Diet influences latitudinal gradients in life-history traits, but not reproductive output, in ectotherms.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Latitudinal gradients in life-history traits are apparent in many taxa and are expected to be strong for ectotherms that have temperature-driven constraints on performance and fitness. The strength of these gradients, however, should also be affected by diet. Because diet type (carnivory, omnivory, herbivory) influences accessibility to nutrition and assimilation efficiency, we aim to study how diet affects latitudinal gradients in lifetime reproductive output and the underlying life-history traits in ectotherms.

Location

Global.

Time period

Recent.

Major taxa studied

Lizards (Reptilia, Squamata, Sauria).

Methods

We used empirical (352 species) and phylogenetically imputed data (563 species) to analyse the interactive effects of latitude and diet on

SUBMITTER: Bansal U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7615780 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature