Integr Org Biol
Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH 43015, USA.
Published: February 2023
Urbanization alters the environment along many dimensions, including changes to structural habitat and thermal regimes. These can present challenges, but may also provide suitable habitat for certain species. Importantly, the functional implications of these habitat shifts can be assessed through the morphology-performance-fitness paradigm, though these relationships are complicated by interactions among habitat choice, other abiotic factors, and morphology across scales (i.e., micromorphology and gross anatomy). The common wall lizard () is one example of a cosmopolitan and successful urban colonizer. Quantifying both shifts in morphology over time and morphology-performance relationships under various ecological contexts can provide insight into the success of species in a novel environment. To examine how morphological variation influences performance, we measured seven gross morphological characteristics and utilized scanning electron microscopy to obtain high-resolution images of a claw from individuals living in established populations in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. We used a geometric morphometric approach to describe variation in claw shape and then compared the claws of contemporary lizards to those of museum specimens collected approximately 40 years ago, finding that claw morphology has not shifted over this time. We then performed laboratory experiments to measure the clinging and climbing performance of lizards on materials that mimic ecologically relevant substrates. Each individual was tested for climbing performance on two substrates (cork and turf) and clinging performance on three substrates (cork, turf, and sandpaper) and at two temperatures (24ºC and 34ºC). Clinging performance was temperature insensitive, but determined by substrate-specific interactions between body dimensions and claw morphology. Conversely, the main determinant of climbing performance was temperature, though lizards with more elongate claws, as described by the primary axis of variation in claw morphology, climbed faster. Additionally, we found strong evidence for within-individual trade-offs between performance measures such that individuals who are better at clinging are worse at climbing and vice versa. These results elucidate the complex interactions shaping organismal performance in different contexts and may provide insight into how certain species are able to colonize novel urban environments.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/iob/obad006 | DOI Listing |
Naturwissenschaften
January 2025
Training & Education), Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation (Research, Vandalur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Eurybiomic big cats are facing significant threats from poaching, which is driven by recreation, taxidermy and wildlife trade. Species identification and age estimation are important for effective conservation management and enforcement of wildlife protection regulations. In this study, we present novel comprehensive morphometric methods for species identification and age estimation in leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) using canine and claw, the major trade articles.
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November 2024
Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan , China.
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Arthropod Struct Dev
December 2024
Department of Biology, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
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