Lizard scales in an adaptive radiation: variation in scale number follows climatic and structural habitat diversity inAnolislizards

2014/09/02 by Johanna E. Wegener, Gabriel E. A. Gartner, Jonathan B. Losos · 47 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Adaptive radiation #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Anolis #Biology #Ecology #Fish <Actinopterygii> #Fishery #Habitat #Lizard #Niche #Perch #Phylogenetics #Plant and animal studies #Species Distribution and Climate Change #Squamata

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/bij.12380

published in Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 113(2), 570-579 (Oxford University Press)

openalex publication_date 2014/09/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Lizard scales vary in size, shape and texture among and within species. The overall function of scales in squamates is attributed to protection against abrasion, solar radiation and water loss. We quantified scale number of Anolis lizards across a large sample of species (142 species) and examined whether this variation was related either to structural or to climatic habitat diversity. We found that species in dry environments have fewer, larger scales than species in humid environments. This is consistent with the hypothesis that scales reduce evaporative water loss through the skin. In addition, scale number varied among groups of ecomorphs and was correlated with aspects of the structural microhabitat (i.e. perch height and perch diameter). This was unexpected because ecomorph groups are based on morphological features related to locomotion in different structural microhabitats. Body scales are not likely to play an important role in locomotion in Anolis lizards. The observed variation may relate to other features of the ecomorph niche and more work is needed to understand the putative adaptive basis of these patterns.

Citations

• ECOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITY AND THE RATE OF MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION IN THE DIVERSIFICATION OF GREATER ANTILLEAN ANOLES
• TESTING FOR PHYLOGENETIC SIGNAL IN COMPARATIVE DATA: BEHAVIORAL TRAITS ARE MORE LABILE
• SIZE-CORRECTION AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS FOR INTERSPECIFIC COMPARATIVE STUDIES

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