We applied multivariate analyses to an array of body measures of alpine newt specimens derived from 11 localpopulations in Greece to describe, analyse and detect patterns and putative causes of within-population andam...We applied multivariate analyses to an array of body measures of alpine newt specimens derived from 11 localpopulations in Greece to describe, analyse and detect patterns and putative causes of within-population andamong-population morphometric variation. The observed morphometric variation was partitioned into several independentlyvarying aspects of the external phenotype, frequently following variation patterns in different environmentalfactors. The size and features of the aquatic habitat were found to affect body size, while altitude was foundto affect head-shape variation in both sexes. At the intra-population level, variation in generalized body size andshape was found to be significantly lower when competitive newt species were present in the habitat, indicatingstabilizing selection towards a decrease in inter-specific competition. No clear discrimination on body size andshape proportions was detected between the two genetic lineages examined, implying ecogenetic or environmentallyinduced variation rather than phylogeny.展开更多
文摘We applied multivariate analyses to an array of body measures of alpine newt specimens derived from 11 localpopulations in Greece to describe, analyse and detect patterns and putative causes of within-population andamong-population morphometric variation. The observed morphometric variation was partitioned into several independentlyvarying aspects of the external phenotype, frequently following variation patterns in different environmentalfactors. The size and features of the aquatic habitat were found to affect body size, while altitude was foundto affect head-shape variation in both sexes. At the intra-population level, variation in generalized body size andshape was found to be significantly lower when competitive newt species were present in the habitat, indicatingstabilizing selection towards a decrease in inter-specific competition. No clear discrimination on body size andshape proportions was detected between the two genetic lineages examined, implying ecogenetic or environmentallyinduced variation rather than phylogeny.
