Female lizards (Eremias argus) reverse Bergmann's rule across altitude.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of body size within and among species is predicted to be influenced by multifarious environmental factors. However, the specific drivers of body size variation have remained difficult to understand because of the wide range of proximate factors that covary with ectotherm body sizes across populations with varying local environmental conditions. Here, we used female Eremias argus lizards collected from different populations across their wide range in China, and constructed linear mixed models to assess how climatic conditions and/or available resources at different altitudes shape the geographical patterns of lizard body size across altitude. Lizard populations showed significant differences in body size across altitudes. Furthermore, we found that climatic and seasonal

SUBMITTER: Deme GG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10405246 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature