Meeting Abstract

P2.78  Wednesday, Jan. 5  Plasticity in Limb Development in the Green Anole Lizard, Anolis carolinensis DILL, A.K.*; JOHNSON, M.A.; Trinity University; Trinity University adill1@trinity.edu

The relationship between an organism’s morphology and its environment is fundamental to animal ecology. Yet, the development of this relationship within juveniles is rarely studied, and moreover, these traits are often examined in the laboratory. For example, previous research has shown that juvenile Anolis lizards in controlled conditions generally developed longer limbs when raised on broader perches. In this study, we examined juveniles and adults of three subpopulations of Anolis carolinensis, the green anole, to determine whether plasticity in limb morphology can occur when lizards live in natural habitats that vary in the diameter of available perches. We measured the total lengths of the hindlimb and the fourth toe of 167 adults and 41 juveniles in the subpopulations. Results showed that adult females in habitats with mostly broad perches have relatively long limbs, while females in habitats with mostly narrow perches have relatively shorter limbs. Although this pattern was not found in adult males, males differed across the subpopulations in the relative length of the fourth toe. However, juveniles across these subpopulations showed no differences in hindlimb or toe morphology. Taken together, these data indicate that perch diameter influences limb development during the ontogeny of the lizards. Further, associations between locomotor behaviors and adult limb morphology suggest that morphological differences among habitats may result in differing abilities to adeptly maneuver. Phenotypic plasticity in limb morphology may thus increase fitness by providing a means of refining limb growth in response to an individual’s microhabitat.