Phylogenetic Signal of Morphological and Life-History Traits in the
Genus Sceloporus
- Isaac Diaz-Ortega,
- Hibraim Pérez-Mendoza
, - J. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega,
- Oscar Flores-Villela
Isaac Diaz-Ortega
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala
Author ProfileJ. Jaime Zúñiga-Vega
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Author ProfileOscar Flores-Villela
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México Facultad de Ciencias
Author ProfileAbstract
The evolution of the phenotype has historically been studied by
segregating it into categories, as traits within a category often
exhibit close associations. However, individuals can be considered as
integrated phenotypes, suggesting that their analysis may not correspond
to an artificial categorization. Nonetheless, variations in the
intensity or persistence of selective pressures over time can lead to
mismatches in phenotypic evolution. Despite the potential for selective
pressures to induce phenotypic changes, closely related species tend to
exhibit similarities due to their common ancestry. In this study, we
calculated and compared the phylogenetic signal of phenotypic traits of
lizard species in the genus Sceloporus. We categorized these traits as
either morphological or life-history traits, with a total of eight
traits in each category. These traits include trunk length, limb length,
head length, clutch size, hatchling length, age at first brood, and size
at maturity. We found that the amount of phylogenetic signal varies
across Sceloporus traits. The intensity of the phylogenetic signal was
higher in traits derived from morphometric measurements, regardless of
their category. The remaining traits exhibited notable variation,
ranging from phylogenetically conserved traits such as reproductive mode
to the absence of phylogenetic signal, as seen in relative clutch mass.
Furthermore, we observed that traits possibly influenced by the same
evolutionary mechanism exhibit similar amount of phylogenetic signal,
regardless of category. Finally, we discuss the potential implications
of phylogenetic signal in the evolution of Sceloporus phenotypes.Submission Checks Completed Assigned to Editor
Reviewer(s) Assigned