Solitary ecology as a phenomenon extending beyond insular systems: exaptive evolution in Anolis lizards.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms driving phenotypic evolution have been of interest to biologists since Darwin. Ecological release-wherein adaptive evolution occurs following relaxation of constraining selective pressures-and environmental filtering-wherein exaptive traits allow colonization of a new area-have been studied in several insular cases. Anolis lizards, which may exist in solitude or sympatry with multiple congeners, are an excellent system for evaluating whether ecological release and environmental filtering are associated with phenotypic shifts across phylogenetic and geographical scales. Insular solitary Anolis exhibit phenotypic differentiation in body size and sexual size dimorphism-SSD-through exaptive and adaptive evolution, respectively. But, the generality of these effects has not yet be

SUBMITTER: Velasco JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6548730 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature