Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau
ABSTRACT The trade‐off between offspring size and number is a crucial concept in life‐history theory, offering key insights into animal reproductive strategies. Our study examines the relationship between reproductive characteristics, morphological traits, and metabolism in a total of 290 female Phr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72029 |
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| author | Xiaqiu Tao Fan Xie Lin Zhu Qiannian Wu |
| author_facet | Xiaqiu Tao Fan Xie Lin Zhu Qiannian Wu |
| author_sort | Xiaqiu Tao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT The trade‐off between offspring size and number is a crucial concept in life‐history theory, offering key insights into animal reproductive strategies. Our study examines the relationship between reproductive characteristics, morphological traits, and metabolism in a total of 290 female Phrynocephalus lizards across 10 species. Reproductive, morphological, and metabolic traits were compared by analyzing Phrynocephalus lizard species with viviparous and oviparous reproductive modes. The results show no significant differences in reproductive traits between oviparous (6) and viviparous (4) species. Snout‐vent length and standard metabolic rate positively correlated with offspring mass, while no correlation was found with offspring number. The lack of a trade‐off between offspring size and number indicates that larger females invest more in offspring mass rather than offspring number. These results, at least in this genus, were inconsistent with the classic prediction that females give priority to adjusting the number rather than the size of their offspring, enabling us to understand the evolution of the reproductive strategy in reptiles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fbba2bad56aa49f29e13c4abb395c148 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-fbba2bad56aa49f29e13c4abb395c1482025-08-26T03:41:54ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-08-01158n/an/a10.1002/ece3.72029Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan PlateauXiaqiu Tao0Fan Xie1Lin Zhu2Qiannian Wu3Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences Nanjing Normal University Nanjing ChinaABSTRACT The trade‐off between offspring size and number is a crucial concept in life‐history theory, offering key insights into animal reproductive strategies. Our study examines the relationship between reproductive characteristics, morphological traits, and metabolism in a total of 290 female Phrynocephalus lizards across 10 species. Reproductive, morphological, and metabolic traits were compared by analyzing Phrynocephalus lizard species with viviparous and oviparous reproductive modes. The results show no significant differences in reproductive traits between oviparous (6) and viviparous (4) species. Snout‐vent length and standard metabolic rate positively correlated with offspring mass, while no correlation was found with offspring number. The lack of a trade‐off between offspring size and number indicates that larger females invest more in offspring mass rather than offspring number. These results, at least in this genus, were inconsistent with the classic prediction that females give priority to adjusting the number rather than the size of their offspring, enabling us to understand the evolution of the reproductive strategy in reptiles.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72029morphological traitoffspring massreproductive outputsize‐number trade‐offstandard metabolic rate |
| spellingShingle | Xiaqiu Tao Fan Xie Lin Zhu Qiannian Wu Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau Ecology and Evolution morphological trait offspring mass reproductive output size‐number trade‐off standard metabolic rate |
| title | Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Correlation of Morphology and Metabolism of Reproductive Traits in the Genus Phrynocephalus Around the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | correlation of morphology and metabolism of reproductive traits in the genus phrynocephalus around the qinghai tibetan plateau |
| topic | morphological trait offspring mass reproductive output size‐number trade‐off standard metabolic rate |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.72029 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiaqiutao correlationofmorphologyandmetabolismofreproductivetraitsinthegenusphrynocephalusaroundtheqinghaitibetanplateau AT fanxie correlationofmorphologyandmetabolismofreproductivetraitsinthegenusphrynocephalusaroundtheqinghaitibetanplateau AT linzhu correlationofmorphologyandmetabolismofreproductivetraitsinthegenusphrynocephalusaroundtheqinghaitibetanplateau AT qiannianwu correlationofmorphologyandmetabolismofreproductivetraitsinthegenusphrynocephalusaroundtheqinghaitibetanplateau |