous to the visual system of chameleons. Moreover, capacity for colour change is unrelated to variation in the environmental backgrounds that chameleons must match in order to be camouflaged. Overall, our results suggest that the evolution of the ability to exhibit striking changes in colour evolved as a strategy to facilitate social signalling and not, as popularly believed, camouflage. In dwarf chameleons, evolutionary shifts in the capacity for colour change are associated with increasingly conspicuous signals used in contests and courtship rather than by the need to match different backgrounds.
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Stuart-Fox D. A test of Rensch’s rule in dwarf chameleons (Bradypodion spp.), a group with female-biased sexual size dimorphism. Evol Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-008-9242-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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