Lizard colour plasticity tracks background seasonal changes
| Autor: | Pellitteri-Rosa, Daniele, Gazzola, Andrea, Todisco, Simone, Mastropasqua, Fabio, Liuzzi, Cristiano |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
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0106 biological sciences Mediterranean climate Scale (anatomy) genetic structures QH301-705.5 Science Zoology Environment Plasticity 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Predation 03 medical and health sciences Dorsal pigmentation biology.animal Animals Biology (General) Hue 030304 developmental biology 0303 health sciences Phenotypic plasticity biology Pigmentation Lizard Reptiles Lizards biology.organism_classification Adaptation Physiological Colour variation Crypsis Female Season Seasons sense organs General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Research Article Italian wall lizard Ventral scales |
| Zdroj: | Biology Open article-version (VoR) Version of Record Biology Open, Vol 9, Iss 6 (2020) |
| ISSN: | 2046-6390 |
| DOI: | 10.1242/bio.052415 |
| Popis: | Environmental heterogeneity on a spatial and temporal scale fosters an organism's capacity to plastically alter coloration. Predation risk might favour the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in colour patterns, as individuals who change colour throughout the year may be able to improve their fitness. Here we explored the change in dorsal pigmentation of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus campestris) at three time points (March, July, October) during a period of activity in a Mediterranean natural area in southern Italy. Following a preliminary investigation conducted in 2018, during 2019 we captured 135 lizards and took a picture of their ventral scales to check for possible recapture over the sessions. Lizard dorsal pictures were collected in the field with the support of a reference chart to quantitatively estimate chromatic variables (hue, saturation and value). At the same time, pictures of the environmental background were collected. Our findings suggest that lizards are capable of altering dorsal coloration during seasonal change. They vary from green at the onset of spring, to brownish in the middle of summer and to a greyish colour in October. This modification closely followed environmental background colour variation and enhanced lizard crypsis during each season. Summary: Our study shows seasonal variation in lizard dorsal colour as a potential adaptive trait in response to environmental background change, and highlights the importance of collecting colour data throughout the year. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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