Comparative tests of the role of dewlap size in Anolis lizard speciation.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic traits may be linked to speciation in two distinct ways: character values may influence the rate of speciation or diversification in the trait may be associated with speciation events. Traits involved in signal transmission, such as the dewlap of Anolis lizards, are often involved in the speciation process. The dewlap is an important visual signal with roles in species recognition and sexual selection, and dewlaps vary among species in relative size as well as colour and pattern. We compile a dataset of relative dewlap size digitized from photographs of 184 anole species from across the genus' geographical range. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to test two hypotheses: that larger dewlaps are associated with higher speciation rates, and that relative dewlap area diversifi

SUBMITTER: Ingram T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5204168 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature