Meeting Abstract

1.4  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Dynamics of Gecko Evolution HAGEY, T*; HARMON, L; University of Idaho; University of Idaho thagey@vandals.uidaho.edu

Geckos, best known for their sticky feet, can be used to investigate patterns of morphological adaptation and macroevolution. Current phylogenies suggest geckos were one of the earliest Squamates groups to diverge, more than 200 million years ago (Townsend 2004, Vidal and Hedges 2005). Since that time adhesive toe pads have probably evolved multiple times within geckos and sequentially been lost in some groups. Geckos have also invaded many different environmental biomes on nearly every continent. We assessed morphological trends in body shape and toe pad structure across geckos to identify rates and modes of evolution, as well as potential adaptive and non-adaptive radiations within geckos. We also quantified the extent of morphological convergence between distantly related species.