1. Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece</br>
2. Museum of Zoology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece
Prof. Efstratios D. Valakos
1. Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece</br>
2. Museum of Zoology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784 Athens, Greece
Patterns of spatial variation in discrete phenotypic traits can be used to draw inferences about the adaptive significance of traits and evolutionary processes, especially when compared to patterns of neutral genetic variation. Population divergence in adaptive traits such as color morphs can be influenced by both local ecology and stochastic factors such as genetic drift or founder events. Here, we use quantitative color measurements of males and females of Skyros wall lizard, Podarcis gaigeae, to demonstrate that this species is polymorphic with respect to throat color, and the morphs form discrete phenotypic clusters with limited overlap between categories. We use divergence in throat color morph frequencies and compare that to neutral genetic variation to infer the evolutionary processes acting on islet- and mainland populations.
30 April 2014 in Biological Journal of the Linnean Society