10.5061/DRYAD.CH56T
Muñoz, Martha M.
Duke University
Langham, Gary M.
National Audubon Society
Brandley, Matthew C.
University of Sydney
Rosauer, Dan
Australian National University
Williams, Stephen E.
James Cook University
Moritz, Craig
Australian National University
Rosauer, Dan F.
Australian National University
Data from: Basking behavior predicts the evolution of heat tolerance in
Australian rainforest lizards
Dryad
dataset
2016
Carlia
Gnypetoscincus
Lampropholis
Saproscincus
2016-09-02T15:19:19Z
2016-09-02T15:19:19Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13064
16245 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
There is pressing urgency to understand how tropical ectotherms can
behaviorally and physiologically respond to climate warming. We examine
how basking behavior and thermal environment interact to influence
evolutionary variation in thermal physiology of multiple species of
lygosomine rainforest skinks from the Wet Tropics of northeastern
Queensland, Australia (AWT). These tropical lizards are behaviorally
specialized to exploit canopy or sun, and are distributed across steep
thermal clines in the AWT. Using phylogenetic analyses, we demonstrate
that physiological parameters are either associated with changes in local
thermal habitat or to basking behavior, but not both. Cold tolerance, the
optimal sprint speed, and performance breadth are primarily influenced by
local thermal environment. Specifically, montane lizards are more cool
tolerant, have broader performance breadths, and higher optimum sprinting
temperatures than their lowland counterparts. Heat tolerance, in contrast,
is strongly affected by basking behavior: there are two evolutionary
optima, with basking species having considerably higher heat tolerance
than shade skinks, with no effect of elevation. These distinct responses
among traits indicate the multiple selective pressures and constraints
that shape the evolution of thermal performance. We discuss how behavior
and physiology interact to shape organisms' vulnerability and
potential resilience to climate change.
Phylogenetic data used for analysesAustralcombo.nex
Australian Wet Tropics