Allometry and morphological integration shape the chemical detection system in Liolaemus lizards (Squamata, Iguania)

RUIZ MONACHESI, MARIO RICARDO; ABDALA, CRISTIAN SIMÓN; CRUZ, FELIX BENJAMÍN

ZOOLOGISCHER ANZEIGER

ELSEVIER GMBH

Lugar: Berlín; Año: 2022 vol. 299 p. 221 - 233

0044-5231

The chemosensory system in tetrapods consists of glands that emit chemical signalsand specialized organs that capture these signals. Lizards mostly depend on thischemosensory modality and different relationships have been suggested amongcomponents of their chemical detection systems; the vomeronasal organ (VNO),palatal openings (PO) and tongue morphology (TM), as well as epidermal glands andtheir secretions. In this study, we used phylogenetic geometric morphometrics toexamine shape variation in the VNO, PO and TM of 20 species of Liolaemus lizards.First, we tested whether phylogeny, allometry, number of precloacal epidermal glandsor diet type influenced their shape. Second, we tested an integration hypothesisbetween the shapes of the VNO, palatal opening and tongue, as well as, theirassociation with the number of precloacal epidermal glands (PEG). Third, we testedthe relationship between the evolutionary change rates of trait shape. Results showeda moderate phylogenetic effect on shapes and an allometry effect on the shape of PO.The number of precloacal epidermal glands and diet type did not affect the shape ofthese traits. The tongue shape showed significant integration patterns with both theshape of VNO and PO. A faster evolutionary rate change was observed for PEG; VNOand PO showed similar medium rates and TM showed the slowest evolutionary rate.Our results suggest that allometry and different morphological integration patterns mayaffect the chemosensory system in studied species. The integration patterns amongthe shapes of the tongue, the VNO and the PO support the assumed association of thechemical detection system components in Liolaemus lizards.