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Large morphological transitions underlie exceptional shape diversification in an adaptive radiation.

Katherine B Starr¹, Emma Sherratt², Thomas J Sanger³

¹Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, 1032 W. Sheridan Rd., Chicago, IL, 60660, USA.

Scientific Reports

|December 31, 2024

Summary

Anolis lizards show remarkable skull diversity not from faster evolution, but from larger, distinct morphological steps. This adaptive radiation highlights how traits unrelated to direct ecological shifts can diversify exceptionally.

Keywords:

Anolis Comparative methods Geometric morphometrics Macroevolution Skull evolution Tempo and mode

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Comparative anatomy
Morphological diversification

Background:

Adaptive radiations increase species and phenotypic diversity as organisms fill ecological niches.
Anolis lizards are a model for adaptive radiation studies, but skull shape diversification remains under-investigated.
Previous research focused on post-cranium morphology, neglecting skull shape evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate whether the tempo or mode of skull shape diversification changed during anole evolution.
To compare skull shape evolution in anoles with related lizard clades.
To understand the evolutionary mechanisms behind anole skull diversity.

Main Methods:

Geometric morphometric analysis of skull shape.
Comparative analysis across 12 Iguanian families, including anoles (110 species).

Main Results:

Anolis lizards occupy a unique and wider morphological space for skull shape compared to other Iguanian families.
No significant difference in the evolutionary rate of skull shape diversification was found between anoles and their relatives.
Anole skull diversity arose through a distinct mode involving larger morphological transitions into novel regions of morphospace.

Conclusions:

Anole skull diversity is driven by a unique mode of evolution characterized by significant morphological jumps, not accelerated rates.
Traits not directly linked to ecological niche specialization can undergo exceptional diversification patterns.
This study reveals novel insights into the evolutionary processes shaping phenotypic diversity during adaptive radiations.