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Colour assortative pairing in a colour polymorphic lizard is independent of population morph diversity

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Abstract

Previous work with a colour polymorphic population of Podarcis muralis (Lacertidae) revealed that lizards pair by ventral colour, favouring the same colour (i.e. homomorphic) pairs. Such assortative pairing, which probably results in colour assortative mating, can have consequences for the genetic structure of the population and potentially promote speciation. The population previously studied, located in the Pyrenees, encompasses white, yellow and orange animals, as well as intermediate white–orange and yellow–orange morphs. However, other Pyrenean populations of P. muralis have less ventral colour morphs. Our aim in this study is to test the generality of the assortative colour pairing system, extending our previous analyses to populations with different morph compositions and frequencies. The results show that the assortative pattern of pairing is similar in all the populations analysed and, hence, independent of morph composition and not restricted to pentamorphic populations. This suggests that assortative pairing by colour is a general phenomenon for colour polymorphic populations of P. muralis.

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Acknowledgments

GPL was supported by a post-doctoral grant (SFRH/BPD/94582/2013) from FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal) under the Programa Operacional Potencial Humano—Quadro de Referência Estratégico Nacional funds from the European Social Fund and Portuguese Ministério da Educação e Ciência. The study was supported by FEDER funds through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness Factors—COMPETE and by National Funds through, by the FCT project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-008929 PTDC/BIA-BEC/101256/2008 and by a grant (CGL2011-23751) from the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, No 7. 4485-661 Vairão, Vila do Conde, Portugal

    Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza & Miguel Ángel Carretero

  2. Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, APDO 22085, 46071, València, Spain

    Enrique Font

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  1. Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
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  2. Enrique Font
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  3. Miguel Ángel Carretero
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Correspondence to Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza.

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Communicated by: Sven Thatje

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Pérez i de Lanuza, G., Font, E. & Carretero, M.Á. Colour assortative pairing in a colour polymorphic lizard is independent of population morph diversity. Sci Nat 103, 82 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1407-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1407-7

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