Abstract
Microgeographic variation in fitness-relevant traits may be more common than previously appreciated. The fitness of many vertebrates is directly related to their locomotor capacity, a whole-organism trait integrating behavior, morphology, and physiology. Because locomotion is inextricably related to context, I hypothesized that it might vary with habitat structure in a wide-ranging lizard, Podarcis erhardii, found in the Greek Cyclade Islands. I compared lizard populations living on human-built rock walls, a novel habitat with complex vertical structure, with nearby lizard populations that are naive to human-built infrastructure and live in flat, loose-substrate habitat. I tested for differences in morphology, behavior, and performance. Lizards from built sites were larger and had significantly (and relatively) longer forelimbs and hindlimbs. The differences in hindlimb morphology were especially pronounced for distal components—the foot and longest toe. These morphologies facilitated a significant behavioral shift in jumping propensity across a rocky experimental substrate. I found no difference in maximum velocity between these populations; however, females originating from wall sites potentially accelerated faster over the rocky experimental substrate. The variation between these closely neighboring populations suggests that the lizards inhabiting walls have experienced a suite of trait changes enabling them to take advantage of the novel habitat structure created by humans.
Highlights
Animal locomotion integrates a suite of morphological, behavioral, and physiological attributes and impacts an individual’s fitness (Irschick and Garland 2001, Calsbeek and Irschick2007, Irschick et al 2008)
While traits associated with locomotion are often considered typological for a species, emerging evidence suggests that microgeographic variability in ecological context can result in considerably more intraspecific variation in fitness-relevant traits than previously appreciated (Richardson et al 2014)
While P. erhardii home range has not been investigated, sister species have reported home ranges no larger than 120 m2 (Brown et al 1995, Swallow et al 1996) suggesting it is highly unlikely lizards from non-wall sites had originated on walls
Summary
Animal locomotion integrates a suite of morphological, behavioral, and physiological attributes and impacts an individual’s fitness (Irschick and Garland 2001, Calsbeek and Irschick2007, Irschick et al 2008). Animal locomotion integrates a suite of morphological, behavioral, and physiological attributes and impacts an individual’s fitness Locomotor behavior and performance is of necessity closely tied to an individual’s immediate ecological setting (Losos 1990, Toro et al 2004, Kohlsdorf and Navas 2007). Other studies have demonstrated that the substrate and structure of a habitat are consistently related to a lizard species’ behavior, morphology, and performance (Vanhooydonck and Van Damme 2003, Calsbeek and Irschick 2007 Kohlsdorf and Navas 2007, Losos 2011). Jumping performance in lizards is often associated with longer hind limbs, in the distal segments between the ankle and the tip of the longest toe (Moermond 1979, Losos 1990, Toro et al 2004)
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