A new record of Acanthodactylus cantoris from Sistan and Baluchistan in southeastern Iran is presented in this paper,and this lizard is found occurring in the coastal area of the Persian Gulf from Govater to Chabahar....A new record of Acanthodactylus cantoris from Sistan and Baluchistan in southeastern Iran is presented in this paper,and this lizard is found occurring in the coastal area of the Persian Gulf from Govater to Chabahar. This species is mainly sympatric with A. blanfordi,and their habits and habitats support their close relationship within the cantoris group. In total,29 specimens of A. cantoris(n = 12) and A. blanfordi(n = 17) were compared morphologically using statistical methods. The occurrence of A. cantoris in Iran has been questioned for a long time by different herpetologists,and the distribution,ecology and taxonomy of this newly recorded species were investigated and provided in this paper. An updated identification key for the species of Acanthodactylus in Iran is given.展开更多
Non-signaling functions of coloration include thermoregulation(thermal melanism hypothesis),protection against ultraviolet radiation(photoprotection hypothesis),and concealment from predators(crypsis hypothesis).We in...Non-signaling functions of coloration include thermoregulation(thermal melanism hypothesis),protection against ultraviolet radiation(photoprotection hypothesis),and concealment from predators(crypsis hypothesis).We investigated whether dorsal coloration in 19 populations of spiny-footed lizards,Acanthodactylus erythrurus,across the Iberian Peninsula varies according to these functions.We captured adult males and females in each population and calculated standardized dorsum brightness estimates from photographs.We also calculated standardized ground luminosity estimates and gathered information on latitude,altitude,mean annual temperature,and mean annual solar radiation for each location.Males showed a higher percentage of black coloration and a more contrasted dorsum than females,suggesting different selection pressures on dorsal coloration in both sexes.Furthermore,males showed a darker dorsum and a higher percentage of black coloration at higher altitudes and when the ground was darker.In contrast,females exhibited a darker dorsum only when the ground was darker and a higher percentage of black coloration only at higher altitudes.We also observed that the variation of dorsum luminosity within males and the variation of dorsum luminosity among females within populations were both positively related to the variation of ground luminosity among different points within locations.Latitude,temperature,and solar radiation were not signifcantly related to dorsal coloration in either sex.Our results support the photoprotection and crypsis hypotheses in males and,to some extent,in females,whereas the thermal melanism hypothesis is weakly supported in both sexes.These fndings suggest that there is local adaptation in the dorsal coloration of the spiny-footed lizard.展开更多
文摘A new record of Acanthodactylus cantoris from Sistan and Baluchistan in southeastern Iran is presented in this paper,and this lizard is found occurring in the coastal area of the Persian Gulf from Govater to Chabahar. This species is mainly sympatric with A. blanfordi,and their habits and habitats support their close relationship within the cantoris group. In total,29 specimens of A. cantoris(n = 12) and A. blanfordi(n = 17) were compared morphologically using statistical methods. The occurrence of A. cantoris in Iran has been questioned for a long time by different herpetologists,and the distribution,ecology and taxonomy of this newly recorded species were investigated and provided in this paper. An updated identification key for the species of Acanthodactylus in Iran is given.
基金funded by the European Regional Development Fund(ERDF A way of making Europe)and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science(grant CGL2008-00137/BOS).
文摘Non-signaling functions of coloration include thermoregulation(thermal melanism hypothesis),protection against ultraviolet radiation(photoprotection hypothesis),and concealment from predators(crypsis hypothesis).We investigated whether dorsal coloration in 19 populations of spiny-footed lizards,Acanthodactylus erythrurus,across the Iberian Peninsula varies according to these functions.We captured adult males and females in each population and calculated standardized dorsum brightness estimates from photographs.We also calculated standardized ground luminosity estimates and gathered information on latitude,altitude,mean annual temperature,and mean annual solar radiation for each location.Males showed a higher percentage of black coloration and a more contrasted dorsum than females,suggesting different selection pressures on dorsal coloration in both sexes.Furthermore,males showed a darker dorsum and a higher percentage of black coloration at higher altitudes and when the ground was darker.In contrast,females exhibited a darker dorsum only when the ground was darker and a higher percentage of black coloration only at higher altitudes.We also observed that the variation of dorsum luminosity within males and the variation of dorsum luminosity among females within populations were both positively related to the variation of ground luminosity among different points within locations.Latitude,temperature,and solar radiation were not signifcantly related to dorsal coloration in either sex.Our results support the photoprotection and crypsis hypotheses in males and,to some extent,in females,whereas the thermal melanism hypothesis is weakly supported in both sexes.These fndings suggest that there is local adaptation in the dorsal coloration of the spiny-footed lizard.
