The Macroecology of Chemical Communication in Lizards: Do Climatic Factors Drive the Evolution of Signalling Glands?

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dc.contributor.authorJara, Manuelen
dc.contributor.authorFrias-De-Diego, Albaen
dc.contributor.authorGarcia-Roa, Robertoen
dc.contributor.authorSaldarriaga-Cordoba, Monicaen
dc.contributor.authorHarvey, Lilly P.en
dc.contributor.authorHickcox, Rachel P.en
dc.contributor.authorPincheira-Donoso, Danielen
dc.contributor.departmentFish and Wildlife Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2019-09-05T14:45:57Zen
dc.date.available2019-09-05T14:45:57Zen
dc.date.issued2018en
dc.description.abstractChemical communication plays a pivotal role in shaping sexual and ecological interactions among animals. In lizards, fundamental mechanisms of sexual selection such as female mate choice have rarely been shown to be influenced by quantitative phenotypic traits (e.g., ornaments), while chemical signals have been found to potentially influence multiple forms of sexual and social interactions, including mate choice and territoriality. Chemical signals in lizards are secreted by glands primarily located on the edge of the cloacae (precloacal glands, PG) and thighs (femoral glands), and whose interspecific and interclade number ranges from 0 to > 100. However, elucidating the factors underlying the evolution of such remarkable variation remains an elusive endeavour. Competing hypotheses suggest a dominant role for phylogenetic conservatism (i.e., species within clades share similar numbers of glands) or for natural selection (i.e., their adaptive diversification results in deviating numbers of glands from ancestors). Using the prolific Liolaemus lizard radiation from South America (where PG vary from 0 to 14), we present one of the largest-scale tests of both hypotheses to date. Based on climatic and phylogenetic modelling, we show a clear role for both phylogenetic inertia and adaptation underlying gland variation: (i) solar radiation, net primary productivity, topographic heterogeneity and precipitation range have a significant effect on PG variation, (ii) humid and cold environments tend to concentrate species with a higher number of glands, (iii) there is a strong phylogenetic signal that tends to conserve the number of PG within clades. Collectively, our study confirms that the inertia of niche conservatism can be broken down by the need of species facing different selection regimes to adjust their glands to suit the demands of their specific environments.en
dc.description.notesMJ is fully funded by a University of Lincoln PhD scholarship. DPD thanks financial support provided by a Research Investment Fund (RIF) Grant awarded by the University of Lincoln. The authors thank the insightful critical contribution that the editor and two anonymous referees provided on earlier versions of our work, which helped improve its flow and clarity.en
dc.description.sponsorshipUniversity of Lincoln PhD scholarship; Research Investment Fund (RIF) Grant - University of Lincolnen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-018-9447-xen
dc.identifier.eissn1934-2845en
dc.identifier.issn0071-3260en
dc.identifier.issue3en
dc.identifier.pmid30147195en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/93395en
dc.identifier.volume45en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectChemical communicationen
dc.subjectSignalling glandsen
dc.subjectPrecloacal glandsen
dc.subjectSexual selectionen
dc.subjectMacroecologyen
dc.subjectLizardsen
dc.subjectLiolaemusen
dc.titleThe Macroecology of Chemical Communication in Lizards: Do Climatic Factors Drive the Evolution of Signalling Glands?en
dc.title.serialEvolutionary Biologyen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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