Climatic niche differences among Zootoca vivipara clades with different parity modes: implications for the evolution and maintenance of viviparity

AbstractParity mode (oviparity/viviparity) importantly affects the ecology, morphology, physiology, biogeography and evolution of organisms. The main hypotheses explaining the evolution and maintenance of viviparity are based on bioclimatic predictions and also state that the benefits of viviparity arise during the reproductive period. We identify the main climatic variables discriminating between viviparous and oviparous Eurasian common lizard (Zootoca vivipara) occurrence records during the reproductive period and over the entire year.Analyses based on the climates during the reproductive period show that viviparous clades inhabit sites with less variable temperature and precipitation. On the contrary, analyses based on the annual climates show that viviparous clades inhabit sites with more variable temperatures.Results from models using climates during reproduction are in line with the “selfish-mother hypothesis”, which can explain the success of viviparity, the maintenance of the two reproductive modes, and why viviparous individuals cannot colonize sites inhabited by oviparous ones (and vice versa). They suggest that during the reproductive period viviparity has an adaptive advantage over oviparity in less risky habitats thanks to the selfish behaviour of the mothers. Moreover, the results from both analyses stress that hypotheses about the evolution and maintenance of viviparity need to be tested during the reproductive period.

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Dispersal syndromes are poorly associated with climatic niche differences in the Azorean seed plants

Journal of Biogeography ◽

10.1111/jbi.14151 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

María Leo ◽

Manuel J. Steinbauer ◽

Paulo A.V. Borges ◽

Eduardo B. Azevedo ◽

Rosalina Gabriel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Plants ◽

Climatic Niche ◽

Dispersal Syndromes ◽

Niche Differences

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Chromosome-Level Assembly of the Common Lizard (Zootoca vivipara) Genome

Genome Biology and Evolution ◽

10.1093/gbe/evaa161 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 1953-1960

Author(s):

Andrey A Yurchenko ◽

Hans Recknagel ◽

Kathryn R Elmer

Keyword(s):

Linkage Map ◽

Single Copy ◽

Phenotypic Traits ◽

Sequencing Data ◽

High Coverage ◽

Squamate Reptiles ◽

Common Lizard ◽

Zootoca Vivipara ◽

The Common ◽

Chromosome Level

Abstract Squamate reptiles exhibit high variation in their phenotypic traits and geographical distributions and are therefore fascinating taxa for evolutionary and ecological research. However, genomic resources are very limited for this group of species, consequently inhibiting research efforts. To address this gap, we assembled a high-quality genome of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara (Lacertidae), using a combination of high coverage Illumina (shotgun and mate-pair) and PacBio sequencing data, coupled with RNAseq data and genetic linkage map generation. The 1.46-Gb genome assembly has a scaffold N50 of 11.52 Mb with N50 contig size of 220.4 kb and only 2.96% gaps. A BUSCO analysis indicates that 97.7% of the single-copy Tetrapoda orthologs were recovered in the assembly. In total, 19,829 gene models were annotated to the genome using a combination of ab initio and homology-based methods. To improve the chromosome-level assembly, we generated a high-density linkage map from wild-caught families and developed a novel analytical pipeline to accommodate multiple paternity and unknown father genotypes. We successfully anchored and oriented almost 90% of the genome on 19 linkage groups. This annotated and oriented chromosome-level reference genome represents a valuable resource to facilitate evolutionary studies in squamate reptiles.

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Environmental variation mediates the prevalence and co-occurrence of parasites in the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara

BMC Ecology ◽

10.1186/s12898-019-0259-3 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Qiang Wu ◽

Murielle Richard ◽

Alexis Rutschmann ◽

Donald B. Miles ◽

Jean Clobert

Keyword(s):

Environmental Factors ◽

Human Disturbance ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Environmental Gradients ◽

Parasite Load ◽

Single Species ◽

Common Lizard ◽

Zootoca Vivipara ◽

The Common

Abstract Background Hosts and their parasites are under reciprocal selection, leading to coevolution. However, parasites depend not only on a host, but also on the host’s environment. In addition, a single host species is rarely infested by a single species of parasite and often supports multiple species (i.e., multi-infestation). Although the arms race between a parasite and its host has been well studied, few data are available on how environmental conditions may influence the process leading to multiple infestations. In this study, we examine whether: (1) environmental factors including altitude, temperature, vegetation cover, human disturbance, and grazing by livestock affect the prevalence of two types of ectoparasites, mites and ticks, on their host (the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara) and (2) competition is evident between mites and ticks. Results We found the probability of mite infestation increased with altitude and vegetation cover, but decreased with human disturbance and presence of livestock. In contrast, the probability of tick infestation was inversely associated with the same factors. Individuals with low body condition and males had higher mite loads. However, this pattern was not evident for tick loads. The results from a structural equation model revealed that mites and ticks indirectly and negatively affected each other’s infestation probability through an interaction involving the environmental context. We detected a direct negative association between mites and ticks only when considering estimates of parasite load. This suggests that both mites and ticks could attach to the same host, but once they start to accumulate, only one of them takes advantage. Conclusion The environment of hosts has a strong effect on infestation probabilities and parasite loads of mites and ticks. Autecological differences between mites and ticks, as indicated by their opposing patterns along environmental gradients, may explain the pattern of weak contemporary interspecific competition. Our findings emphasize the importance of including environmental factors and the natural history of each parasite species in studies of host–parasite coevolution.

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Climatic Variables and Mass Balance Of Alpine Glaciers During A Period Of Climate Fluctuation

Annals of Glaciology ◽

10.3189/s0260305500008934 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 333-333

Author(s):

David N. Collins

Keyword(s):

Mass Balance ◽

Multiple Regression ◽

Rank Order ◽

Summer Precipitation ◽

Climatic Conditions ◽

Climatic Variables ◽

Glacier Mass Balance ◽

Temperature And Precipitation ◽

Precipitation Regimes ◽

Precipitation And Temperature

Parameterisation of relationships between climate and glacier mass balance is of considerable importance in understanding and modelling how temporal variability in climate affects the quantity of perennial snow and ice stored in glaciers, and the runoff from glacierised areas. Influences of year-to-year variations in air temperatures are pertinent in the absence of long records of measured energy balance and in view of predictions of future climate scenarios in terms of temperature. Measurements of temperature and precipitation from several stations in Alpine valleys in the Rhone basin, Wallis, Switzerland have been analysed to indicate trends in climate from 1930 to 1988. Actual measurements of mass balance of Griesgletscher, ablation calculated from runoff and net accumulation estimated from totalising rain gauges for Findelengletscher and Gornergletscher beginning in the late 1960s, and runoff from Aletschgletscher since 1930, were taken as annual glaciological responses to climatic variation. Variables to represent climatic elements and interactions between precipitation and temperature were selected according to degree of correlation with glacier response variables, and climate-glacier response relationships were assessed by multiple regression. Subsets of the data representing the coolest (1972–81) and warmest (1943–52) decades were also analysed to indicate whether relationships amongst climatic variables and between climate and mass balance remain the same under contrasting climatic conditions.Overall, mean summer air temperature variables for the months May through September and June through August provide the highest levels of explanation of variance of ablation and mass balance respectively (75–82%). Addition of a precipitation variable (winter, spring or summer) in multiple regression increases explanation to a maximum of 91%. Spring and summer precipitation variables are negatively correlated with ablation. Positive degree days and temperature-summer snow functions provide alternatives to temperature. Event-based analysis of the coolest and warmest years selected by rank order invokes high precipitation in May and low May-June temperatures and summer snowfall events as significant variables.Relationships between climatic variables indicate that warmer-than-average winters have higher precipitation, but at summer and annual time scales precipitation is slightly negatively associated with temperature. At the decadal level, warmer periods appear to be influenced by increased frequency of continental anticyclonic conditions, in an area subject to both maritime and continental influences. These analyses of climatic variables indicate that summer energy inputs dominate glacier mass balance. Relationships between precipitation and temperature are complex and were changeable during a fluctuation of about 1° over 40 years. Effects of a potentially warmer future on the form of precipitation in spring, summer and autumn are not clear, so estimates of changes of mass balance have been calculated for contrasting precipitation regimes.

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Age-dependent effects of moderate differences in environmental predictability forecasted by climate change, experimental evidence from a short-lived lizard (Zootoca vivipara)

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-51955-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

G. Masó ◽

J. Kaufmann ◽

H. Clavero ◽

P. S. Fitze

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Life History ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Negative Effects ◽

Age Classes ◽

Environmental Predictability ◽

Common Lizard ◽

Zootoca Vivipara ◽

Age Dependent

Abstract Whether and how differences in environmental predictability affect life-history traits is controversial and may depend on mean environmental conditions. Solid evidence for effects of environmental predictability are lacking and thus, the consequences of the currently observed and forecasted climate-change induced reduction of precipitation predictability are largely unknown. Here we experimentally tested whether and how changes in the predictability of precipitation affect growth, reproduction, and survival of common lizard Zootoca vivipara. Precipitation predictability affected all three age classes. While adults were able to compensate the treatment effects, yearlings and juvenile females were not able to compensate negative effects of less predictable precipitation on growth and body condition, respectively. Differences among the age-classes’ response reflect differences (among age-classes) in the sensitivity to environmental predictability. Moreover, effects of environmental predictability depended on mean environmental conditions. This indicates that integrating differences in environmental sensitivity, and changes in averages and the predictability of climatic variables will be key to understand whether species are able to cope with the current climatic change.

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Warmer temperatures attenuate the classic offspring number and reproductive investment trade-off in the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara

Biology Letters ◽

10.1098/rsbl.2016.0101 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 20160101 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alexis Rutschmann ◽

Donald B. Miles ◽

Jean Clobert ◽

Murielle Richard

Keyword(s):

Life History ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Life History Traits ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Trade Off ◽

Offspring Number ◽

Common Lizard ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Zootoca Vivipara ◽

The Common

Life-history traits involved in trade-offs are known to vary with environmental conditions. Here, we evaluate the response of the trade-off between ‘offspring number’ versus ‘energy invested per offspring’ to ambient temperature in 11 natural populations of the common lizard, Zootoca vivipara . We provide evidence at both the intra- and interpopulation levels that the trade-off is reduced with an increase in air temperature. If this effect enhances current individual fitness, it may lead to an accelerated pace of life in warmer environments and could ultimately increase adult mortality. In the context of global warming, our results advocate the need for more studies in natural populations to explore interactions between life-history traits' trade-offs and environmental conditions.

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Mother-offspring conflict for water and its mitigation in the oviparous form of the reproductively bimodal lizard, Zootoca vivipara

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society ◽

10.1093/biolinnean/blaa012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 129 (4) ◽

pp. 888-900

Author(s):

Andréaz Dupoué ◽

Mahaut Sorlin ◽

Murielle Richard ◽

Jean François Le Galliard ◽

Olivier Lourdais ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Mode ◽

Development Stage ◽

Water Restriction ◽

Treatment Timing ◽

Common Lizard ◽

Zootoca Vivipara ◽

Gravid Females ◽

The Impact

Abstract Parent-offspring conflicts are widespread given that resources are often limited. Recent evidence has shown that availability of water can trigger such conflict during pregnancy in viviparous squamate species (lizards and snakes) and thus questions the role of water in the evolution of reproductive modes. Here, we examined the impact of water restriction during gravidity in the oviparous form of the bimodal common lizard (Zootoca vivipara), using a protocol previously used on the viviparous form. Females were captured in early gravidity from six populations along a 600 m altitudinal gradient to investigate whether environmental conditions (altitude, water access and temperature) exacerbate responses to water restriction. Females were significantly dehydrated after water restriction, irrespective of their reproductive status (gravid vs. non-reproductive), relative reproductive effort (relative clutch mass), and treatment timing (embryonic development stage). Female dehydration, together with reproductive performance, varied with altitude, probably due to long term acclimation or local adaptation. This moderate water-based intergenerational conflict in gravid females contrasts sharply with previous findings for the viviparous form, with implications to the evolutionary reversion from viviparity to oviparity. It is likely that oviparity constitutes a water-saving reproductive mode which might help mitigate intensive temperature-driven population extinctions at low altitudes.

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