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Repeatability and correlation of physiological traits: Do ectotherms have a 'thermal type'?
- Source :
-
Ecology & Evolution (20457758) . Jan2017, Vol. 7 Issue 2, p710-719. 10p. - Publication Year :
- 2017
-
Abstract
- Across a range of taxa, individuals within a species differ in suites of correlated traits. These trait complexes, known as syndromes, can have dramatic evolutionary consequences as they do not evolve independently but rather as a unit. Current research focuses primarily on syndromes relating to aspects of behavior and life history. What is less clear is whether physiological traits also form a syndrome. We measured 10 thermal traits in the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata, to test this idea. Repeatability was calculated and their across-context correlations evaluated. Our results were in alignment with our predictions in that individual thermal traits varied consistently and were structured into a physiological syndrome, which we are referring to as the thermal behavior syndrome ( TBS). Within this syndrome, lizards exhibited a 'thermal type' with each being ranked along a cold-hot continuum. Hot types had faster sprint speeds and higher preferred body temperatures, whereas the opposite was true for cold types. We conclude that physiological traits may evolve as a single unit driven by the need to maintain optimal temperatures that enable fitness-related behaviors to be maximized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20457758
- Volume :
- 7
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Ecology & Evolution (20457758)
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 120786259
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2632