Title: | Variations in chemical sexual signals of Psammodromus algirus lizards along an elevation gradient may reflect altitudinal variation in microclimatic conditions |
Author(s): | Martin J; Javier Zamora-Camacho F; Reguera S; Lopez P; Moreno-Rueda G; |
Address: | "Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain. jose.martin@mncn.csic.es. Departamento de Zoologia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, E-18071, Granada, Spain. Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA. Departamento de Ecologia Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C, Jose Gutierrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain" |
DOI: | 10.1007/s00114-017-1442-z |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1432-1904 (Electronic) 0028-1042 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Chemical signals used in intraspecific communication are expected to evolve or to show phenotipic plasticity to maximize efficacy in the climatic conditions of a given environment. Elevational environmental gradients in mountains provide a good opportunity to test this hypothesis by examining variation in characteristics of signals in species found across different elevations with different climatic conditions. We analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) the lipophilic fraction of the femoral gland secretions of male lizards Psammodromus algirus (Fam. Lacertidae) from six localities located along a 2200 m elevational gradient at Sierra Nevada Mountains (SE Spain). There was elevational clinal variation in climatic variables, number of femoral pores and in the relative proportions of some classes of compounds (i.e., ethyl esters of fatty acids, waxy esters, and aldehydes) but not others. We discuss how this variation would result in different physicochemical properties of the entire femoral secretion, which might help optimize the efficacy of chemical signals under the particular microclimatic conditions at each elevation" |
Keywords: | *Altitude Animals Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Lizards/*physiology Male *Microclimate Sex Attractants/*chemistry Aldehydes Climate Elevational variation Fatty acids Femoral gland secretions Lizards Waxy esters; |
Notes: | "MedlineMartin, Jose Javier Zamora-Camacho, Francisco Reguera, Senda Lopez, Pilar Moreno-Rueda, Gregorio eng Germany 2017/03/03 Naturwissenschaften. 2017 Apr; 104(3-4):16. doi: 10.1007/s00114-017-1442-z. Epub 2017 Mar 1" |