Abstract
THE correlation of changes in morphological traits with environmental gradients is often taken as evidence for natural selection1. But in many cases, the possibility that this correlation is coincidental cannot be ruled out2. Stronger evidence for natural selection is provided when closely related allopatric species show parallel patterns of geographic variation along similar environmental gradients. Vertebrate geographic variation within small islands provides a valuable opportunity to detect mechanisms of natural selection3–5. We have now studied microgeographic variation in the colour patterns of two skinks (Lacertilia: Scincidae) from neighbouring heterogeneous islands. Parallel north-south variation occurs in the colour patterns of both species. Populations from the south of both islands possess conspicuous dorsal-tail coloration. Morphological distance matrices for both species are compared with similar aspects of environmental variation using simultaneous Mantel tests. This indicates that differential selection between lush and arid habitats is the primary cause of the variation in colour pattern.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Endler, J. A. Geographic Variation, Speciation and Clines (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1977).
Endler, J. A. Natural Selection in the Wild (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1986).
Thorpe, R. S. Syst. Zool. (in the press).
Thorpe, R. S. & Báez, M. Evolution 41, 256–268 (1987).
Thorpe, R. S. & Brown, R. P. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 38, 303–322 (1989).
Brown, R. P. & Thorpe, R. S. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. (in the press).
Brown, R. P. & Thorpe, R. S. J. Evol. Biol. (in the press).
Thorpe, R. S. Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 14, 215–233 (1980).
Thorpe, R. S. in Numerical Taxonomy (ed. Felstein, J.) 404–423 (NATO Advanced Study Institute Series G (Ecological Sciences), No. 1, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 1983).
Fernandopulle, D. in Biogeography and Ecology of the Canary Islands (ed. Kunkel, G.) 185–206 (Junk, The Hague, The Netherlands, 1976).
Garcia, J. L. Hernández, J. Cabrera, L. G. Diaz, A. & Afonso L. Atlas Interinsular de Canarias (Editorial Interinsular Canaria, S. A. Tenerife, Spain, 1990).
Douglas, M. E. & Endler, J. A. J. theor. Biol. 99, 777–795 (1982).
Manly, B. F. J. Res. Pop. Ecol. 28, 201–218 (1986).
Arnold, E. N. J. Nat. Hist. 18, 127–169 (1984).
Cooper, W. E. & Vitt, L. J. Z. Tierpsychol. 70, 265–276 (1986).
Kammer, F. Scripta Geobotanica 7, 1–78 (1974).
C.N.E.S. & Maptec Int. Ltd, Imagen Satelite: Gran Canaria (CNES Quaestus Int. Ltd. (dist.), Dublin, Ireland, 1987).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Brown, R., Thorpe, R. & Báez, M. Parallel within-island microevolution of lizards on neighbouring islands. Nature 352, 60–62 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/352060a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/352060a0
This article is cited by
-
Life on a beach leads to phenotypic divergence despite gene flow for an island lizard
Communications Biology (2023)
-
Where does diversity come from? Linking geographical patterns of morphological, genetic, and environmental variation in wall lizards
BMC Evolutionary Biology (2018)
-
Diet and snake venom evolution
Nature (1996)
-
Geographic variation in Loligo forbesi in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean: analysis of morphometric data and tests of causal hypotheses
Marine Biology (1994)
-
Are Anolis lizards evolving?
Nature (1992)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
