Ecomorphology is associated with speciation and co-occurrence in Sceloporus lizards
Data files
Oct 29, 2025 version files 42.46 KB
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cleaned-code.R
11.10 KB
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morphology.csv
15.06 KB
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README.md
2.46 KB
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Sceloporus-ecology-updated.csv
13.84 KB
Abstract
Closely related species can impose strong forces of selection on one another through competition, leading to dramatic examples of phenotypic evolution. Niche partitioning can promote the use of novel resources between co-occurring species to reduce competitive overlap and thereby drive phenotypic divergence. Quantifying this potential relationship between ecology and morphology among species can reveal how opportunity and constraint interact to shape patterns of phenotypic evolution and how phenotypic diversity can facilitate co-occurrence. We explored the dynamics of ecomorphological evolution in relation to speciation and co-occurrence in Sceloporus lizards, a speciose group spanning North and Central America, where species often occur in sympatry. We collected data for 80 species and demonstrated strong relationships between multivariate morphology and ecology, finding that Sceloporus species occur in six ecological modes with associated morphologies (ecomorphs). The evolution of arboreality was a major transition that expanded morphospace, allowed for the evolution of further ecological novelty, and is associated with increased speciation rates. Across their range, Sceloporus ecomorphs are spatially overdispersed, suggesting that interspecific competition may limit the ability of similar species to coexist. By quantifying ecomorphological diversity across a diverse radiation, our results shed new light on how phenotypic variation accumulates and its implications for coexistence between closely-related species.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.z8w9ghxrm
Description of the data and file structure
Morphological measurements from field-caught lizards and ethanol-preserved specimens for species in the genus Sceloporus. Ecological data from field observations and literature for Sceloporus species. Code used to run analyses about the relationship between ecology and morphology in a spatial and phylogenetic context
Files and variables
File: morphology.csv
Description: Morphological measurements (in cm) for species in the genus Sceloporus, averaged across multiple specimens and regressed against body size (given by SVL). This dataset contains the residuals of the regressions against body size for all traits except body size itself (last column, SVL). Column names refer to the measurements taken. Missing data represented as NaN.
Variables
- species: name of the species
- head_length: snout to head end
- head_width: widest head point
- body_width: widest body point
- humerus_length: upper arm bone
- radioulna_length: forearm bone length
- forefoot_length: wrist to fingertip
- forelimb_length: total front limb
- femur_length: thigh bone length
- tibiofibula_length: lower leg bone
- hindfoot_fourth_toe: fourth toe length
- hindfoot_length: ankle to toe tip
- hindlimb_length: total hind limb
- dorsal_scale_count: back scale number
- SVL.cm.: SVL in centimetersSnout-Vent Length in cm
File: Sceloporus-ecology-updated.csv
Description: Ecological categorizations for Sceloporus species and the associated citations. The "full ecomorph" categorization contains 6 categories whereas the "simplified category"
Variables
- Binomial: Species name
- ecomorph_category: One of 6 ecological groupings, arboreal (tree dwelling), saxicolous (rock dwelling), generalist, terrestrial, vegetation-dwelling, or sand-dwelling
- simplified_category: One of 2 ecological groupings based primarily on propensity to climb (scansorial) or not (terrestrial)
- comments: citations and comments provided for each categorization
File: cleaned-code.R
Description: Code used to produce results from the manuscript
Code/software
Code can be used to reproduce the results of the associated manuscript; analyses were run in R v 4.4.1
All packages and dependencies are listed at the beginning of the code