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Title PO, Singhal S, Grundler MC, Costa GC, Pyron RA, Colston TJ, Grundler MR, Prates I, Stepanova N, Jones MEH, Cavalcanti LBQ, Colli GR, Di-Poï N, Donnellan SC, Moritz C, Mesquita DO, Pianka ER, Smith SA, Vitt LJ, Rabosky DL. The macroevolutionary singularity of snakes. Science 2024; 383:918-923. [PMID: 38386744 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh2449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Snakes and lizards (Squamata) represent a third of terrestrial vertebrates and exhibit spectacular innovations in locomotion, feeding, and sensory processing. However, the evolutionary drivers of this radiation remain poorly known. We infer potential causes and ultimate consequences of squamate macroevolution by combining individual-based natural history observations (>60,000 animals) with a comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny that we anchored with genomic data (5400 loci) from 1018 species. Due to shifts in the dynamics of speciation and phenotypic evolution, snakes have transformed the trophic structure of animal communities through the recurrent origin and diversification of specialized predatory strategies. Squamate biodiversity reflects a legacy of singular events that occurred during the early history of snakes and reveals the impact of historical contingency on vertebrate biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal O Title
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sonal Singhal
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gabriel C Costa
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA
| | - R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Timothy J Colston
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez 00680, Puerto Rico
| | - Maggie R Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ivan Prates
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Natasha Stepanova
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marc E H Jones
- Science Group: Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Lucas B Q Cavalcanti
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Craig Moritz
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel O Mesquita
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Eric R Pianka
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Stephen A Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Marshall BM, Freed P, Vitt LJ, Bernardo P, Vogel G, Lotzkat S, Franzen M, Hallermann J, Sage RD, Bush B, Duarte MR, Avila LJ, Jandzik D, Klusmeyer B, Maryan B, Hošek J, Uetz P. An inventory of online reptile images. Zootaxa 2020; 4896:zootaxa.4896.2.6. [PMID: 33756866 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4896.2.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
No central online repository exists for the collection of animal images; hence it remains unclear how extensively species have been illustrated in the published literature or online. Here we compiled a list of more than 8000 reptile species (out of 11,341) that have photos in one of six popular online repositories, namely iNaturalist (6,349 species), the Reptile Database (5,144), Flickr (4,386), CalPhotos (3,071), Wikimedia (2,952), and Herpmapper (2,571). These sites have compiled over one million reptile photos, with some species represented by tens of thousands of images. Despite the number of images, many species have only one or a few images. This suggests that a considerable fraction of morphological and geographic variation is under documented or difficult to access. We highlight prominent gaps in amphisbaenians, lizards, and snakes, with geographic hotspots for species without images in Central Africa, Pacific Islands, and the Andes Mountains. We present a list of ~3,000 species without photos in any of the six databases and ask the community to fill the gaps by depositing images on one of these sites (preferably with minimal copyright restrictions).
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Pianka ER, Vitt LJ, Pelegrin N, Fitzgerald DB, Winemiller KO. Toward a Periodic Table of Niches, or Exploring the Lizard Niche Hypervolume. Am Nat 2017; 190:601-616. [DOI: 10.1086/693781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Mesquita DO, Costa GC, Colli GR, Costa TB, Shepard DB, Vitt LJ, Pianka ER. Life-History Patterns of Lizards of the World. Am Nat 2016; 187:689-705. [DOI: 10.1086/686055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oliveira Mesquita
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia; Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza; Universidade Federal da Paraíba; Cidade Universitária - Castelo Branco; João Pessoa Paraíba 58059-900 Brazil
| | - Renato Gomes Faria
- Departamento de Biologia; Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde; Universidade Federal de Sergipe; Cidade Universitária José Luis de Campos; São Cristovão Sergipe
| | - Guarino Rinaldi Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade de Brasília; Brasília Federal District Brazil
| | - Laurie J. Vitt
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Biology; University of Oklahoma; Norman
| | - Eric R. Pianka
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Texas at Austin; USA
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Mesquita DO, Colli GR, Pantoja DL, Shepard DB, C. Vieira GH, Vitt LJ. Juxtaposition and Disturbance: Disentangling the Determinants of Lizard Community Structure. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel O. Mesquita
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia; Universidade Federal da Paraíba; João Pessoa PB CEP 58000-000 Brazil
| | - Guarino R. Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade de Brasília; Brasília DF 70910-900 Brazil
| | - Davi L. Pantoja
- Departamento de Zoologia; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Universidade de Brasília; Brasília DF 70910-900 Brazil
| | - Donald B. Shepard
- Department of Biology; University of Central Arkansas; 201 Donaghey Avenue LSC 180 Conway AR 72035 U.S.A
| | - Gustavo H. C. Vieira
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia; Universidade Federal da Paraíba; João Pessoa PB CEP 58000-000 Brazil
| | - Laurie J. Vitt
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Biology; University of Oklahoma; Norman OK 73072 U.S.A
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Vitt LJ. Geckos: The Animal Answer Guide. Geckos: The Animal Answer Guide A.M. Bauer. 2013. Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 9781421408521. 159 p. $50.00 (hardcover). COPEIA 2013. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-13-034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Jadin RC, Burbrink FT, Rivas GA, Vitt LJ, Barrio-Amorós CL, Guralnick RP. Finding arboreal snakes in an evolutionary tree: phylogenetic placement and systematic revision of the Neotropical birdsnakes. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert C. Jadin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO USA
- Department of Biology; Northeastern Illinois University; Chicago IL USA
| | - Frank T. Burbrink
- Department of Biology; The Graduate School and University Center; The City University of New York; New York NY USA
- Department of Biology; The College of Staten Island; CUNY; Staten Island NY USA
| | - Gilson A. Rivas
- Museo de Biología; Facultad Experimental de Ciencias; La Universidad del Zulia; Maracaibo Venezuela
| | - Laurie J. Vitt
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Zoology; University of Oklahoma; Norman OK USA
| | | | - Robert P. Guralnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolution; University of Colorado at Boulder; Boulder CO USA
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Vitt LJ, Arreola J. Intestinal Helminths of the Wandering Grass Lizard,Cnemidophorus gramivagus(Squamata: Teiidae), from Brazil. COMP PARASITOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1654/4645.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Vitt LJ. Gastrointestinal Nematodes of Four Species of Gonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from Central and South America. COMP PARASITOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1654/4587.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Bursey CR, Goldberg SR, Vitt LJ. Helminths of Cnemidophorus ruthveni (Squamata: Teiidae) from Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles, with description of a new species of Alaeuris (Nematoda: Pharyngodonidae). J Parasitol 2012; 98:795-800. [PMID: 22401961 DOI: 10.1645/ge-3040.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Alaeuris rinconensis n. sp. (Oxyuroidea, Pharyngodonidae) from the large intestine of the Bonaire whiptail lizard, Cnemidophorus ruthveni, is described and illustrated. Alaeuris rinconensis n. sp. represents the 13th Neotropical species assigned to the genus. It is most similar to Alaeuris iguanae in that only these 2 Neotropical species have postbulbar excretory pores; in A. iguanae, a tail filament is absent; in A. rinconensis, a tail filament is present. Two additional helminth species were found, i.e., the cestode Oochoristica iguanae and a nematode, Ozolaimus megatyphlon. Cnemidoporus ruthveni represents a new host record for the latter 2 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Bursey
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango Campus, Sharon, PA 16146, USA.
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Bursey CR, Goldberg SR, Telford SR, Vitt LJ. Metazoan Endoparasites of 13 Species of Central American Anoles (Sauria: Polychrotidae: Anolis) with a Review of the Helminth Communities of Caribbean, Mexican, North American, and South American Anoles. COMP PARASITOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1654/4530.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Abstract
Sphaerodactyl geckos comprise five genera distributed across Central and South America and the Caribbean. We estimated phylogenetic relationships among sphaerodactyl genera using both separate and combined analyses of seven nuclear genes. Relationships among genera were incongruent at different loci and phylogenies were characterized by short, in some cases zero length, internal branches and poor phylogenetic support at most nodes. We recovered a polyphyletic Coleodactylus, with Coleodactylus amazonicus being deeply divergent from the remaining Coleodactylus species sampled. The C. amazonicus lineage possessed unique codon deletions in the genes PTPN12 and RBMX while the remaining Coleodactylus species had unique codon deletions in RAG1. Topology tests could not reject a monophyletic Coleodactylus, but we show that short internal branch lengths decreased the accuracy of topology tests because there were not enough data along short branches to support one phylogenetic hypothesis over another. Morphological data corroborated results of the molecular phylogeny, with Coleodactylus exhibiting substantial morphological heterogeneity. We identified a suite of unique craniofacial features that differentiate C. amazonicus not only from other Coleodactylus species, but also from all other geckos. We describe this novel sphaerodactyl lineage as a new genus, Chatogekko gen. nov. We present a detailed osteology of Chatogekko, characterizing osteological correlates of miniaturization that provide a framework for future studies in sphaerodactyl systematics and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Gamble
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Juan D Daza
- CONICET, Instituto de Herpetología, Fundación Miguel Lillo, San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
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Abstract
Geckos in the Western Hemisphere provide an excellent model to study faunal assembly at a continental scale. We generated a time-calibrated phylogeny, including exemplars of all New World gecko genera, to produce a biogeographical scenario for the New World geckos. Patterns of New World gecko origins are consistent with almost every biogeographical scenario utilized by a terrestrial vertebrate with different New World lineages showing evidence of vicariance, dispersal via temporary land bridge, overseas dispersal or anthropogenic introductions. We also recovered a strong relationship between clade age and species diversity, with older New World lineages having more species than more recently arrived lineages. Our data provide the first phylogenetic hypothesis for all New World geckos and highlight the intricate origins and ongoing organization of continental faunas. The phylogenetic and biogeographical hypotheses presented here provide an historical framework to further pursue research on the diversification and assembly of the New World herpetofauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Gamble
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Pyron RA, Burbrink FT, Colli GR, de Oca ANM, Vitt LJ, Kuczynski CA, Wiens JJ. The phylogeny of advanced snakes (Colubroidea), with discovery of a new subfamily and comparison of support methods for likelihood trees. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2010; 58:329-42. [PMID: 21074626 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2010] [Revised: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 11/07/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The superfamily Colubroidea (> 2500 species) includes the majority of snake species and is one of the most conspicuous and well-known radiations of terrestrial vertebrates. However, many aspects of the phylogeny of the group remain contentious, and dozens of genera have yet to be included in molecular phylogenetic analyses. We present a new, large-scale, likelihood-based phylogeny for the colubroids, including 761 species sampled for up to five genes: cytochrome b (93% of 761 species sampled), ND4 (69%), ND2 (28%), c-mos (54%), and RAG-1 (13%), totaling up to 5814bp per species. We also compare likelihood bootstrapping and a recently proposed ultra-fast measure of branch support (Shimodaira-Hasegawa-like [SHL] approximate likelihood ratio), and find that the SHL test shows strong support for several clades that were weakly-supported by bootstrapping in this or previous analyses (e.g., Dipsadinae, Lamprophiidae). We find that SHL values are positively related to branch lengths, but show stronger support for shorter branches than bootstrapping. Despite extensive missing data for many taxa (mean=67% per species), neither bootstrap nor SHL support values for terminal species are related to their incompleteness, and that most highly incomplete taxa are placed in the expected families from previous taxonomy, typically with very strong support. The phylogeny indicates that the Neotropical colubrine genus Scaphiodontophis represents an unexpectedly ancient lineage within Colubridae. We present a revised higher-level classification of Colubroidea, which includes a new subfamily for Scaphiodontophis (Scaphiodontophiinae). Our study provides the most comprehensive phylogeny of Colubroidea to date, and suggests that SHL values may provide a useful complement to bootstrapping for estimating support on likelihood-based trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-5245, USA.
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Pechmann JH, Scott DE, Semlitsch RD, Caldwell JP, Vitt LJ, Gibbons JW. Declining amphibian populations: the problem of separating human impacts from natural fluctuations. Science 2010; 253:892-5. [PMID: 17751826 DOI: 10.1126/science.253.5022.892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 276] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Reports of declining amphibian populations in many parts of the world are numerous, but supporting long-term census data are generally unavailable. Census data from 1979 to 1990 for three salamander species and one frog species at a breeding pond in South Carolina showed fluctuations of substantial magnitude in both the size of breeding populations and in recruitment of juveniles. Breeding population sizes exhibited no overall trend in three species and increased in the fourth. Recent droughts account satisfactorily for an increase in recruitment failures. These data illustrate that to distinguish between natural population fluctuations and declines with anthropogenic causes may require long-term studies.
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Vitt LJ. Helminths from Three Species of Anoles: The Humble Anole, Anolis humilis; the Border Anole, Anolis limifrons; and the Lion Anole, Anolis lionotus (Squamata: Polychrotidae), from Nicaragua. COMP PARASITOL 2010. [DOI: 10.1654/4424.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Abstract
The viviparous Brazilian scincid lizard Mabuya heathi exhibits a suite of reproductive specializations widely believed to be confined to the eutherian mammals. This skink ovulates the smallest known reptilian egg ( approximately 1.0 mm in diameter). Placental transport accounts for >99% of the dry mass of the periparturient fetus, representing a degree of placentotrophy proportionately greater than that reported in any other non-mammalian vertebrate. Placental morphology and the timing of fetal growth implicate the chorioallantoic placenta in maternal-fetal nutrient transfer. The yolk sac placenta regresses prior to any major increase in embryonic dry mass. Precocial gonadal maturation and postponement of reproductive investment until well after ovulation enables females to become pregnant at 3-4 months of age, long before attainment of full adult body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- D G Blackburn
- Department of Anatomy, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
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Cooper Jr WE, Caldwell JP, Vitt LJ. Risk Assessment and Withdrawal Behavior by Two Species of Aposematic Poison Frogs,Dendrobates auratusandOophaga pumilio, on Forest Trails. Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01615.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Huey RB, Deutsch CA, Tewksbury JJ, Vitt LJ, Hertz PE, Alvarez Pérez HJ, Garland T. Why tropical forest lizards are vulnerable to climate warming. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:1939-48. [PMID: 19324762 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 510] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological impacts of climate warming are predicted to increase with latitude, paralleling increases in warming. However, the magnitude of impacts depends not only on the degree of warming but also on the number of species at risk, their physiological sensitivity to warming and their options for behavioural and physiological compensation. Lizards are useful for evaluating risks of warming because their thermal biology is well studied. We conducted macrophysiological analyses of diurnal lizards from diverse latitudes plus focal species analyses of Puerto Rican Anolis and Sphaerodactyus. Although tropical lowland lizards live in environments that are warm all year, macrophysiological analyses indicate that some tropical lineages (thermoconformers that live in forests) are active at low body temperature and are intolerant of warm temperatures. Focal species analyses show that some tropical forest lizards were already experiencing stressful body temperatures in summer when studied several decades ago. Simulations suggest that warming will not only further depress their physiological performance in summer, but will also enable warm-adapted, open-habitat competitors and predators to invade forests. Forest lizards are key components of tropical ecosystems, but appear vulnerable to the cascading physiological and ecological effects of climate warming, even though rates of tropical warming may be relatively low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond B Huey
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, PO Box 351800, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Costa GC, Mesquita DO, Colli GR, Vitt LJ. Niche expansion and the niche variation hypothesis: does the degree of individual variation increase in depauperate assemblages? Am Nat 2009; 172:868-77. [PMID: 18950275 DOI: 10.1086/592998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The niche expansion and niche variation hypotheses predict that release from interspecific competition will promote niche expansion in depauperate assemblages. Niche expansion can occur by different mechanisms, including an increase in within-individual, among-individual, or bimodal variation (sexual dimorphism). Here we explore whether populations with larger niche breadth have a higher degree of diet variation. We also test whether populations from depauperate lizard assemblages differ in dietary resource use with respect to variation within and/or among individuals and sexual dimorphism. We found support for the niche expansion and niche variation hypotheses. Populations in assemblages with low phylogenetic diversity had a higher degree of individual variation, suggesting a tendency for niche expansion. We also found evidence suggesting that the mechanism causing niche expansion is an increase in variation among individuals rather than an increase in within-individual variation or an increase in bimodal variation due to sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel C Costa
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Zoology Department, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma 73072, USA.
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Vitt LJ, Shepard DB, Vieira GHC, Caldwell JP, Colli GR, Mesquita DO. Ecology of Anolis Nitens Brasiliensis in Cerrado Woodlands of Cantão. COPEIA 2008. [DOI: 10.1643/cp-06-251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Gamble T, Simons AM, Colli GR, Vitt LJ. Tertiary climate change and the diversification of the Amazonian gecko genus Gonatodes (Sphaerodactylidae, Squamata). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2008; 46:269-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2007.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2007] [Revised: 08/02/2007] [Accepted: 08/19/2007] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Caldwell JP, Vitt LJ, Costa GC. Gastrointestinal Helminths from Six Species of Frogs and Three Species of Lizards, Sympatric in Pará State, Brazil. COMP PARASITOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1654/4268.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Vitt LJ, Ávila-Pires TCS, Espósito MC, Sartorius SS, Zani PA. Ecology of Alopoglossus angulatus and A. atriventris (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in western Amazonia. Phyllomedusa 2007. [DOI: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v6i1p11-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Abstract
We compare lizard assemblages of Cerrado and Amazonian savannas to test the ecological release hypothesis, which predicts that niche dimensions and abundance should be greater in species inhabiting isolated habitat patches with low species richness (Amazonian savannas and isolated Cerrado patches) when compared with nonisolated areas in central Cerrado with greater species richness. We calculated microhabitat and diet niche breadths with data from 14 isolated Cerrado patches and Amazon savanna areas and six central Cerrado populations. Morphological data were compared using average Euclidean distances, and lizard abundance was estimated using the number of lizards captured in pitfall traps over an extended time period. We found no evidence of ecological release with respect to microhabitat use, suggesting that historical factors are better microhabitat predictors than ecological factors. However, data from individual stomachs indicate that ecological release occurs in these areas for one species (Tropidurus) but not others (Ameiva ameiva, Anolis, Cnemidophorus, and Micrablepharus), suggesting that evolutionary lineages respond differently to environmental pressures, with tropidurids being more affected by ecological factors than polychrotids, teiids, and gymnophthalmids. We found no evidence that ecological release occurs in these areas using morphological data. Based on abundance data, our results indicate that the ecological release (density compensation) hypothesis is not supported: lizard species are not more abundant in isolated areas than in nonisolated areas. The ecology of species is highly conservative, varying little from assemblage to assemblage. Nevertheless, increases in niche breadth for some species indicate that ecological release occurs as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Oliveira Mesquita
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, 70910-900 Brasília, DF, Brazil.
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Bursey CR, Goldberg SR, Vitt LJ. NEW SPECIES OF RHABDIAS (NEMATODA: RHABDIASIDAE) AND OTHER HELMINTHS FROM NOROPS CAPITO (SAURIA: POLYCHROTIDAE) FROM NICARAGUA. J Parasitol 2007; 93:129-31. [PMID: 17436951 DOI: 10.1645/ge-887r.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhabdias nicaraguensis n. sp. (Rhabditida: Rhabditidae) from the lungs of Norops capito (Sauria: Polychrotidae) is described and illustrated. Rhabdias nicaraguensis n. sp. represents the 54th species assigned to the genus and the 12th from the Neotropical realm. Of the 12 Neotropical Rhabdias species, nicaraguensis is most similar to tobagoensis and vellardi. These 3 species have equatorial placement of the vulva, inflated cuticle, and 6 small circumoral lips. Rhabdias nicaraguensis is easily separated from R. tobagoensis by the shape of the buccal cavity and from R. vellardi by body size and shape of the tail. Rhabdias nicaraguensis differs from both species by host preference, the amount of inflated cuticle covering the body, and the phasmids situated posterior to the midpoint of the tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Bursey
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146, USA.
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Vitt LJ. Helminths of the Brown-eared anole, Norops fuscoauratus (Squamata, Polychrotidae), from Brazil and Ecuador, South America. Phyllomedusa 2006. [DOI: 10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v5i1p83-86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Bursey CR, Goldberg SR, Vitt LJ. New species of Oswaldocruzia (Nematoda: Molineidae) in Ameiva festiva (Squamata: Teiidae) from Nicaragua. J Parasitol 2006; 92:350-2. [PMID: 16729693 DOI: 10.1645/ge-3543.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Oswaldocruzia nicaraguensis n. sp. (Strongylida: Molineidae) from the intestines of Ameiva festiva (Sauria: Teiidae) is described and illustrated. Oswaldocruzia nicaraguensis represents the 78th species assigned to the genus and is most similar to the Caribbean species of the genus by possessing spicules in which each of the 3 divisions terminates in numerous fine points. Of the 8 species assigned to this group, O. nicaraguensis is most similar to Oswaldocruzia moraveci; of the 8 species, only O. moraveci and O. nicaraguensis possess a type II bursa and lack cervical alae. It is separated from O. moraveci by the position of the tips of ribs 5-6; close together in O. nicaraguensis, well separated in O. moraveci.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Bursey
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Shenango Campus, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146, USA.
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Bursey CR, Goldberg SR, Vitt LJ. New species of Allopharynx (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) and other helminths in Uranoscodon superciliosus (Squamata: Tropiduridae) from Amazonian Brazil. J Parasitol 2006; 91:1395-8. [PMID: 16539022 DOI: 10.1645/ge-3478.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Allopharynx daileyi n. sp. (Digenea: Plagiorchiidae) from the small intestine of the tropidurid lizard Uranoscodon superciliosus from Amazonian Brazil is described and illustrated. Of the 11 currently recognized species of Allopharynx, we consider Allopharynx megorchis Simha, 1961 a synonym of Allopharynx mehrai (Gogate, 1935) Price 1938 and Allopharynx puertoricensis Acholonu, 1976 a synonym of Allopharynx riopedrensis Garcia-Diaz; thus, A. daileyi becomes the 10th species assigned to the genus. The trematode species Mesocoelium monas and 2 species of Nematoda, Africana chabaudi and Cosmocerca vrcibradici, were also present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles R Bursey
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, Sharon 16146, USA.
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Goldberg SR, Bursey CR, Vitt LJ. Parasites of two lizard species, Anolis punctatus and Anolis transversalis (Squamata: Polychrotidae) from Brazil and Ecuador. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2006. [DOI: 10.1163/156853806778877068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Cooper WE, Vitt LJ, Caldwell JP, Fox SF. RELATIONSHIPS AMONG FORAGING VARIABLES, PHYLOGENY, AND FORAGING MODES, WITH NEW DATA FOR NINE NORTH AMERICAN LIZARD SPECIES. HERPETOLOGICA 2005. [DOI: 10.1655/04-82.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Abstract
Lizards and snakes putatively arose between the early Jurassic and late Triassic; they diversified worldwide and now occupy many different ecological niches, making them ideal for testing theories on the origin of ecological traits. We propose and test the "deep history hypothesis," which claims that differences in ecological traits among species arose early in evolutionary history of major clades, and that present-day assemblages are structured largely because of ancient, preexisting differences. We combine phylogenetic data with ecological data collected over nearly 40 years to reconstruct the evolution of dietary shifts in squamate reptiles. Data on diets of 184 lizard species in 12 families from 4 continents reveal significant dietary shifts at 6 major divergence points, reducing variation by 79.8%. The most striking dietary divergence (27.6%) occurred in the late Triassic, when Iguania and Scleroglossa split. These two clades occupy different regions of dietary niche space. Acquisition of chemical prey discrimination, jaw prehension, and wide foraging provided scleroglossans access to sedentary and hidden prey that are unavailable to iguanians. This cladogenic event may have profoundly influenced subsequent evolutionary history and diversification. We suggest the hypothesis that ancient events in squamate cladogenesis, rather than present-day competition, caused dietary shifts in major clades such that some lizard clades gained access to new resources, which in turn led to much of the biodiversity observed today.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Zoology Department, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA
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Vitt LJ, Sartorius SS, Avila-Pires TCS, Zani PA, Espósito MC. SMALL IN A BIG WORLD: ECOLOGY OF LEAF-LITTER GECKOS IN NEW WORLD TROPICAL FORESTS. Herpetological Monographs 2005. [DOI: 10.1655/0733-1347(2005)019[0137:siabwe]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Vitt LJ. IGUANAS: BIOLOGY AND CONSERVATION. COPEIA 2004. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-04-249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Zoology Department, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73072, USA.
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Caldwell JP, Vitt LJ. CHARLES C. CARPENTER. COPEIA 2004. [DOI: 10.1643/ot-04-104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
The Venomous Reptiles of the Western Hemisphere
. by Jonathan A. Campbell and William W. Lamar. Comstock (Cornell University Press), Ithaca, NY, 2004. 2 vols. 962 pp. $149.95, £86.95. ISBN 0-8014-4141-2.
This profusely illustrated, comprehensive survey of venomous snakes and lizards of the Americas also includes overviews of mimicry, evolution, and the medical management of snakebites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J. Vitt
- The reviewer is at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and the Zoology Department, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Avenue, Norman, OK 73072, USA
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Baird TA, Vitt LJ, Baird TD, Cooper, Jr. WE, Caldwell JP, Pérez-Mellado V. Social behavior and sexual dimorphism in the Bonaire whiptail, Cnemidophorus murinus (Squamata: Teiidae): the role of sexual selection. CAN J ZOOL 2003. [DOI: 10.1139/z03-178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We measured body dimensions and coloration and quantified the behavior of females and males of two color phases in the Bonaire whiptail, Cnemidophorus murinus, to begin addressing the ultimate causation for sexual dimorphism in this species. Examination of size-adjusted body dimensions revealed that males have wider, longer, and deeper heads as well as somewhat longer forelegs and hind legs. Males were characterized by two distinct coloration patterns. Blue males displayed purple–blue dewlaps, blue–gray background coloration on the head and anterior torso, numerous light blue spots on the flanks, brown–orange coloration on the posterior torso, and a turquoise section on the proximal portion of the tail. By contrast, brown males were uniform olive–green to yellow–brown, with the exception of light blue spots on the lateral torso. Females were colored like brown males but lacked the blue spots. Testis length scaled with body size. Testes of only 26% of brown males were active, whereas all blue males had active testes. Blue males initiated aggressive encounters involving chases and displays directed toward other males much more frequently than females were aggressive with consexuals or with either type of male. Brown males were not observed to initiate aggression. Most blue male aggression was directed toward other blue males (70.6% of encounters), whereas 29.4% of encounters were with brown males. Blue males initiated 85.7% of the courtship encounters observed compared with only 7.1% initiated by brown males and 7.2% by females. Male-biased dimorphism in head and leg dimensions as well as coloration, together with higher rates of intrasexual aggression and courtship activity by blue males, are consistent with the hypothesis that sexual selection explains the evolution of sexual dimorphism in C. murinus.
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