Arboreality constrains morphological evolution but not species diversification in vipers

Author(s)

Vieira de Alencar, Laura Rodrigues ^[1] ; Martins, Marcio ^[1] ; Burin, Gustavo ^[1] ; Quental, Tiago Bosisio ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Ecol, Rua Matao, Travessa 14, Cidade Univ, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; v. 284, n. 1869 DEC 20 2017.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

An increase in ecological opportunities, either through changes in the environment or acquisition of new traits, is frequently associated with an increase in species and morphological diversification. However, it is possible that certain ecological settings might prevent lineages from diversifying. Arboreality evolved multiple times in vipers, making them ideal organisms for exploring how potentially new ecological opportunities affect their morphology and speciation regimes. Arboreal snakes are frequently suggested to have a very specialized morphology, and being too large, too small, too heavy, or having short tails might be challenging for them. Using trait-evolution models, we show that arboreal vipers are evolving towards intermediate body sizes, with longer tails and more slender bodies than terrestrial vipers. Arboreality strongly constrains body size and circumference evolution in vipers, while terrestrial lineages are evolving towards a broader range of morphological variants. Trait-dependent diversification models, however, suggest similar speciation rates between microhabitats. Thus, we show that arboreality might constrain morphological evolution but not necessarily affect the rates at which lineages generate new species. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/02038-2 - Species and morphological diversification in Viperidae snakes: patterns and processes
• Grantee: Laura Rodrigues Vieira de Alencar
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 14/03621-9 - The roles of diet, speciation and extinction on bird diversification and frugivory network assembling
• Grantee: Gustavo Burin Ferreira
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 12/04072-3 - The role of extinction and speciation rates, and the effect of different levels of biological organization on the origin and maintenance of biodiversity
• Grantee: Tiago Bosisio Quental
• Support type: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 11/50206-9 - Origin and evolution of snakes and their diversification in the Neotropics: a multidisciplinary approach
• Grantee: Hussam El Dine Zaher
• Support type: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants