Habitat use and ecological interactions of an introduced and a native species of Anolis lizard on Grand Cayman, with a review of the outcomes of anole introductions
TL;DR: Review of data concerning 23 Anolis introductions indicates that the presence or absence of an ecologically similar native species may be an important determinant of colonization success or failure.
Abstract: Since its introduction ten years ago, Anolis sagrei has spread over much of Grand Cayman and is now more common in some habitats than the native anole, A. conspersus. Interspecific differences in body size, perch height, and microclimatic preference may have facilitated the colonization. Nonetheless, competition may be occurring between the species; comparisons with studies of habitat use prior to the arrival of A. sagrei indicate that in open habitats, where A. sagrei is now abundant, A. conspersus perches higher, but in closed habitats, where A. sagrei is absent, no change in perch height is evident. Review of data concerning 23 Anolis introductions indicates that the presence or absence of an ecologically similar native species may be an important determinant of colonization success or failure.
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TL;DR: A new analysis of body‐size evolution in Anolis lizards of the Lesser Antilles Anolis supported the taxon‐cycle hypothesis but nevertheless failed to reject the character‐displacement hypothesis.
Abstract: The evolution of body size in Anolis lizards of the Lesser Antilles Islands has been the subject of intensive, if divisive, study. Early research by Schoener revealed a regularity in the number of Anolis species that coexisted on islands and the difference in body size between coexisting congeners in the Northern Lesser Antilles. This consistent pattern of body size was suggested to be the result of competitive character displacement. Two recent studies critically evaluated this hypothesis by incorporating information about the phylogenetic relationships of insular Anolis. Rough- garden and Pacala suggested that the patterns of body-size differences in the Northern Lesser Antilles could be explained as a cyclical phenomenon that they labeled a taxon cycle. However, Losos supported the character-dis- placement hypothesis ("size adjustment"). The conflict between these two studies is important because both inves- tigations were based on the same phylogenetic hypothesis. We investigated body-size evolution in Lesser Antilles Anolis to resolve the differences in the conclusions of these studies. Our new analysis supported the taxon-cycle hypothesis but nevertheless failed to reject the character-displacement hypothesis. We argue that this curious scenario is largely a function of the method by which phylogenetic information is incorporated in comparative analyses. Different comparative analyses may lead to dramatic differences in results and ambiguity in the conclusions to be drawn. We suggest that ecologists and evolutionary biologists specifically consider the underlying assumptions and models of character evolution inherent to each of the phylogenetically based analytical methods now available.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the influence of competitive interactions in an invasive setting was explored in the fossil record using brachiopod morphology as a proxy for niche space occupation, and the external shapes of three pairs of potentially competing species were analyzed via three-dimensional baseline shape co-ordinates.
31 citations
TL;DR: The results suggest that ecological opportunity and ecological release can be identified in natural populations, especially those that have recently colonized isolated ecosystems.
Abstract: Ecological opportunity is any change that allows populations to escape selection from competition and predation. After encountering ecological opportunity, populations may experience ecological release: enlarged population size, broadened resource use, and/or increased morphological variation. We identified ecological opportunity and tested for ecological release in three lizard colonists of White Sands, New Mexico (Sceloporus undulatus, Holbrookia maculata, and Aspidoscelis inornata). First, we provide evidence for ecological opportunity by demonstrating reduced species richness and abundance of potential competitors and predators at White Sands relative to nearby dark soils habitats. Second, we characterize ecological release at White Sands by demonstrating density compensation in the three White Sands lizard species and expanded resource use in White Sands S. undulatus. Contrary to predictions from ecological release models, we observed directional trait change but not increased trait variation in S. undulatus. Our results suggest that ecological opportunity and ecological release can be identified in natural populations, especially those that have recently colonized isolated ecosystems.
31 citations
01 Jul 2007
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify and understand how behavioral traits (ethotypes), physiological traits (physiotypes), and morphological traits (morphotypes) of animals are adapted to each of the four basic autecological tasks (e.g., find, acquire and utilize food; avoid, evade, and deter predators; cope with abiotic stresses and avoid abiotic extremes; and acquire mates and reproduce).
Abstract: Introduction The four basic tasks, EPM, FAM, and habitat One useful theoretical focus in evolutionary ecology is that an animal has four basic, autecological tasks: (1) find, acquire and utilize food; (2) avoid, evade, and deter predators; (3) cope with abiotic stresses and avoid abiotic extremes; and (4) acquire mates and reproduce. An integrative understanding would require knowing the relative influence of each of these tasks on the ecology of an individual, on the population, and on the evolution of higher taxa. In addition, it would be important to identify and understand how behavioral traits (ethotypes), physiological traits (physiotypes), and morphological traits (morphotypes) of animals are adapted to each of the four basic autecological tasks (Fig. 15.1). I refer to the sum of these traits as the EPM (the ethophysiomorph or ethophysiomorphotype). Among the four basic autecological tasks, food acquisition and utilization may be the primary, albeit sometimes indirect, cause for salient features of ethotypes, physiotypes, and morphotypes (and thus EPMs) of lizards and other animals (Anderson and Karasov, 1988). The classic, general vertebrate mode of food acquisition as mobile, ectothermic predators on invertebrates continues to dominate in lizards (basal level in Fig. 15.1), and many features of lizards appear to be related to the basic autecological task of food acquisition (Pianka and Vitt, 2003). The set of physiological, behavioral, and morphological characteristics (the EPM) that are integrally involved in the search, detection, capture, and eating of food, may be considered an adaptive syndrome (Eckhardt, 1979) that I refer to as the “food acquisition mode,” FAM. An adaptive syndrome is a coordinated set of characteristics (adaptive traits) associated with an issue of overriding importance (a core adaptation) to an organism (Eckhardt, 1979).
29 citations
TL;DR: Anolis sagrei, a Cuba and Bahama native lizard, is a successful invader in Florida and adjacent areas and conservatism in its climate niche axes is focused on, indicating that natural history properties are associated with conservative niche axes.
Abstract: Anolis sagrei, a Cuba and Bahama native lizard, is a successful invader in Florida and adjacent areas. Herein, we focus on conservatism in its climate niche axes and possible congruencies with its natural history properties. The not mutually exclusive hypotheses of the present study explaining its northern range limit are: (1) climatic conditions within species' native and invasive ranges are identical; (2) the species is pre-adapted to novel conditions as a result of historical climate variations; and (3) only some niche axes limit the species' invasive distribution and the observed pattern is explained by an interplay between the potential niche within its native range and life-history. Species distribution models for native and invasive distributions were built on ten bioclimatic variables. Using Schoener's niche overlap index, the degree of niche conservatism among variables was identified. Significances of hypothesis (1) were tested using null-model approaches. Possible climatic pre-adaptations were evaluated by comparing its actual tolerance within its invasive range with that of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) within its native range (hypothesis 2). Results of (1) and (2) are discussed in relation to natural history, approaching hypothesis 3. We detect varying overlaps in niche axes, indicating that natural history properties are associated with conservative niche axes. Climatic comparisons with LGM of native and current conditions of invasive range suggest that pre-adaptations are unlikely. Possible shifts in the fundamental niche of the species may have been facilitated by enhanced genetic diversity in northern invasive populations. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 104, 943–954.
29 citations
Cites background from "Habitat use and ecological interact..."
...Does interspecific competition play a role in shaping the invasive range of the brown anole? It has been shown that biological interaction among species may limit the success of an introduced Anolis species (Losos et al., 1993), whereby the outcome may be affected by interspecific differences in the climatic suitability of a CLIMATE NICHE SHIFT IN A LIZARD 949...
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References
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Book•
01 Jan 1956
TL;DR: This is the revision of the classic text in the field, adding two new chapters and thoroughly updating all others as discussed by the authors, and the original structure is retained, and the book continues to serve as a combined text/reference.
Abstract: This is the revision of the classic text in the field, adding two new chapters and thoroughly updating all others. The original structure is retained, and the book continues to serve as a combined text/reference.
35,552 citations
TL;DR: Technique non parametrique pour la signification statistique de tables de tests utilisees dans les etudes sur l'evolution notamment.
Abstract: Technique non parametrique pour la signification statistique de tables de tests utilisees dans les etudes sur l'evolution notamment
14,666 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1972
TL;DR: The summation of the life work of one of the most influential scientists of our time is presented in the book "Genius: A Summary of the Life Work of Thomas E. MacArthur" as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: First published in 1972 and now available for the first time in paperback, this book is the summation of the life work of one of the most influential scientists of our time. Of permanent interest in the history and philosophy of science, it is also frequently cited in the current ecological literature and is still up-to-date in many categories. "The theme running through this book," MacArthur wrote, "is that the structure of the environment, the morphology of the species, the economics of species behavior, and the dynamics of population changes are the four essential ingredients of all interesting biogeographic patterns." Written in his beautifully lucid style, this work will continue to be read by anyone concerned with biological ideas.
2,182 citations
TL;DR: It is suggested that such small, non-dimorphic species are best suited for insinuation into complex faunas, whereas larger, dimorphic forms are best for the colonization of empty areas.
Abstract: The tiny island of South Bimini contains 4 species of lizards of the genus Anolis, a number surpassed only on the 4 largest islands of the Greater Antilles and on 2 very large and nearby satellite islands. These species are syntopic with respect to a two-dimensional area of the ground but divide the habitat according to perch height and perch diameter: sagrei is partly terrestrial, but occurs more often on small and large low perches; distichus prefers the trunks and large branches of medium to large trees; angusticeps inhabits small twigs, especially at great heights; and carolinensis is found mostly on leaves or on the adjacent twigs and branches. The size classes of the species are staggered in such a way that the inter- specific classes which overlap most in habitat overlap least in prey size. Similarities in prey size and prey taxa for classes of the same species are somewhat greater than those expected on the basis of habitat and morphology alone. The distribution of the species among the vegetation communities of Bimini can be explained on the basis of perch height and diameter preference. Within the same species, the larger lizards usually eat larger food, fewer items, and in sagrei more fruit; and they have a greater average range of food size per digestive tract. One species (distichus) is extremely myrmecophagous: about 75-90% of its food items are ants. In 3 of the 4 species, subadult males take more food and average smaller prey than females of the same head length. That species (distichus) which takes the smallest food item; and whose classes overlap the most in habitat preference with those of other species is least dimorphic in size between the sexes. It is suggested that such small, non- dimorphic species are best suited for insinuation into complex faunas, whereas larger, dimorphic forms are best for the colonization of empty areas. The usefulness of various measures of "overlap" and "specialization" is evaluated for this lizard association.
1,737 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: This book is the classic account of how much the authors have since learned about the evolution of Darwin's Finches and shows how interspecific competition and natural selection act strongly enough on contemporary populations to produce observable and measurable evolutionary change.
Abstract: After his famous visit to the Galapagos Islands, Darwin speculated that "one might fancy that, from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends." This book is the classic account of how much we have since learned about the evolution of these remarkable birds. Based upon over a decade's research, Grant shows how interspecific competition and natural selection act strongly enough on contemporary populations to produce observable and measurable evolutionary change. In this new edition, Grant outlines new discoveries made in the thirteen years since the book's publication. "Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches" is an extraordinary account of evolution in action."
1,144 citations