Climatic niche evolution in the viviparous Sceloporus torquatus group (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae)

PeerJ

article

Norberto Martínez-Méndez¹  Omar Mejía²  Jorge Ortega¹  Fausto Méndez-de la Cruz³ 

[1] Departamento de Zoología, Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional;Departamento de Zoología, Laboratorio de Variación y Evolución, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas del Instituto Politécnico Nacional;Departamento de Zoología, Laboratorio de Herpetología, Instituto de Biología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

关键词: Niche evolution;    Phylogenetic niche conservatism;    Sceloporus;    Phylogenetic signal;    Viviparity;    Cold-climate hypothesis;    North America;    Phylogeny;    Phyloclimatic analysis;    Niche disparity through time;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.6192

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

The cold-climate hypothesis maintains that viviparity arose as a means to prevent increased egg mortality in nests owing to low temperatures, and this hypothesis represents the primary and most strongly supported explanation for the evolution of viviparity in reptiles. In this regard, certain authors have stated that viviparous species will exhibit speciation via climatic niche conservatism, with similar climatic niches being observed in allopatric sister species. However, this prediction remains to be tested with bioclimatic variables relevant to each viviparous group. In the present study, we examined climatic niche evolution in a group of North American viviparous lizards to determine whether their diversification is linked to phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC). We evaluated the phylogenetic signal and trait evolution of individual bioclimatic variables and principal component (PC) scores of a PC analysis, along with reconstructions of ancestral climate tolerances. The results suggest that diversification of the Sceloporus torquatus1 of PC3 suggests a fast, recent evolution to dry conditions in the clade that sustains S. serrifer.

【 授权许可】

CC BY