Female Signal Variation in the Anolis Lemurinus Group

Abstract

Within the lizard genus Ano/is, color variation in the dewlap, an important signaling trait, can indicate local adaptation or divergence between populations. Most research on anole dewlaps has taken aim at males rather than females. Despite several publications of unrelated lizard genera with links between female signal color polymorphisms and fecundity, variation in female anole dewlaps has received less inquiry. We compiled dewlap photographs of females from several populations of the Ano/is lemurinus group, characterized color variants through visual assignment, and tested for associations of dewlap color to body size and dewlap area. We describe the first case of polymorphic dewlap color in females and relatively monomorphic dewlap color in males within a group of anoles. Our survey found that female dewlap color variation in the group is more similar between geographically proximate northern populations of A. lemurinus and A. bicaonun than between populations ascribed to A. lemurinus from different regions. Additionally, we provide evidence that female body size in this group may correlate with dewlap coloration. Our findings support the need for further taxonomic research within the A. lemurinus group, as well as research into the potential mechanisms driving and maintaining color polymorphism in female signaling traits.

Disentangling controls on animal abundance: Prey availability, thermal habitat, and microhabitat structure

“…Males have an average snout–vent length (SVL) of approximately 64 mm SVL (McCranie & Köhler, 2015 ) and a bright orange‐red dewlap. Despite initial reports (McCranie & Köhler, 2015 ), females are smaller than males (average SVL = 62 mm) with a smaller dewlap that varies from cream/gray to red (White et al., 2019 ). Anolis bicaorum is thought to be a predominantly sit‐and‐wait predator that feeds primarily on arthropods (Brown, Maryon & Lonsdale, 2017 ) and descends to the ground at times in pursuit of prey (personal observation).…”

“…Anolis bicaorum is a small, predominantly arboreal lizard first described by Köhler (1996) Köhler, 2015), females are smaller than males (average SVL = 62 mm) with a smaller dewlap that varies from cream/gray to red (White et al, 2019). Anolis bicaorum is thought to be a predominantly sit-and-wait predator that feeds primarily on arthropods and descends to the ground at times in pursuit of prey (personal observation).…”

Does breeding season variation affect evolution of a sexual signaling trait in a tropical lizard clade?

“…Males of almost all ~400 anole species have dewlaps, which are flaps of gular skin used for species recognition, territorial behaviors, predator deterrence, and courtship (Losos, 2009). Dewlap variation—most notably in size, color, and display characteristics—is considerable in Anolis , and studies have characterized general patterns across species (Fitch & Hillis, 1984; Harrison & Poe, 2012; Ingram et al, 2016; Losos & Chu, 1998; Nicholson, Harmon, & Losos, 2007) and within‐species complexes (Driessens, Dehling, & Köhler, 2017; Ng, Landeen, Logsdon, & Glor, 2013; Vanhooydonck, Herrel, Meyers, & Irschick, 2009; White, Prado‐Irwin, & Gray, 2019). To date, attempts incorporating many species have largely failed to find strong support for any given hypothesis explaining the evolution of dewlap diversity (Losos & Chu, 1998; Nicholson et al, 2007).…”

Evolutionary drivers of polymorphic sexual signals in slender anoles

“…Despite the presumed role of the dewlap in species recognition and reproductive isolation, several anole species show population variation in dewlap coloration (e.g., Vanhooydonck et al 2009; Ng and Glor 2011; Prates et al 2015; Driessens et al 2017; Ng et al 2017; White et al 2019). One species that has remarkable geographic variation in dewlap color is Anolis fuscoauratus , the slender anoles.…”