Effects of Limb Length, Body Mass, Gender, Gravidity, and Elevation on Escape Speed in the Lizard Psammodromus algirus

Zamora‐Camacho, Francisco Javier; Reguera, Senda; Rubiño-Hispán, María Virtudes; Moreno‐Rueda, Gregorio

doi:10.1007/s11692-014-9285-4

Cited by 48 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…This result is surprising, since a previous work in this system showed that gravid females at optimum body temperature (32°C) did not differ from males or non-gravid females in sprint speed (Zamora-Camacho et al, 2014a). Therefore, reduced sprint performance at suboptimum body temperature could be a cost of reproduction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…¼6.973; P ¼0.01), as they do at 32°C(Zamora-Camacho et al, 2014a). Moreover, triple interactions were significant for first run (F 2, 106 ¼ 3.718; P¼ 0.03) and difference in speed (F 2, 106 ¼3.874; P¼ 0.02), but with no recognizable trend (data not shown).…”

mentioning

confidence: 80%

“…For accurate detection of geographical trends, we grouped those sampling plots into three elevation belts: low elevations (plots at 300 and 700 m asl), mid elevations (plots at 1200 and 1700 m asl), and high elevations (plots at 2200 and 2500 m asl). Grouping in elevation belts was justified on the basis of similarities in population traits within belts, such as phenology, demography, morphology, and even genetic structure (Reguera et al, 2014;Zamora-Camacho et al, 2013, 2014aunpublished data). Since habitat landscape can affect the flight strategy of this species (Iraeta et al, 2010;Martín and López, 1995), we chose locations as similar as possible regarding vegetation structure (see Appendix A in Zamora-Camacho et al, 2013).…”

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures

Zamora‐Camacho

Rubiño-Hispán

Reguera

et al. 2015

Journal of Thermal Biology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

mentioning

confidence: 80%

Section: Study Species and Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures

Zamora‐Camacho

Rubiño-Hispán

Reguera

et al. 2015

Journal of Thermal Biology

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“…Numerous systems and morphological traits have been explored to determine how morphology links with performance and habitat (Arnold, 1983;Findley & Black, 1983;James, 1982;Karr & James, 1975;Losos, 1990a;Melville & Swain, 2000;Williams, 1972). Lizards have often been study systems to test such principles, with investigations of body proportions (Herrel, Meyers, & Vanhooydonck, 2001; Thompson & Withers, 1997;Vanhooydonck & Van Damme, 1999), clinging, sprinting, and jumping ability (Irschick et al, 1996(Irschick et al, ,2005Losos, 1990b;Losos & Sinervo, 1989;Van Damme, Aerts, & Vanhooydonck, 1997;Zamora-Camacho, Reguera, Rubiño-Hispán, & Moreno-Rueda, 2014), retreat choice (Thompson, Clemente, Withers, Fry, & Norman, 2009), limb bone loading and gait (Clemente, Withers, Thompson, & Lloyd, 2011;McElroy & Reilly, 2009), and biting structures (Herrel, Spithoven, Van Damme, & De Vree, 1999;Herrel, Van Damme, Vanhooydonck, & Vree, 2001;Verwaijen, Van Damme, & Herrel, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Claw morphometrics in monitor lizards: Variable substrate and habitat use correlate to shape diversity within a predator guild

D’Amore

Clulow

Doody

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Numerous studies investigate morphology in the context of habitat, and lizards have received particular attention. Substrate usage is often reflected in the morphology of characters associated with locomotion, and, as a result, claws have become well‐studied ecomorphological traits linking the two. The Kimberley predator guild of Western Australia consists of 10 sympatric varanid species. The purpose of this study was to quantify claw size and shape in the guild using geometric morphometrics, and determine whether these features correlated with substrate use and habitat. Each species was assigned a Habitat/substrate group based on the substrate their claws interact with in their respective habitat. Claw morphometrics were derived for both wild caught and preserved specimens from museum collections, using a 2D semilandmark analysis. Claw shape significantly separated based on Habitat/substrate group. Varanus gouldii and Varanus panoptes claws were associated with sprinting and extensive digging. Varanus mertensi claws were for shallow excavation. The remaining species’ claws reflected specialization for some form of climbing, and differed based on substrate compliance. Varanus glauerti was best adapted for climbing rough sandstone, whereas Varanus scalaris and Varanus tristis had claws ideal for puncturing wood. Phylogenetic signal also significantly influenced claw shape, with Habitat/substrate group limited to certain clades. Positive size allometry allowed for claws to cope with mass increases, and shape allometry reflected a potential size limit on climbing. Claw morphology may facilitate niche separation within this trophic guild, especially when considered with body size. As these varanids are generalist predators, morphological traits associated with locomotion may be more reliable candidates for detecting niche partitioning than those associated directly with diet.

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“…Fat storage also has fitness costs. These arise from the increased energetic costs of locomotion due to larger body weight (Browning et al, 2006;Ghiani et al, 2015; and see discussion in Supplementary Online Material [SOM]), but also from increased predation risk or decreased hunting success due to reduced agility and speed (Gosler et al, 1995;Dietz et al, 2007;Zamora-Camacho et al, 2014). In arboreal species, adaptations for agile locomotion and terminal branch feeding may impose additional constraints on the quantity of fat stores (Dittus, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Being fat and smart: A comparative analysis of the fat-brain trade-off in mammals

Heldstab

Schaik

Isler

2016

Journal of Human Evolution

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Humans stand out among non-aquatic mammals by having both an extremely large brain and a relatively large amount of body fat. To understand the evolution of this human peculiarity we report a phylogenetic comparative study of 120 mammalian species, including 30 primates, using seasonal variation in adult body mass as a proxy of the tendency to store fat. Species that rely on storing fat to survive lean periods are expected to be less active because of higher costs of locomotion and have increased predation risk due to reduced agility. Because a fat-storage strategy reduces the net cognitive benefit of a large brain without reducing its cost, such species should be less likely to evolve a larger brain than non-fat-storing species. We therefore predict that the two strategies to buffer food shortages (storing body fat and cognitive flexibility) are compensatory, and therefore predict negative co-evolution between relative brain size and seasonal variation in body mass. This trade-off is expected to be stronger in predominantly arboreal species than in more terrestrial ones, as the cost of transporting additional adipose depots is higher for climbing than for horizontal locomotion. We did, indeed, find a significant negative correlation between brain size and coefficient of variation (CV) in body mass in both sexes for the subsample of arboreal species, both in all mammals and within primates. In predominantly terrestrial species, in contrast, this correlation was not significant. We therefore suggest that the adoption of habitually terrestrial locomotor habits, accompanied by a reduced reliance on climbing, has allowed for a primate of our body size the unique human combination of unusually large brains and unusually large adipose depots.

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Effects of Limb Length, Body Mass, Gender, Gravidity, and Elevation on Escape Speed in the Lizard Psammodromus algirus

Cited by 48 publications

References 62 publications

Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures

Thermal dependence of sprint performance in the lizard Psammodromus algirus along a 2200-meter elevational gradient: Cold-habitat lizards do not perform better at low temperatures

Claw morphometrics in monitor lizards: Variable substrate and habitat use correlate to shape diversity within a predator guild

Being fat and smart: A comparative analysis of the fat-brain trade-off in mammals

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