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Sabolić I, Mira Ó, Brandt DYC, Lisičić D, Stapley J, Novosolov M, Bakarić R, Cizelj I, Glogoški M, Hudina T, Taverne M, Allentoft ME, Nielsen R, Herrel A, Štambuk A. Plastic and genomic change of a newly established lizard population following a founder event. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17255. [PMID: 38133599 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how phenotypic divergence arises among natural populations remains one of the major goals in evolutionary biology. As part of competitive exclusion experiment conducted in 1971, 10 individuals of Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1810)) were transplanted from Pod Kopište Island to the nearby island of Pod Mrčaru (Adriatic Sea). Merely 35 years after the introduction, the newly established population on Pod Mrčaru Island had shifted their diet from predominantly insectivorous towards omnivorous and changed significantly in a range of morphological, behavioural, physiological and ecological characteristics. Here, we combine genomic and quantitative genetic approaches to determine the relative roles of genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in driving this rapid phenotypic shift. Our results show genome-wide genetic differentiation between ancestral and transplanted population, with weak genetic erosion on Pod Mrčaru Island. Adaptive processes following the founder event are indicated by highly differentiated genomic loci associating with ecologically relevant phenotypic traits, and/or having a putatively adaptive role across multiple lizard populations. Diverged traits related to head size and shape or bite force showed moderate heritability in a crossing experiment, but between-population differences in these traits did not persist in a common garden environment. Our results confirm the existence of sufficient additive genetic variance for traits to evolve under selection while also demonstrating that phenotypic plasticity and/or genotype by environment interactions are the main drivers of population differentiation at this early evolutionary stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Sabolić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Óscar Mira
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Débora Y C Brandt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Duje Lisičić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jessica Stapley
- Department of Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Novosolov
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert Bakarić
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivan Cizelj
- Zoological Garden of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Marko Glogoški
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | | | - Maxime Taverne
- C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France
| | - Morten E Allentoft
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Trace and Environmental DNA (TrEnD) Laboratory, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Rasmus Nielsen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris, France
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anamaria Štambuk
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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Stark G, Ma L, Zeng ZG, Du WG, Levy O. Cool shade and not-so-cool shade: How habitat loss may accelerate thermal stress under current and future climate. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:6201-6216. [PMID: 37280748 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide habitat loss, land-use changes, and climate change threaten biodiversity, and we urgently need models that predict the combined impacts of these threats on organisms. Current models, however, overlook microhabitat diversity within landscapes and so do not accurately inform conservation efforts, particularly for ectotherms. Here, we built and field-parameterized a model to examine the effects of habitat loss and climate change on activity and microhabitat selection by a diurnal desert lizard. Our model predicted that lizards in rock-free areas would reduce summer activity levels (e.g. foraging, basking) and that future warming will gradually decrease summer activity in rocky areas, as even large rocks become thermally stressful. Warmer winters will enable more activity but will require bushes and small rocks as shade retreats. Hence, microhabitats that may seem unimportant today will become important under climate change. Modelling frameworks should consider the microhabitat requirements of organisms to improve conservation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin Stark
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Zhi-Gao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ofir Levy
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Karameta E, Gavriilidi I, Sfenthourakis S, Pafilis P. Seasonal Variation in the Thermoregulation Pattern of an Insular Agamid Lizard. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3195. [PMID: 37893919 PMCID: PMC10603691 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectotherms, including lizards, rely on behavioral thermoregulation to maintain their body temperature within an optimal range. The benign climate of islands is expected to favor the thermoregulation efficiency of reptiles throughout their activity period. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation in thermoregulation in an insular population of the roughtail rock agama (Laudakia stellio) on Naxos Island, Greece. We measured body, operative, and preferred temperatures across three seasons (spring, summer, and autumn), and we evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation, using the Hertz index (E). Our results revealed that the effectiveness of thermoregulation was significantly influenced by seasonality. E was quite high in summer (0.97) and spring (0.92), and lowest in autumn (0.81). Accordingly, the quality of the thermal environment was significantly low during autumn, and maximum during summer. However, despite the environmental temperature fluctuations, lizards exhibited remarkable stability in body temperatures. They also adjusted their preferred temperatures seasonally and doubled the thermal niche breadth they occupied during summer, thus enhancing thermoregulation efficiency. Whether or not these adjustments are plastic or fixed local adaptations remains to be explored in further research across multiple years and seasons, including additional insular populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Karameta
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
| | - Ioanna Gavriilidi
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Spyros Sfenthourakis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou 1, 2109 Nicosia, Cyprus;
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia, 15784 Athens, Greece; (I.G.); (P.P.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
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Reppa A, Agori AF, Santikou P, Parmakelis A, Pafilis P, Valakos ED, Sagonas K. Small Island Effects on the Thermal Biology of the Endemic Mediterranean Lizard Podarcis gaigeae. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2965. [PMID: 37760365 PMCID: PMC10525772 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ectotherms are vastly affected by climatic conditions as they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, and changes in their habitat thermal quality could seriously affect their overall biology. To overcome the problems of a thermally unfavorable habitat, lizards need to either adjust their thermoregulatory behavior or respond to directional selection and shift their preferred body temperatures. To assess the impact of habitat thermal quality on the thermoregulatory profile, we studied multiple islet and 'mainland' populations of the Skyros wall lizard Podarcis gaigeae, an endemic lacertid to Skyros Archipelago, Greece. We evaluated the effectiveness of thermoregulation (E) using the three main thermal parameters: body (Tb), operative (Te), and preferred (Tpref) temperatures. We first hypothesized that the spatial homogeneity, the scarcity of thermal shelters, and the exposure to higher winds on islets would result in more demanding climate conditions. Second, we anticipated that islet lizards would achieve higher E in response to the lower thermal quality therein. As hypothesized, thermal parameters differed between populations but not in the expected manner. Skyros 'mainland' habitats reached higher temperatures, had more intense fluctuations, and were of lower thermal quality. As a result, lizards showed higher accuracy, precision, and effectiveness of thermoregulation. Noteworthy, we found that lizards from different populations have shifted their thermal profile and preferred body temperatures to cope with the particular conditions prevailing in their habitats. The latter supports the labile view on the evolution of thermoregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikaterini Reppa
- Section of Ecology and Taxonomy, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Ariadne Faidra Agori
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiota Santikou
- Section of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Aristeidis Parmakelis
- Section of Ecology and Taxonomy, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece; (P.P.); (E.D.V.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Efstratios D. Valakos
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece; (P.P.); (E.D.V.)
- Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 157 72 Athens, Greece
| | - Kostas Sagonas
- Section of Zoology, Department of Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Thompson A, Kapsanaki V, Liwanag HEM, Pafilis P, Wang IJ, Brock KM. Some like it hotter: Differential thermal preferences among lizard color morphs. J Therm Biol 2023; 113:103532. [PMID: 37055135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Temperature rules the lives of ectotherms. To perform basic biological functions, ectotherms must make behavioral adjustments to keep their body temperatures near a preferred temperature (Tpref). Many color polymorphic lizards are active thermoregulators and exhibit morph differences in traits related to thermoregulation, such as color, body size, and microhabitat use. The Aegean wall lizard, Podarcis erhardii, is a heliothermic lizard with orange, white, and yellow color morphs that differ in size, behavior, and microhabitat use. Here, we tested whether P. erhardii color morphs from the same population from Naxos island, Greece, differ in Tpref. We hypothesized that orange morphs would prefer lower temperatures than white and yellow morphs because orange morphs are often found on cooler substrates and in microhabitats with more vegetation cover. We obtained Tpref for 95 individuals using laboratory thermal gradient experiments of wild-caught lizards and found that orange morphs do, indeed, prefer cooler temperatures. Average orange morph Tpref was 2.85 °C lower than average white and yellow morph Tpref. Our results add support to the idea that P. erhardii color morphs have multivariate alternative phenotypes and present the possibility that thermally heterogeneous environments play a role in the maintenance of color polymorphism in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Thompson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vassiliki Kapsanaki
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Heather E M Liwanag
- Department of Biological Sciences, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Zoological Museum, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Ian J Wang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kinsey M Brock
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Karameta E, Sfenthourakis S, Pafilis P. Are all islands the same? A comparative thermoregulatory approach in four insular populations. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
As ectotherms, lizards, among the best models in thermal studies, are influenced by many abiotic factors. Interestingly, there is a scarcity of data regarding the impact that insularity may have on thermoregulation. Islands, depending their size and altitude, may differ considerably in the thermal conditions they provide to lizards. Here, we focused on a study system comprising islands that differ in morphological characteristics. We worked with four Rock Agama (Laudakia sp.) insular populations, namely Cyprus, Naxos, Delos, and Corfu. We measured body, operative and preferred temperatures and evaluated thermoregulation effectiveness (E). According to our findings, E differed among populations: Corfu received the lowest E (0.45), Cyprus and Naxos achieved median values (0.66 and 0.67, respectively) and lizards from Delos had the most effective thermoregulation (0.85). Our results underline the complex nature of insularity and its effect on saurian thermoregulation and highlight the importance of studying each insular population separately, taking into account the variable features of islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouela Karameta
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou 1, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Spyros Sfenthourakis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Panepistimiou 1, 2109 Aglantzia, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Ilissia 15784, Greece
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Colour morph predicts social behaviour and contest outcomes in a polymorphic lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Bold and bright: shy and supple? The effect of habitat type on personality-cognition covariance in the Aegean wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Anim Cogn 2022; 25:745-767. [PMID: 35037121 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01587-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Animals exhibit considerable and consistent among-individual variation in cognitive abilities, even within a population. Recent studies have attempted to address this variation using insights from the field of animal personality. Generally, it is predicted that animals with "faster" personalities (bolder, explorative, and neophilic) should exhibit faster but less flexible learning. However, the empirical evidence for a link between cognitive style and personality is mixed. One possible reason for such conflicting results may be that personality-cognition covariance changes along ecological conditions, a hypothesis that has rarely been investigated so far. In this study, we tested the effect of habitat complexity on multiple aspects of animal personality and cognition, and how this influenced their relationship, in five populations of the Aegean wall lizard (Podarcis erhardii). Overall, lizards from both habitat types did not differ in average levels of personality or cognition, with the exception that lizards from more complex habitats performed better on a spatial learning task. Nevertheless, we found an intricate interplay between ecology, cognition, and personality, as behavioral associations were often habitat- but also year-dependent. In general, behavioral covariance was either independent of habitat, or found exclusively in the simple, open environments. Our results highlight that valuable insights may be gained by taking ecological variation into account while studying the link between personality and cognition.
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