Field observations on rare or little known mainland anoles

Fitch, Henry S.; Echelle, Alice F.; Echelle, Anthony A.

doi:10.5962/bhl.part.24957

Cited by 8 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…3), but escapes in the same manner as twig anoles by flattening its body against its substrate and hiding (Talbot 1979). The mainland anole A. attenuatus also differs from Caribbean ecomorphs, because although it resembles crown-giant anoles, it is slow moving, and relies on crypsis to avoid detection (Fitch et al 1976). Finally, another aspect related to anole ecomorphology that warrants further study is whether mainland anoles exhibit a greater range of escape behaviors (i.e., ''aspect diversity'') as a consequence of having greater numbers of predators (Schall and Pianka 1980).…”

Section: Biotic and Abiotic Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Evolutionary Radiations in Mainland and Caribbean Anolis Lizards

Irschick¹,

Vitt²,

Zani³

et al. 1997

Ecology

122

166

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Comparisons between closely related radiations in different environments provide a unique window into understanding how abiotic and biotic factors shape evolutionary pathways. Anolis lizards have radiated extensively in the West Indies, as well as mainland Central and South America. In the Caribbean, similar communities of anole species specialized for different habitats (ecomorphs) have evolved independently on each Greater Antillean island. We examined ecological and morphological data on 49 Anolis species (33 Caribbean, 16 mainland) to investigate whether the same set of ecomorphs has arisen in mainland regions. More generally, we investigated whether the relationship between ecology and morphology was similar among anoles in the two regions.Radiations in the two regions are very different. The majority of mainland anole species exhibit morphological characteristics unlike any Caribbean ecomorph. Furthermore, relationships between ecology and morphology are very different between the two sets of anole species. Among mainland anole species, toepad size is positively correlated with perch height, whereas tail length is negatively related to perch diameter. In contrast, among Caribbean anole species, both forelimb length and body mass are positively associated with perch diameter, and both tail length and hindlimb length are negatively related to perch diameter. Biomechanical considerations provide a functional basis for some of these correlations, but much variation remains to be explained. These findings demonstrate that factors that caused anole species to converge repeatedly in the West Indies are not present in mainland regions, and that environmental factors can strongly influence the shape of evolutionary radiations.

show abstract

Section: Biotic and Abiotic Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Comparison of Evolutionary Radiations in Mainland and Caribbean Anolis Lizards

Irschick¹,

Vitt²,

Zani³

et al. 1997

Ecology

122

166

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The seasonal timing of reproduction:

1985

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dissection of 1,941 specimens provided data on reproductive cycles in six genera of skinks and three genera of agamids from the Alligator Rivers Region of Australia's Northern Territory. Comparative data on lizards from the temperate zone were gathered by dissecting specimens of three genera, and by reviewing published studies. The Alligator Rivers Region climate exhibits uniformly high temperatures but extremely seasonal rainfall. By analogy with studies on tropical herpetofaunas in other parts of the world, we hypothesised that most species would breed during the wet-season.Instead, a great diversity in the seasonal timing of reproduction in tropical lizards was observed. For example, among the skinks,Cryptoblepharus breeds year-round,Carlia andSphenomorphus breed in the wet-season, whereasLerista, Morethia and most (but not all)Ctenotus breed during the dry-season. Among the agamids,Diporiphora andGemmatophora breed in the wet-season, andChelosania in the dry-season. Temperate-zone lizards in Australia show less interspecific variation: all species breed in late spring and summer.Hypotheses concerning the evolutionary determinants of reproductive seasonality are reviewed in the light of these data. Thermal tolerances of developing embryos are unlikely to be important in determining breeding seasons of the Alligator Rivers Region herpetofauna, as there is little seasonal variation in temperature. Differences in reproductive timing between microsympatric species are inconsistent with hypotheses giving a major role to the seasonality of fire, flooding or intensity of predation. There is no clear association between food habits and reproductive timing. The best predictor of breeding seasonality seems to be the biogeographic history of the taxon. Alligator Rivers Region representatives of arid-zone taxa tend to breed in the dryseason, whereas representatives of mesic-adapted lineages tend to be wet-season breeders. A species from one cosmopolitan genus breeds year-round. We hypothesize that embryonic moisture tolerances may be an important determinant of breeding seasonality in this region, although some cases do not support this conclusion.

show abstract

Tracing the origins of signal diversity in anole lizards: phylogenetic approaches to inferring the evolution of complex behaviour

2006

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Field observations on rare or little known mainland anoles

Abstract: Species of mainland anoles that have remained little known because of rarity, restriction to remarkably small geographic areas, inaccessibility of range or habitat, or similarity to a commoner species, include Anolis atiisolepis, A. cuprinus, A. dunni, A. gadovii, A.

Cited by 8 publications

References 9 publications

A Comparison of Evolutionary Radiations in Mainland and Caribbean Anolis Lizards

A Comparison of Evolutionary Radiations in Mainland and Caribbean Anolis Lizards

The seasonal timing of reproduction:

Tracing the origins of signal diversity in anole lizards: phylogenetic approaches to inferring the evolution of complex behaviour

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About