Environmental correlates of phenotypic evolution in ecologically diverse Liolaemus lizards. Issue 6 (16th June 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Edwards, Danielle L.; Avila, Luciano J.; Martinez, Lorena; Sites, Jack W.; Morando, Mariana
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 12:Issue 6(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-06-16
• Subjects: ecomorphology -- environmental variation -- Liolaemus gracilis species complex -- morphological evolution -- phylogenetic comparative methods; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Evolutionary correlations between phenotypic and environmental traits characterize adaptive radiations. However, the lizard genus Liolaemus, one of the most ecologically diverse terrestrial vertebrate radiations on earth, has so far shown limited or mixed evidence of adaptive diversification in phenotype. Restricted use of comprehensive environmental data, incomplete taxonomic representation and not considering phylogenetic uncertainty may have led to contradictory evidence. We compiled a 26‐taxon dataset for the Liolaemus gracilis species group, representing much of the ecological diversity represented within Liolaemus and used environmental data to characterize how environments occupied by species' relate to phenotypic evolution. Our analyses, explicitly accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty, suggest diversification in phenotypic traits toward the present, with body shape evolution rapidly evolving in this group. Body shape evolution correlates with the occupation of different structural habitats indicated by vegetation axes suggesting species have adapted for maximal locomotory performance in these habitats. Our results also imply that the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and model misspecification may be more extensive on univariate, relative to multivariate analyses of evolutionary correlations, which is an important consideration in analyzing data from rapidly radiating adaptive radiations. Abstract : We used environmental data to characterize how environments occupied by Liolaemus gracilis complex species' relate to phenotypic evolution. Our analyses suggest diversification in phenotypic traits, especially body shape evolution which correlates with the occupation of different structural habitats. We also show that the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and model misspecification may be more extensive on univariate, relative to multivariate analyses of evolutionary correlations.