Length of activity season drives geographic variation in body size of a widely distributed lizard

2013
journal article
article
60
dc.abstract.enUnderstanding the factors that drive geographic variation in life history is an important challenge in evolutionary ecology. Here, we analyze what predicts geographic variation in life-history traits of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara, which has the globally largest distribution range of all terrestrial reptile species. Variation in body size was predicted by differences in the length of activity season, while we found no effects of environmental temperature per se. Females experiencing relatively short activity season mature at a larger size and remain larger on average than females in populations with relatively long activity seasons. Interpopulation variation in fecundity was largely explained by mean body size of females and reproductive mode, with viviparous populations having larger clutch size than oviparous populations. Finally, body size-fecundity relationship differs between viviparous and oviparous populations, with relatively lower reproductive investment for a given body size in oviparous populations. While the phylogenetic signal was weak overall, the patterns of variation showed spatial effects, perhaps reflecting genetic divergence or geographic variation in additional biotic and abiotic factors. Our findings emphasize that time constraints imposed by the environment rather than ambient temperature play a major role in shaping life histories in the common lizard. This might be attributed to the fact that lizards can attain their preferred body temperature via behavioral thermoregulation across different thermal environments. Length of activity season, defining the maximum time available for lizards to maintain optimal performance, is thus the main environmental factor constraining growth rate and annual rates of mortality. Our results suggest that this factor may partly explain variation in the extent to which different taxa follow ecogeographic rules.pl
dc.affiliationWydział Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi : Instytut Nauk o Środowiskupl
dc.contributor.authorHorváthová, Terézia - 221162 pl
dc.contributor.authorCooney, Christopher R.pl
dc.contributor.authorFitze, Patrick S.pl
dc.contributor.authorOksanen, Tuula A.pl
dc.contributor.authorJelic, Dusanpl
dc.contributor.authorGhira, Ioanpl
dc.contributor.authorUller, Tobiaspl
dc.contributor.authorJandzik, Davidpl
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-03T11:44:32Z
dc.date.available2015-07-03T11:44:32Z
dc.date.issued2013pl
dc.date.openaccess0
dc.description.accesstimew momencie opublikowania
dc.description.number8pl
dc.description.physical2424-2442pl
dc.description.versionostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume3pl
dc.identifier.doi10.1002/ece3.613pl
dc.identifier.eissn2045-7758pl
dc.identifier.projectROD UJ / Ppl
dc.identifier.urihttp://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/11478
dc.languageengpl
dc.language.containerengpl
dc.rightsUdzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 3.0*
dc.rights.licenceCC-BY
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode*
dc.share.typeotwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enBergmann's rulepl
dc.subject.enecogeographic variationpl
dc.subject.enlife-history traitspl
dc.subject.enreptilespl
dc.subject.enthermoregulationpl
dc.subtypeArticlepl
dc.titleLength of activity season drives geographic variation in body size of a widely distributed lizardpl
dc.title.journalEcology and Evolutionpl
dc.typeJournalArticlepl
dspace.entity.typePublication
dc.abstract.enpl
Understanding the factors that drive geographic variation in life history is an important challenge in evolutionary ecology. Here, we analyze what predicts geographic variation in life-history traits of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara, which has the globally largest distribution range of all terrestrial reptile species. Variation in body size was predicted by differences in the length of activity season, while we found no effects of environmental temperature per se. Females experiencing relatively short activity season mature at a larger size and remain larger on average than females in populations with relatively long activity seasons. Interpopulation variation in fecundity was largely explained by mean body size of females and reproductive mode, with viviparous populations having larger clutch size than oviparous populations. Finally, body size-fecundity relationship differs between viviparous and oviparous populations, with relatively lower reproductive investment for a given body size in oviparous populations. While the phylogenetic signal was weak overall, the patterns of variation showed spatial effects, perhaps reflecting genetic divergence or geographic variation in additional biotic and abiotic factors. Our findings emphasize that time constraints imposed by the environment rather than ambient temperature play a major role in shaping life histories in the common lizard. This might be attributed to the fact that lizards can attain their preferred body temperature via behavioral thermoregulation across different thermal environments. Length of activity season, defining the maximum time available for lizards to maintain optimal performance, is thus the main environmental factor constraining growth rate and annual rates of mortality. Our results suggest that this factor may partly explain variation in the extent to which different taxa follow ecogeographic rules.
dc.affiliationpl
Wydział Biologii i Nauk o Ziemi : Instytut Nauk o Środowisku
dc.contributor.authorpl
Horváthová, Terézia - 221162
dc.contributor.authorpl
Cooney, Christopher R.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Fitze, Patrick S.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Oksanen, Tuula A.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Jelic, Dusan
dc.contributor.authorpl
Ghira, Ioan
dc.contributor.authorpl
Uller, Tobias
dc.contributor.authorpl
Jandzik, David
dc.date.accessioned
2015-07-03T11:44:32Z
dc.date.available
2015-07-03T11:44:32Z
dc.date.issuedpl
2013
dc.date.openaccess
0
dc.description.accesstime
w momencie opublikowania
dc.description.numberpl
8
dc.description.physicalpl
2424-2442
dc.description.version
ostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volumepl
3
dc.identifier.doipl
10.1002/ece3.613
dc.identifier.eissnpl
2045-7758
dc.identifier.projectpl
ROD UJ / P
dc.identifier.uri
http://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/11478
dc.languagepl
eng
dc.language.containerpl
eng
dc.rights*
Udzielam licencji. Uznanie autorstwa 3.0
dc.rights.licence
CC-BY
dc.rights.uri*
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode
dc.share.type
otwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enpl
Bergmann's rule
dc.subject.enpl
ecogeographic variation
dc.subject.enpl
life-history traits
dc.subject.enpl
reptiles
dc.subject.enpl
thermoregulation
dc.subtypepl
Article
dc.titlepl
Length of activity season drives geographic variation in body size of a widely distributed lizard
dc.title.journalpl
Ecology and Evolution
dc.typepl
JournalArticle
dspace.entity.type
Publication
Affiliations

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