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J Chem Ecol

Title:		Chemically mediated species recognition in closely related Podarcis wall lizards
Author(s):		Barbosa D; Font E; Desfilis E; Carretero MA;
Address:		"Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biologia Evolutiva, Universidad de Valencia, Spain. diana.caravalho@uv.es"
Journal Title:		J Chem Ecol
Year:		2006
Volume:		20060523
Issue:		7
Page Number:		1587 - 1598
DOI:		10.1007/s10886-006-9072-5
ISSN/ISBN:		0098-0331 (Print) 0098-0331 (Linking)
Abstract:		"In many animals, chemical signals play an important role in species recognition and may contribute to reproductive isolation and speciation. The Iberian lizards of the genus Podarcis, with up to nine currently recognized lineages that are often sympatric, are highly chemosensory and provide an excellent model for the study of chemically mediated species recognition in closely related taxa. In this study, we tested the ability of male and female lizards of two sister species with widely overlapping distribution ranges (Podarcis bocagei and P. hispanica type 1) to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific mates by using only substrate-borne chemical cues. We scored the number of tongue flicks directed at the paper substrate by each individual in a terrarium previously occupied by a conspecific or a heterospecific lizard of the opposite sex. Results show that males of P. bocagei and P. hispanica type 1 are capable of discriminating chemically between conspecifics and heterospecifics of the opposite sex, but females are not. These results suggest that differences in female, but not male, chemical cues may underlie species recognition and contribute to reproductive isolation in these species. The apparent inability of females to discriminate conspecific from heterospecific males, which is not because of reduced baseline exploration rates, is discussed in the context of sexual selection theory and species discrimination"
Keywords:		*Animal Communication Animals Female Lizards/*physiology Male Sex Attractants/*chemistry/physiology Species Specificity;
Notes:		"MedlineBarbosa, Diana Font, Enrique Desfilis, Ester Carretero, Miguel A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2006/05/24 J Chem Ecol. 2006 Jul; 32(7):1587-98. doi: 10.1007/s10886-006-9072-5. Epub 2006 May 23"