Selection for background matching drives sympatric speciation in Wall Gecko.

ABSTRACT: The Wall Gecko shows heterogeneous colour pattern, which may vary among individuals, depending on the time of day and on the habitat segregation. Nocturnal pale geckos live exclusively on walls. Diurnal dark geckos preferentially live on olive tree trunks, demonstrating an ability to change skin colour that is superior to that of the pale gecko and allows diurnal geckos becoming camouflaged on the diverse substrates occupied during the day. In our study, the nocturnal/pale/wall and diurnal/dark/trunk geckos could be considered the extremes of an ecological cline of morphological variation on which divergent selection may be acting. Combining the effect of balancing selection on nocturnal geckos and disruptive selection between two sympatric populations could lead to speciation. All geckos

SUBMITTER: Fulgione D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6361904 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature