info:eu-repo/semantics/article
The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes
Fecha
2020-06Registro en:
Meiri, Shai; Avila, Luciano Javier; Bauer, Aaron M.; Chapple, David G.; Das, Indraneil; et al.; The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Global Ecology and Biogeography; 6-2020; 1-16
1466-822X
1466-8238
CONICET Digital
CONICET
Autor
Meiri, Shai
Avila, Luciano Javier
Bauer, Aaron M.
Chapple, David G.
Das, Indraneil
Doan, Tiffany M.
Doughty, Paul
Ellis, Ryan
Grismer, Lee
Kraus, Fred
Morando, Mariana
Oliver, Paul
Pincheira Donoso, Daniel
Ribeiro Junior, Marco Antonio
Shea, Glenn
Torres Carvajal, Omar
Slavenko, Alex
Roll, Uri
Resumen
Aim: Clutch size is a key life-history trait. In lizards, it ranges over two orders of mag-nitude. The global drivers of spatial and phylogenetic variation in clutch have been extensively studied in birds, but such tests in other organisms are lacking. To test the generality of latitudinal gradients in clutch size, and their putative drivers, we present the first global-scale analysis of clutch sizes across lizard taxa.Location: Global.Time period: Recent.Major taxa studied: Lizards (Reptilia, Squamata, Sauria).Methods: We analysed clutch-size data for over 3,900 lizard species, using phyloge-netic generalized least-square regression to study the relationships between clutch sizes and environmental (temperature, precipitation, seasonality, primary productiv-ity, insularity) and ecological factors (body mass, insularity, activity times, and micro-habitat use).Results: Larger clutches are laid at higher latitudes and in more productive and seasonal environments. Insular taxa lay smaller clutches on average. Temperature and precipitation per se are unrelated to clutch sizes. In Africa, patterns differ from those on other continents. Lineages laying small fixed clutches are restricted to low latitudes.Main conclusions: We suggest that the constraint imposed by a short activity season, coupled with abundant resources, is the main driver of large-clutch evolution at high latitudes and in highly seasonal regions. We hypothesize that such conditions – which are unsuitable for species constrained to laying multiple small clutches – may limit the distribution of fixed-clutch taxa