Meeting Abstract

15.5  Friday, Jan. 4  Interpopulation variation in throat color morphs in an incipiently speciating lizard: From blue to white and back again? BASTIAANS, E*; MARSHALL, J; SITES, J; MORINAGA, G; SINERVO, B; Univ. of California, Santa Cruz; Weber State University; Brigham Young University; Clark University; Univ. of California, Santa Cruz ejbastiaans@gmail.com

Both color polymorphism and alternative reproductive tactics are associated with accelerated rates of speciation in several taxa. We document discrete variation in throat color, an important sexual signal, in the mesquite lizard (Sceloporus grammicus) species complex. Some populations within this complex exhibit orange, yellow, and blue color morphs in males, which are similar to color morphs that are associated with alternative reproductive tactics in related lizard species. However, several other populations of the S. grammicus species complex instead exhibit orange, yellow, and white throat color morphs in males. We previously found both types of color variation to be associated with variation in male aggressiveness, but the effects of blue and white coloration are opposite. Here, we place this interpopulation color variation into a phylogeographic context and discuss how it relates to previous hypotheses regarding speciation processes within the S. grammicus complex.