Ecologically diverse island-associated lizard radiation shows idiosyncratic trait diversification shifts and homogenous speciation dynamics

A key area of interest in evolutionary biology has been understanding the role of ecological opportunity in the formation of adaptive radiations, lineages where speciation and phenotypic diversification are driven by open ecological opportunity. Evolutionary theory posits that adaptive radiations should show initial bursts of ecomorphological diversification and rapid speciation, and that these two processes are correlated. Here, we investigate and contrast these predictions across ecomorphologically diverse continental (Australia) and insular (New Caledonia and New Zealand) radiations of diplodactyloid geckos. We test two key hypotheses: (a) that island colonization and the transition to novel niche-space has resulted in increased rates of speciation and trait diversification and (b) that rates of morphological diversification are correlated across multiple trait axes. Surprisingly, we find that speciation rate is homogenous and morphological diversification rates are idiosyncratic and uncorrelated with speciation rates. Tests of morphological integration suggests that while all traits coevolve, constraint may act differentially on individual axes. This accords with a growing number of studies indicating that ecologically diverse and species-rich radiations can show limited or no evidence of exceptional regime shifts in speciation dynamics or morphological diversification, especially in continental contexts.

Automated summary

A key area of interest in evolutionary biology is the role of ecological opportunity in adaptive radiations. This study investigates ecomorphologically diverse radiations of geckos in continental and insular contexts to test two hypotheses. Surprisingly, the results show that speciation rates are homogenous while morphological diversification rates are idiosyncratic and uncorrelated with speciation rates. This study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests ecologically diverse radiations may not exhibit exceptional shifts in speciation dynamics or morphological diversification.