Meeting Abstract

131-5  Sunday, Jan. 7 11:15 – 11:30  Variation and evolutionary dynamics of squamate metabolism. WATSON, CM*; BURGGREN, WW; WOLINSKI, CJ; COX, CL; Midwestern State University; University of North Texas; Midwestern State University; Georgia Southern University charles.watson@mwsu.edu

A complex set of relationships exists between animal body size, body temperature, and metabolism. Metabolic rates (VO₂) at different temperatures and associated temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) are well documented among squamate reptiles, providing an opportunity to study how metabolism, as a physiological trait, evolves over time and across taxa. Using a dataset of 300+ species, we investigated how metabolism scales with temperature and body size in a phylogenetic context. A significant phylogenetic signal across or within lower taxonomic suggests that metabolism is a conserved trait, while no signal and high variation indicates metabolic plasticity. These data provide an updated and comprehensive review of squamate metabolic rate, allometric relationships of metabolism to temperature and body size, and addresses the phylogenetic constrains on metabolism both across and among taxonomic groups.