Partitioned Bayesian analyses of approximately 2.2 kb of nucleotide sequence data (mtDNA) were used to elucidate phylogenetic relationships among 30 scincid lizard genera. Few partitioned Bayesian analyses exist in the literature, resulting in a lack of methods to determine the appropriate number of and identity of partitions. Thus, a criterion, based on the Bayes factor, for selecting among competing partitioning strategies is proposed and tested. Improvements in both mean -lnL and estimated posterior probabilities were observed when specific models and parameter estimates were assumed for partitions of the total data set. This result is expected given that the 95% credible intervals of model parameter estimates for numerous partitions do not overlap and it reveals that different data partitions may evolve quite differently. We further demonstrate that how one partitions the data (by gene, codon position, etc.) is shown to be a greater concern than simply the overall number of partitions. Using the criterion of the 2 ln Bayes factor > 10, the phylogenetic analysis employing the largest number of partitions was decisively better than all other strategies. Strategies that partitioned the ND1 gene by codon position performed better than other partition strategies, regardless of the overall number of partitions. Scincidae, Acontinae, Lygosominae, east Asian and North American "Eumeces" + Neoseps; North African Eumeces, Scincus, and Scincopus, and a large group primarily from sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, and neighboring islands are monophyletic. Feylinia, a limbless group of previously uncertain relationships, is nested within a "scincine" clade from sub-Saharan Africa. We reject the hypothesis that the nearly limbless dibamids are derived from within the Scincidae, but cannot reject the hypothesis that they represent the sister taxon to skinks. Amphiglossus, Chalcides, the acontines Acontias and Typhlosaurus, and Scincinae are paraphyletic. The globally widespread "Eumeces" is polyphyletic and we make necessary taxonomic changes.

Partitioned Bayesian analyses, partition choice, and the phylogenetic relationships of scincid lizards.

Bergmann's rule is currently defined as a within-species tendency for increasing body size with increasing latitude or decreasing environmental temperature. This well-known ecogeographic pattern has been considered a general trend for all animals, yet support for Bergmann's rule has only been demonstrated for mammals and birds. Here we evaluate Bergmann's rule in two groups of reptiles: chelonians (turtles) and squamates (lizards and snakes). We perform both nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic analyses and show that chelonians follow Bergmann's rule (19 of 23 species increase in size with latitude; 14 of 15 species decrease in size with temperature), whereas squamates follow the converse to Bergmann's rule (61 of 83 species decrease in size with latitude; 40 of 56 species increase in size with temperature). Size patterns of chelonians are significant using both nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic methods, whereas only the nonphylogenetic analyses are significant for squamates. These trends are consistent among major groups of chelonians and squamates for which data are available. This is the first study to document the converse to Bergmann's rule in any major animal group as well as the first to show Bergmann's rule in a major group of ectotherms. The traditional explanation for Bergmann's rule is that larger endothermic individuals conserve heat better in cooler areas. However, our finding that at least one ectothermic group also follows Bergmann's rule suggests that additional factors may be important. Several alternative processes, such as selection for rapid heat gain in cooler areas, may be responsible for the converse to Bergmann's rule in squamates.

/pdf/bergmann-s-rule-in-nonavian-reptiles-turtles-follow-it-59risrahfa.pdf

Bergmann's rule in nonavian reptiles: turtles follow it, lizards and snakes reverse it.

Caudal autotomy, the ability to shed the tail, is common in lizards as a response to attempted predation. Since Arnold's substantial review of caudal autotomy as a defence in reptiles 20 years ago, our understanding of the costs associated with tail loss has increased dramatically. In this paper, we review the incidence of caudal autotomy among lizards (Reptilia Sauria) with particular reference to questions posed by Arnold. We examine tail break frequencies and factors that determine occurrence of autotomy in natural populations (including anatomical mechanisms, predation efficiency and intensity, microhabitat preference, sex and ontogenetic differences, as well as intraspecific aggression). We also summarize the costs associated with tail loss in terms of survivorship and reproduction, focusing on potential mechanisms that influence fitness (i.e. locomotion costs, behavioural responses and metabolic costs). Finally, we examine the factors that may influence the facility with which autotomy takes place, including regeneration rate, body form and adaptive behaviour. Taking Arnold's example, we conclude with proposals for future research.

http://ftp.eebweb.arizona.edu/courses/Ecol483_583/Bateman%20and%20Fleming%202009.pdf

To cut a long tail short: a review of lizard caudal autotomy studies carried out over the last 20 years

Although it is well established that many insects, birds and mammals serve as important pollinators and seed dispersers of flowering plants, the role of lizards in these processes has traditionally been considered as rare and less important. However, recent work shows both that their role as mutualistic agents has been underestimated and also reveals a striking pattern – that pollination and seed dispersal by lizards is most common on islands. We argue that this island phenomenon occurs because island lizards reach very high densities (density compensation) and experience a lower predation risk than do those on the mainland and, consequently, can expand their diet to include nectar, pollen and fruit. Although further empirical evidence is needed to confirm this explanation, such relationships could be ideal systems with which to study fundamental ecological problems, such as niche shifts, ecological release and competition.

https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/pdf/S0169-5347(03)00004-1.pdf

Lizards as pollinators and seed dispersers: an island phenomenon

The earliest work on the herpetofauna of the cerrado is a list of 54 reptiles and amphibians from Lagoa Santa, state of Minas Gerais, prepared by Warming (1892). More than 50 years later, Vanzolini (1948) presented an annotated list of 22 snake and 11 lizard species from Pirassununga, state of Sao Paulo. Moreover, Vanzolini (1974, 1976, 1988) examined the distribution patterns of cerrado and caatinga lizards, concluding that no characteristic lizard fauna is harbored by either biome, both biomes belonging to a corridor of open vegetation ranging from northwestern Argentina to northeastern Brazil (see chapter 6). According to Vanzolini (1976), the lack of differentiation of the herpetofauna along his “great diagonal belt of open formations’’ results from present-day ample, interdigitating contacts between the caatinga and the cerrado and past climatic cycles that promoted the expansion and retraction of both biomes, leading to extensive faunal mixing. This idea received further support from Duellman (1979), Webb (1978), and Silva and Sites (1995). More recently, in a preliminary survey conducted near Alto Araguaia, Mato Grosso, Vitt (1991) concluded that the cerrado lizard fauna is depauperate when compared to its caatinga and Amazonia counterparts, most noticeably with respect to the Gekkonidae, and that ecological factors such as low habitat structural diversity and the occurrence of fires may account for the low lizard diversity. In sum, the aforementioned works indicate that the cerrado herpetofauna (1) has low levels of species diversity and endemism; (2) lacks a character; and (3) is more similar to the caatinga than to other South

12. The Character and Dynamics of the Cerrado Herpetofauna

The infrageneric phylogenetic position of the Brazilian skink Mabuya atlantica was inferred from 859 bp of the mitochondrial 16S and 12S rRNA genes. It could be shown that M. atlantica belongs to the Afro-Malagasy rather than to the South American Mabuya radiation. Mabuya atlantica probably represents an independent transmarine colonization directly from the coast of Southwest Africa, thus representing another example of the extraordinary dispersal abilities of members of this group. Moreover, the present analysis revealed that intercontinental relationships within the genus Mabuya are far more complex than previously thought. The molecular analysis suggests that Mabuya consists of several long-separated evolutionary lineages, representing distinct and well-supported monophyletic radiations. To reflect the independent origins of the South American, Asian, Afro-Malagasy and Cape Verdian groups we partition the genus Mabuya into four genera.

Phylogenetic Affinities of Mabuya atlantica Schmidt, 1945, Endemic to the Atlantic Ocean Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): Necessity of Partitioning the Genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 (Scincidae: Lygosominae)

The scincids Mabuya macrorhyncha and M. agilis occur sympatrically and syntopically at the Barra de Marica restinga, in Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil. The use of three different niche dimensions (space, food, and time) by the two species was compared and certain morphometric differences between them were analyzed. The two species differed considerably in microhabitat use both horizontally and vertically. Mabuya macrorhyncha was strongly associated with bromeliads, while M. agilis was found mainly on the leaf-litter and had a low degree of arboreality. Both species had a unimodal activity pattern with a peak between 0900 and 1200 h. The two species also differed in diet composition by volume and by number of prey ingested (although spiders and cockroaches are important items in the diets of both), but did not differ in mean prey size. We also observed morphological differences between the two species, which are presumably associated with their differential microhabitat preference: Mabuya macrorhyncha had greater mean values of hand plus finger length than M. agilis, which had greater values of head height and body height. The longer fingers and more flattened body plan of M. macrorhyncha probably allow, respectively, a greater degree of arboreality and more efficient movements between tough bromeliad leaves compared to the ground-dwelling M. agilis. We concluded that the two species of Mabuya at Barra de Marica differ mostly in microhabitat use (compared to other ecological aspects we studied) and that such differences in the horizontal and vertical use of the spatial niche are closely related to some morphological differences. The importance of competition in the determination of differences in the utilization of one or more niche dimensions between sympatric species has been, until quite recently, overestimated (e.g., Pianka, 1973; Schoener, 1977). More recent studies have indicated that competition in lizard communities may, in fact, be less common (Dunham, 1980, 1983; Tinkle, 1982; M'Closkey and Baia, 1987) or, at least, less important in community structuring (e.g., Barbault and Maury, 1981; Gonzalez-Romero et al., 1989) than it has been thought. In many studies of the structure of lizard communities, differences in resource utilization between species have been suggested to reflect mainly their specific ecological needs rather than competitive pressures (e.g., Barbault and Maury, 1981; Ortega et al., 1982; Barbault et al., 1985; GonzalezRomero et al., 1989; Bergallo and Rocha, 1994). Nevertheless, resource partitioning may obviously reduce potential and actual competition between sympatric species, although it is often very difficult to evaluate the role of interspecific competition, past or present, in the evolution of different resource utilization patterns (e.g., * Corresponding author. Schoener, 1974; Rozenweig, 1981; Vitt et al., 1981). Among lizards of the genus Mabuya (Scincidae), two or more species commonly occur in sympatry and/or syntopy in certain areas (Pianka, 1971; Huey and Pianka, 1977; Barbault, 1976). These skinks are known to explore a great variety of microhabitats (Vanzolini and ReboucasSpieker, 1973; Rebouqas-Spieker, 1974; Barbault, 1976; Huey and Pianka, 1977; Van Sluys, 1991; Vitt, 1991; Vitt and Blackburn, 1991) and food resources (Vanzolini and Rebouqas-Spieker, 1973; Huey and Pianka, 1977; Vitt and Blackburn, 1991), which presumably facilitates their coexistence in a patchy environment. Some cases are known in which seven or more congeneric species of skinks (Ctenotus) occur in sympatry (Pianka, 1969). At the Barra de Marica restinga in the Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil, two skinks of the genus Mabuya (M. macrorhyncha and M. agilis) occur sympatrically and syntopically (Araujo, 1984). Both species have a mean SVL of 60-75 mm when adult and feed mainly on arthropods (pers. obs.). Probably, the two species adopt both active and sit-and-wait foraging strategies (sensu Schoener, 1971), like other species of Mabuya (Vanzolini et al., 1980; Vitt, 1991). Mabuya macrorhyncha and M. agilis are This content downloaded from 207.46.13.113 on Wed, 05 Oct 2016 04:44:57 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms TROPICAL SYMPATRIC SKINKS diurnal and coexist with seven other species of lizard in the area: Tropidurus torquatus and Liolaemus lutzae (Tropiduridae); Cnemidophorus ocellifer, Ameiva ameiva and Tupinambis teguixin (Teiidae); Hemidactylus mabouia and Gymnodactylus darwini (Gekkonidae) (Araujo, 1984, 1991). Here, we compare similarities in utilization of spatial, trophic and temporal niche dimensions between the two Mabuya species and analyze some morphological differences that may have ecological implications. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study Area. -The study was carried out at the Restinga da Barra de Marica (22057'S, 43?50'W), located approximately 38 km east of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Restingas are Quaternary salt-sandy substrates covered by herbaceous and shrubby vegetation, and are common along the Brazilian coast (Suguio and Tessler, 1984). The climate of the area is seasonal with a warm and rainy summer (December to March) and a dry season (May to September) (Franco et al., 1984; Rocha, 1992). Mean annual temperature varies between 22 and 24 C and mean annual rainfall varies from 1000 to 1350 mm (Nimer, 1972, 1979). Vegetation of the area is composed predominantly of species of Erythroxylaceae, Clusiaceae, Rubiaceae, Leguminosae, Myrtaceae and Bromeliaceae (Silva and Sonmer, 1984). Among the Bromeliaceae, Neoregelia cruenta is one of the most abundant species in the area and both Mabuya species are closely associated with it. Collecting Methods and Analysis.-Lizards were collected monthly from May 1989 to February 1992 using a rifle. Some of the days were dedicated only to field observations, without collection. Both collections and field observations were made from 0600 to 1800 h during the day. For each species, individuals collected were weighed (to the nearest 0.2 g) using a Pesola? spring balance and SVL measured with a caliper (to the nearest 0.1 mm). Time of collection and microhabitat of the lizard at its first sighting were also recorded. The microhabitat of each lizard was registered according to four categories: (a) on bromeliad; (b) on leaf litter; (c) on shrub; (d) on cacti. Height of the lizard above ground in the microhabitat (to the nearest cm) was recorded using a measuring tape. In the laboratory, lizards were dissected and the stomach contents identified to order. The length, width and depth of each prey item were measured with a caliper (to the nearest 0.1 mm) and the volume estimated by multiplying these three dimensions (Schoener, 1967). Differences between the two species in microhabitat utilization, activity patterns and diet composition by prey volume and number were tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test (Siegel, 1956). Comparisons of vertical use of microhabitat (height above ground, in cm) betwe n the two species were made using a oneway analysis of variance (ANOVA). We also used a one-way analysis of variance to test the differences in mean prey size between the two lizard species. Mean prey size was expressed as the mean value of length x width of the five largest pre items in the stomach of each lizard. We made a regression analysis (Zar, 1984) between mean prey size and jaw width and SVL for each species. Differences in sample size presented in the prey size relationships and in tables and figures in the results are due to lizards that had the abdominal region (which impeded stomach contents analysis) or head (which impeded head measurements) destroyed during collection. Also, for activity and height above ground description we included data based only on field observations, in addition to those obtained during collections. The temporal, spatial and trophic niche breadths were estimated (the last by prey number and volume) for each species using Simpson's diversity index (1949):

Ecological Differences in Tropical Sympatric Skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis) in Southeastern Brazil

Feeding Ecology of Tropidurus torquatus: Ontogenetic Shift in Plant Consumption and Seasonal Trends in Diet

-Mabuya frenata is a relatively common skink in the region of Valinhos, Sao Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil, an area with a highly seasonal climate. The activity, thermal ecology, habitat use, and diet of this species were studied in the vincinity of Valinhos. Lizards were active throughout daylight periods, but the activity pattern differed among seasons, being more uniform in the rainy season than in the dry season. The mean body temperature of active M. frenata was 31.6 + 3.2 C and was correlated with air and substrate temperatures, although direct insolation may also be an important heat source for this lizard. Unlike environmental temperatures, the mean activity temperature of M. frenata did not differ among seasons, which, combined with field observations, suggests that this lizard thermoregulates. The microhabitat preferred for M. frenata was granitic boulders. The diet included a great variety of arthropods, although termites were the dominant items. The diet of M. frenata did not differ between sexes nor among seasons and was related to prey availability in the environment urnal of Herpetology, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 229-237, 1998 pyright 1998 Society for he Study of Amphibians and Reptiles e Ec logy of the Skink Mabuy frenata in an Area of Rock tcrops in South aste n Brazil Despite the fact that the scincid genus Mabuya contains about 13 South American species, most of which are abundant and widely distributed, few ecological studies have been carried out on these skinks in South America. Among the most recent of these are the autecological studies of Vitt and Blackburn (1991), and Vrcibradic and Rocha (1995, 1996) and those of Vitt and Blackburn (1983) and Blackburn and Vitt (1992) on reproductive patterns. Several other studies conCorresponding Author: E-mail: cfdrocha@uerj.br t in miscellaneous comments on the ecology of different South American Mabuya species (e.g. Fitch, 1968; Gallardo, 1968; Vanzolini and Rebouqas-Spieker, 1973, 1976; Vitt, 1991, 1995; Sazima and Haddad, 1992; Avila-Pires, 1995; Rocha and Vrcibradic, 1996; Vitt and Zani, 1996). The great majority of these studies have been carried out in Brazil, where most of the South American Mabuya species occur. Some aspects of the ecology of Brazilian Mabuya are fairly conservative among species: they usually have similar activity patterns (Vitt and Blackburn, 1991; Vrcibradic and Rocha, 1995, 1996), thermal ecol229 This content downloaded from 207.46.13.160 on Mon, 17 Oct 2016 05:19:36 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms D. VRCIBRADIC AND C. F. D. ROCHA ogies, and body temperatures (Vitt and Blackbur, 1991; Vrcibradic and Rocha, 1995; Rocha and Vrcibradic, 1996) and consume a wide spectrum of prey (Vitt and Blackburn, 1991; Vitt, 1995; Vrcibradic and Rocha, 1995, 1996), although there is considerable interspecific variation in microhabitat preferences (Vrcibradic and Rocha, 1996). Mabuya frenata, the subject of this study, reaches an adult snout-vent length of 75-90 mm and occurs in open areas of South America, from central-western and southeastern Brazil to Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina (Peters and Donoso-Barros, 1986; Norman and Naylor, 1994). In spite of its wide distribution, published information on its ecology is scarce and mostly anecqdotal (Gallardo, 1968; Vitt, 1991; Sazima and Haddad, 1992). Apart from this fact, we chose to study this species because it is characteristic of "cerrado" habitats and, while there is some information available on the ecologies of Mabuya species from the Amazonian rainforest (Vitt and Blackburn, 1991), caatinga (Vitt and Blackbur, 1983; Vitt, 1995) and from coastal open sand-dune habitats (restingas) (Vanzolini and Reboucas-Spieker, 1976; Vrcibradic and Rocha, 1995; Rocha and Vrcibradic, 1996), there is a lack of ecological data on Mabuya species in cerrado areas [except for some few data on M. frenata in a cerrado area of central Brazil, in the context of the local lizard community (Vitt, 1991)]. Although our study area is an altered environment, it is located within the "cerrado" morphoclimatic domain and it houses a fairly large population of M. frenata. In this study, we investigate the thermal ecology, activity patterns, microhabitat use, and diet of M. frenata in an area where it is relatively abundant, and make comparisons with other Mabuya species. MATERIAL AND METHODS Study Area.-This study was conducted in a grassland area in Valinhos municipality (22?56'S, 47?55'W), Sao Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. The climate of the region is markedly seasonal, with a warm and rainy season from October to March and a cold and dry season from April to September (Van Sluys et al., 1994). The mean annual temperature is 20.7 ? 2.2 C and the total annual rainfall is 1300-1400 mm (Van Sluys, 1991; Van Sluys et al., 1994). This area has been used for some time as pasture and little is known about its original vegetation, which has been greatly altered during successive years of anthropic disturbance (Van Sluys, 1991). Vegetation of the area is presently dominated by species in the Malvaceae, Compositae, and Verbenaceae. There are numerous gr nitic boulders in the area, scattered along the surface of the hills. Collecting Methods and Analysis.-Lizards were collected monthly from December 1993 to December 1994 with an air rifle. Within 30 sec of capture, each lizard's body temperature (Tb) and the temperatures of the air (Ta; at 1 cm above the point where the lizard was originally sighte ) and of the substrate (T) on which it was sighted, were recorded. Body and air temperatures were measured with a Schultheis quickreading thermometer (read to the nearest 0.2 C); substrate temperatures were taken with a Schultheis bi-metal surface thermometer (read to the nearest 1.0 C). The time of collection of each lizard was recorded. Monthly observations of lizard activity were mad during 15-min periods within each hourly interval from 0700 to 1800 h. The number of active lizards counted during each interval was used to estimate daily activity patterns. Those observations were conducted in a sub-area adjacent to that where collections were made, but separated from it by about 100 m. No collections were made in that sub-area, because the continuous removal of lizards could affect the results of ou observations on their daily patterns of ac-

The ecology of the skink mabuya frenata in an area of rock outcrops in southeastern brazil

The reproductive and fat body cycles and some life-history traits of the viviparous skink Mabuya frenata were studied in a seasonal habitat in the state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Reproductive activity is markedly cyclical in both sexes. Females reach sexual maturity at juvenile body sizes, have an extended gestation period lasting 9-12 months, and give birth to 2-8 young (mean 4.9 ? 1.1), mainly during August through October. Fat stored in fat bodies during the wet season is used up during gestation in females and during increased spermatogenic activity in males. Females reach a larger adult body size than males, but males have relatively larger heads. The reproductive and life-history traits observed for M. frenata are similar to those of other South American Mabuya.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/1447791.pdf

Davor Vrcibradic

Papers

Phylogenetic Affinities of Mabuya atlantica Schmidt, 1945, Endemic to the Atlantic Ocean Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (Brazil): Necessity of Partitioning the Genus Mabuya Fitzinger, 1826 (Scincidae: Lygosominae)

Ecological Differences in Tropical Sympatric Skinks (Mabuya macrorhyncha and Mabuya agilis) in Southeastern Brazil

Feeding Ecology of Tropidurus torquatus: Ontogenetic Shift in Plant Consumption and Seasonal Trends in Diet

The ecology of the skink mabuya frenata in an area of rock outcrops in southeastern brazil

Reproductive Cycle and Life-History Traits of the Viviparous Skink Mabuya frenata in Southeastern Brazil