IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-49464-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Viviparity imparts a macroevolutionary signature of ecological opportunity in the body size of female Liolaemus lizards

Author

Listed:
  • Saúl F. Domínguez-Guerrero

    (Yale University)

  • Damien Esquerré

    (University of Wollongong)

  • Edward D. Burress

    (Yale University
    University of Alabama)

  • Carlos A. Maciel-Mata

    (Predio Intensivo de Manejo de Vida Silvestre X-Plora Reptilia)

  • Laura R. V. Alencar

    (Yale University)

  • Martha M. Muñoz

    (Yale University)

Abstract

Viviparity evolved ~115 times across squamate reptiles, facilitating the colonization of cold habitats, where oviparous species are scarce or absent. Whether the ecological opportunity furnished by such colonization reconfigures phenotypic diversity and accelerates evolution is unclear. We investigated the association between viviparity and patterns and rates of body size evolution in female Liolaemus lizards, the most species-rich tetrapod genus from temperate regions. Here, we discover that viviparous species evolve ~20% larger optimal body sizes than their oviparous relatives, but exhibit similar rates of body size evolution. Through a causal modeling approach, we find that viviparity indirectly influences body size evolution through shifts in thermal environment. Accordingly, the colonization of cold habitats favors larger body sizes in viviparous species, reconfiguring body size diversity in Liolaemus. The catalyzing influence of viviparity on phenotypic evolution arises because it unlocks access to otherwise inaccessible sources of ecological opportunity, an outcome potentially repeated across the tree of life.

Suggested Citation

  • Saúl F. Domínguez-Guerrero & Damien Esquerré & Edward D. Burress & Carlos A. Maciel-Mata & Laura R. V. Alencar & Martha M. Muñoz, 2024. "Viviparity imparts a macroevolutionary signature of ecological opportunity in the body size of female Liolaemus lizards," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49464-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49464-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49464-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-49464-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Andrew J. Helmstetter & Alexander S. T. Papadopulos & Javier Igea & Tom J. M. Van Dooren & Armand M. Leroi & Vincent Savolainen, 2016. "Viviparity stimulates diversification in an order of fish," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, September.
    2. Kylie A. Robert & Michael B. Thompson, 2001. "Viviparous lizard selects sex of embryos," Nature, Nature, vol. 412(6848), pages 698-699, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sylvain Dubey & Richard Shine, 2011. "Predicting the effects of climate change on reproductive fitness of an endangered montane lizard, Eulamprus leuraensis (Scincidae)," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 107(3), pages 531-547, August.
    2. Felipe O. Cerezer & Cristian S. Dambros & Marco T. P. Coelho & Fernanda A. S. Cassemiro & Elisa Barreto & James S. Albert & Rafael O. Wüest & Catherine H. Graham, 2023. "Accelerated body size evolution in upland environments is correlated with recent speciation in South American freshwater fishes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49464-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.