Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>)
Variation of the meristic characteristics of pholidosis in the sand lizard, <i>Lacerta agilis</i>, was studied both in laboratory experiments and in natural populations. The total phenotypic variability was assessed by the variation of the sum of the number of scales on the left and on t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Symmetry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/11/2426 |
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| author | Vladimir M. Zakharov Nadezhda P. Zhdanova Ilya E. Trofimov |
| author_facet | Vladimir M. Zakharov Nadezhda P. Zhdanova Ilya E. Trofimov |
| author_sort | Vladimir M. Zakharov |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Variation of the meristic characteristics of pholidosis in the sand lizard, <i>Lacerta agilis</i>, was studied both in laboratory experiments and in natural populations. The total phenotypic variability was assessed by the variation of the sum of the number of scales on the left and on the right sides of the body (l + r), while the measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry, or developmental variability, was assessed by the variation of the difference in the character values on the left and on the right (l − r). Experimental incubation of eggs at different temperatures demonstrates that the minimal level of both kinds of variability corresponds to a certain temperature, which can be characterized as an optimal one, increasing both with an increase and with a decrease in the temperature from this regime. The data demonstrate the crucial role of the temperature impact for the phenotypic variation under study. An increase in the level of developmental variability to the north and to the south from the center part of the species range, in the absence of an obvious trend in geographic variation of the level of total phenotypic variability, assumes an increase in the role of developmental variability in the observed phenotypic diversity at the periphery of the species range. The results obtained indicate the importance of a population phenogenetic approach, based on the developmental stability study in natural populations, to provide certain information supposing the possible nature of phenotypic diversity in a species range. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:56:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0c8cd652a2cd47fda20b40db8d65256a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-8994 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:56:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Symmetry |
| spelling | doaj.art-0c8cd652a2cd47fda20b40db8d65256a2023-11-24T10:13:51ZengMDPI AGSymmetry2073-89942022-11-011411242610.3390/sym14112426Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>)Vladimir M. Zakharov0Nadezhda P. Zhdanova1Ilya E. Trofimov2Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, RussiaKoltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, RussiaKoltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, RussiaVariation of the meristic characteristics of pholidosis in the sand lizard, <i>Lacerta agilis</i>, was studied both in laboratory experiments and in natural populations. The total phenotypic variability was assessed by the variation of the sum of the number of scales on the left and on the right sides of the body (l + r), while the measure of developmental stability, providing insight into the degree of fluctuating asymmetry, or developmental variability, was assessed by the variation of the difference in the character values on the left and on the right (l − r). Experimental incubation of eggs at different temperatures demonstrates that the minimal level of both kinds of variability corresponds to a certain temperature, which can be characterized as an optimal one, increasing both with an increase and with a decrease in the temperature from this regime. The data demonstrate the crucial role of the temperature impact for the phenotypic variation under study. An increase in the level of developmental variability to the north and to the south from the center part of the species range, in the absence of an obvious trend in geographic variation of the level of total phenotypic variability, assumes an increase in the role of developmental variability in the observed phenotypic diversity at the periphery of the species range. The results obtained indicate the importance of a population phenogenetic approach, based on the developmental stability study in natural populations, to provide certain information supposing the possible nature of phenotypic diversity in a species range.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/11/2426developmental variabilityfluctuating asymmetrypopulation phenogenetics |
| spellingShingle | Vladimir M. Zakharov Nadezhda P. Zhdanova Ilya E. Trofimov Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) Symmetry developmental variability fluctuating asymmetry population phenogenetics |
| title | Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) |
| title_full | Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) |
| title_short | Phenotypic Variation in a Species Range: Another Look (Developmental Stability Study of the Meristic Variation in the Sand Lizard <i>Lacerta agilis</i>) |
| title_sort | phenotypic variation in a species range another look developmental stability study of the meristic variation in the sand lizard i lacerta agilis i |
| topic | developmental variability fluctuating asymmetry population phenogenetics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/14/11/2426 |
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