Meeting Abstract
The adaptive radiation of Greater Antillean anoles is characterized by a suite of phenotypes associated with partitioning of vertical habitat. Yet, studies have largely overlooked the role of claw morphology in habitat specialization across the anole radiation. Claws can play an important role in clinging ability, with thicker and more curved claws broadly associated with greater clinging performance in squamates. Using museum collections, we tested if claw shape corresponds with ecomorph classification in Greater Antillean anoles and if character displacement in claw shape is observed on two species islands relative to single species islands in Lesser Antillean anoles. Additionally, we compared patterns of phenotypic integration for toepads and claws across three radiations of anoles: the Greater Antilles, the Northern Lesser Antilles, and the Southern Lesser Antilles. Unlike mainland anoles, arboreality did not predict claw morphology in Greater Antillean species. Rather, we found that claw morphology is associated with perch diameter in Greater Antillean anoles with grass-bush and twig anoles having shorter, thinner, and flatter claws than other ecomorphs. Additionally, we found no evidence for habitat association or character displacement of claws in Lesser Antillean anoles. Taken together our results are consistent with the convergent evolution of claw morphology in response to habitat partitioning in Greater Antillean anoles. However, different evolutionary dynamics appear to be influencing claw evolution in the Greater Antillean radiation compared to the Lesser Antillean and mainland radiations.
