Testing the hypothesis that a clade has adaptively radiated: iguanid lizard clades as a case study

The American Naturalist
Jonathan B Losos, Donald B Miles

Abstract

The study of adaptive radiations has played a fundamental role in understanding mechanisms of evolution. A recent resurgence in the study of adaptive radiations highlights a gap in our knowledge about determining whether a clade constitutes adaptive diversification. Specifically, no objective criteria exist to judge whether a clade constitutes an adaptive radiation. Most clades, given enough time, will diversify adaptively to some extent; therefore, we argue that the term "adaptive radiation" should be reserved for those clades that are exceptionally diverse in terms of the range of habitats occupied and attendant morphological adaptations. Making such a definition operational, however, requires a comparative analysis of many clades. Only by comparing clades can one distinguish those that are exceptionally diverse (or nondiverse) from those exhibiting a normal degree of adaptive disparity. We propose such a test, focusing on disparity in the ecological morphology of monophyletic groups within the lizard family Iguanidae. We find that two clades, the Polychrotinae and Phrynosomatinae, are exceptionally diverse and that two others, the Crotaphytinae and Oplurinae, are exceptionally nondiverse. Potential explanations for differenc...Continue Reading

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Citations

May 11, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Kim RoelantsFranky Bossuyt
Feb 7, 2009·Science·Sergey Gavrilets, Jonathan B Losos
Oct 24, 2009·BMC Evolutionary Biology·Michael E AlfaroPeter C Wainwright
Feb 1, 2007·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·David C Collar, Peter C Wainwright
Aug 26, 2014·The Journal of Heredity·Sergey Gavrilets
Jul 12, 2003·The American Naturalist·Laurie J VittKurt Schwenk
Dec 7, 2005·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·David C CollarPeter C Wainwright
Jun 5, 2003·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Simon P BlombergAnthony R Ives
Jun 3, 2006·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·C Tristan Stayton
Mar 11, 2006·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Daniel SolLouis Lefebvre
Dec 7, 2007·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Ryan Calsbeek, Thomas B Smith
May 12, 2010·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Luke J HarmonArne Ø Mooers
Dec 21, 2010·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Katie L SmithJane Melville
Jan 10, 2012·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Liam J RevellBenjamin D Redelings
Sep 17, 2013·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·David C BlackburnRafe M Brown
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Jul 28, 2011·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Christopher H Martin, Peter C Wainwright
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Mar 30, 2010·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·D C CollarJ B Losos
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Aug 9, 2013·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Bert Van Bocxlaer, Gene Hunt
Jan 18, 2011·Systematic Biology·Kevin C RoweCraig Moritz
Dec 28, 2016·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Renan MaestriThales Renato Ochotorena de Freitas

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