NOVEL METHODS FOR UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTION OF TOEPAD SHAPE AND SIZE IN GECKOS

摘要

Geckos are renowned for their ability to climb vertical and overhanging walls (Irschick et al. 1996). They are also notable for their remarkable variation in toepad shape and size, with different species displaying a wide array of toepad morphologies (Russell 1979; Williams and Peterson 1982). However, this variation has not been fully described (Figure 1), especially in a phylogenetic context, and current statistical methods seem insufficient to describe this variation. We employed new methods borrowed from engineering and mathematics to describe the repeated evolution of certain toepad forms in a large selection of gecko species. These new methods reveal substantial variation among species, and also close links with ecology that suggest that toepad form and habitat use in geckos are closely matched through the role of function.