Phenotypic adaptations in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae): do peripheral populations evolve under local selective pressures?

• Grant number: 11/24171-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2012
• End date: February 29, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Tiana Kohlsdorf
• Grantee: Fábio Cury de Barros
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The population phenotype and habitat use by individuals may reflect differences on organisms' performance, like locomotion, and affect organisms' survivor in environment. Populations of the same species that occupy different environments in terms of temperature and substrate may differ phenotipically as a result of local selective factors acting on these populations. The study of Tropidurus torquatus lizard species, Wied 1820, enables the investigation of possible phenotype variation at population levels, since this species has a wide range of distribution in different biomes, from south fields of Brazil to sandbanks in coastal regions. This research proposal aims to evaluate characteristics of the environments inhabited by populations of T. torquatus, such as habitat structure and availability of sites for thermoregulation and subsequently investigate the possible ecological associations with morphological, physiological and behavioral parameters. These parameters may be potentially associated with the performance displayed in ecologically relevant activities such as locomotion, which could provide evidence of possible answers to specific local selective pressures. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE BARROS, FABIO CURY; DE CARVALHO, JOSE EDUARDO; ABE, AUGUSTO SHINYA; KOHLSDORF, TIANA. Beyond body size: muscle biochemistry and body shape explain ontogenetic variation of anti-predatory behaviour in the lizard Salvator merianae. Journal of Experimental Biology, v. 219, n. 11, p. 1649-1658, JUN 2016. (11/24171-3, 08/57712-4)

BRANDT, RENATA; DE BARROS, FABIO CURY; NORONHA, CAROLINA; JOSE TULLI, MARIA; KOHLSDORF, TIANA. Sexual differences in locomotor performance in Tropidurus catalanensis lizards (Squamata: Tropiduridae) - body shape, size and limb musculature explain variation between males and females. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 118, n. 3, p. 598-609, JUL 2016. (11/18868-1, 11/24171-3, 11/01801-1, 12/51012-6, 13/14125-0)