In recent years, biologists have increasingly recognized that evolutionary change can occur rapidly when natural selection is strong; thus, real-time studies of evolution can be used to test classic evolutionary hypotheses directly. One such hypothesis is that negative interactions between closely related species can drive phenotypic divergence. Such divergence is thought to be ubiquitous, though well-documented cases are surprisingly rare. On small islands in Florida, we found that the lizard Anolis carolinensis moved to higher perches following invasion by Anolis sagrei and, in response, adaptively evolved larger toepads after only 20 generations. These results illustrate that interspecific interactions between closely related species can drive evolutionary change on observable time scales.

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Rapid evolution of a native species following invasion by a congener.

Aim Temperature influences most components of animal ecology and life history ‐ but what kind of temperature? Physiologists usually examine the influence of body temperatures, while biogeographers and macroecologists tend to focus on environmental temperatures. We aim to examine the relationship between these two measures, to determine the factors that affect lizard body temperatures and to test the effect of both temperature measures on lizard life history. Location World-wide. Methods We used a large (861 species) global dataset of lizard body temperatures,and the mean annual temperatures across their geographic ranges to examine the relationships between body and mean annual temperatures.We then examined factors influencing body temperatures, and tested for the influence of both on ecological and life-history traits while accounting for the influence of shared ancestry. Results Body temperatures and mean annual temperatures are uncorrelated. However, accounting for activity time (nocturnal species have low body temperatures), use of space (fossorial and semi-aquatic species are ‘colder’), insularity (mainland species are ‘hotter’) and phylogeny, the two temperatures are positively correlated. High body temperatures are only associated with larger hatchlings and increased rates of biomass production. Annual temperatures are positively correlated with clutch frequency and annual longevity, and negatively correlated with clutch size, age at first reproduction and longevity.

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Are lizards feeling the heat? A tale of ecology and evolution under two temperatures

Amphibians and reptiles

Aim To test the role of climate, dispersal limitation and biotic interactions in limiting species’ distributions within an island adaptive radiation by integrating species traits, phylogeny and estimates of dispersal cost into climate-based species distribution models. Location Hispaniola. Methods Focusing on 26 species of Anolis lizards, we used multivariate adaptive regression splines to evaluate the contribution of climate, species interactions, phylogenetic history and dispersal limitation to species distributional limits. For each species, we mapped the morphological similarity of congenerics using traits of known ecological import and predicted that species would be less likely to occur in climatically suitable areas if they were inhabited by ecologically similar species. Dispersal limitation was incorporated by generating spatially explicit estimates of dispersal cost, based on inferred habitat suitability. We compared models including morphological similarity, dispersal cost, phylogeny and climate with climate-only models. Results were evaluated against a null model that conserved the spatial structure of species occurrences. Results Climate had a dominant role in shaping species distributions. However, for over one-third of species we also found evidence consistent with supplemental effects of species interactions, i.e. ecological niche incumbency. These species were less likely to occur in climatically suitable areas inhabited by a morphologically similar species. Dispersal limitation also supplemented climatic limits in most species. These results were robust to co-variation with phylogeny and to comparison with our null model. Conclusions These results suggest that, rather than act as mutually exclusive alternatives, multiple dimensions of the ecological niche, including climatic limits, biotic interactions and dispersal capacity, interact to shape species distributions and that local interactions can influence the broad-scale geography of species in a predictable way.

Niche incumbency, dispersal limitation and climate shape geographical distributions in a species-rich island adaptive radiation

Making adjustments for a new neighborhood Competition between species drives the acquisition of diversity. Stuart et al. introduced a non-native anole lizard to natural experimental islands. In response, the original inhabitants adopted higher perches in the trees, where the larger invader was at a disadvantage. Within about 3 years—or 20 generations—the shift led to inherited morphological changes in the native lizards, including their growing larger toepads. Science, this issue p. 463 On small islands in Florida, native lizards adapt to higher perches following invasion by a related species. In recent years, biologists have increasingly recognized that evolutionary change can occur rapidly when natural selection is strong; thus, real-time studies of evolution can be used to test classic evolutionary hypotheses directly. One such hypothesis is that negative interactions between closely related species can drive phenotypic divergence. Such divergence is thought to be ubiquitous, though well-documented cases are surprisingly rare. On small islands in Florida, we found that the lizard Anolis carolinensis moved to higher perches following invasion by Anolis sagrei and, in response, adaptively evolved larger toepads after only 20 generations. These results illustrate that interspecific interactions between closely related species can drive evolutionary change on observable time scales.

/pdf/supplementary-materials-for-rapid-evolution-of-a-native-37nf4g4h7r.pdf

Supplementary Materials for Rapid evolution of a native species following invasion by a congener

Most lizard communities are characterized by having one or two dominant species and a handful of other species that occur at relatively low densities. However, Soroa, a site in the Sierra del Rosario of western Cuba, is home to 11 sympatric species of Anolis, of which nine are found in high abundance. In this study, we evaluate how interspecific differences in structural niche, thermal niche, body size, and behavior might allow the extraordinarily high anole species diversity at this site. We found that all pairs of species differ in at least one of the following niche axes: vegetation types occupied, substrates used, perch height, irradiance at occupied perch sites, and body temperature. Interspecific differences across these axes might serve to reduce competition, allowing the 11 species to live sympatrically within a relatively small geographic area.

https://bioone.org/journals/breviora/volume-520/issue-1/0006-9698-520.1.1/The-Anoles-of-Soroa-Aspects-of-Their-Ecological-Relationships/10.3099/0006-9698-520.1.1.pdf

The Anoles of Soroa: Aspects of Their Ecological Relationships

Reptiles of Cuba: checklist and geographic distributions

Amphibians Of Cuba: checklist and geographic distributions

http://repositorio.geotech.cu/jspui/bitstream/1234/1428/1/Anfibios%20y%20reptiles%20de%20Cuba%20%28extracto%29.pdf

Anfibios y reptiles de Cuba (extracto)

Mateo, J.A. 1997. Los anfibios y reptiles de Ceuta, Melilla, Chafarinas y los penones de Alhucemas y Velez de la Gomera. 451-464. In: Pleguezuelos, J.M. (ed.), Distribucion y biogeografia de los anfibios y reptiles en Espana y Portugal. Monografias de Herpetologia, 3. Universidad de Granada – Asociacion Herpetologica Espanola. Granada. Pasteur, G. & Bons, J. 1960. Catalogue des reptiles actuels du Maroc. Revision des formes d’Afrique, d’Europe et d’Asie. Travaux del Institute Scientifique Cherifien (serie Zoologie), 21: 1-134. Schleich, H.H., Kastle, W. & Kabisch, K. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of North Africa. Koeltz Scientific Books, Koenigstein. Zulueta, A. 1909. Nota sobre reptiles de Melilla. Boletin de la Real Sociedad Espanola de Historia Natural, 10: 351-354.

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Vilma Rivalta González

Papers

The Anoles of Soroa: Aspects of Their Ecological Relationships

Reptiles of Cuba: checklist and geographic distributions

Amphibians Of Cuba: checklist and geographic distributions

Anfibios y reptiles de Cuba (extracto)

Herpetofauna del municipio de Najasa, provincia de Camagüey, Cuba