Vertebrate Community Responses to Livestock Grazing in an Ancient Mediterranean Rangeland System: Rethinking the Role of Grazing in a Biodiversity Hotspot.

Mediterranean ecosystems have been grazed by livestock for thousands of years. While considered both a major anthropogenic stressor and a potential habitat conservation tool, the effects of livestock grazing on vertebrate populations remain poorly understood. Our study focused on goat and sheep grazing on a large island off the coast of Greece in order to shed light on (1) the nature of the relationship between livestock grazing and vertebrate assemblages, and (2) the mediating mechanisms.

Conspecific presence affects foraging decisions of insular and mainland Aegean wall lizards (Podarcis erhardii).

Conspecifics often constitute a valuable source of information. For instance, animals are often attracted to a foraging site by the presence of conspecifics, a phenomenon known as 'local enhancement'. Theory predicts that animals should engage in local enhancement only when associated benefits (efficient resource detection) outweigh the costs (increased interference competition), a trade off that depends on environmental context.

The genome sequence of Erhard's wall lizard, (Bedriaga, 1882).

We present a genome assembly from a female specimen of (Erhard's wall lizard; Chordata; Lepidosauria; Squamata; Lacertidae). The assembly contains two haplotypes with total lengths of 1,495.98 megabases and 1,477.

Surviving on a Rock, but for How Long? Deviations in the Thermoregulatory Strategy of the Milos Wall Lizard ().

Reptiles are unable to generate metabolic heat and regulate body temperature behaviorally depending on environmental conditions. The thermal quality of their habitat is therefore of pivotal importance for their survival. Lizards render themselves as ideal ectothermic models, and their thermal biology has been extensively studied.

Predation Risk, and Not Shelter or Food Availability, as the Main Determinant of Reproduction Investment in Island Lizards.

Reproductive investment, including the number of offspring produced, is one of the fundamental characteristics of a species. It is particularly important for island vertebrates, which face a disproportionate number of threats to their survival, because it predicts, among other things, a species' resilience to environmental disruption. Taxa producing more offspring recover more quickly from environmental perturbations and survive environmental change better.

Seasonal Variation in the Thermoregulation Pattern of an Insular Agamid Lizard.

Ectotherms, including lizards, rely on behavioral thermoregulation to maintain their body temperature within an optimal range. The benign climate of islands is expected to favor the thermoregulation efficiency of reptiles throughout their activity period. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation in thermoregulation in an insular population of the roughtail rock agama () on Naxos Island, Greece.

The Evolution of Diet and Morphology in Insular Lizards: Insights from a Replicated Island Introduction Experiment.

Resource-limited environments may drive the rapid evolution of phenotypic traits and ecological preferences optimizing the exploitation of resources. Very small islands are often characterized by reduced food availability, seasonal fluctuations in resources and strong unpredictability. These features may drive the evolution of phenotypic traits such as high bite forces, allowing animals to exploit a wider variety of the available resources.

Small Island Effects on the Thermal Biology of the Endemic Mediterranean Lizard .

Ectotherms are vastly affected by climatic conditions as they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature, and changes in their habitat thermal quality could seriously affect their overall biology. To overcome the problems of a thermally unfavorable habitat, lizards need to either adjust their thermoregulatory behavior or respond to directional selection and shift their preferred body temperatures. To assess the impact of habitat thermal quality on the thermoregulatory profile, we studied multiple islet and 'mainland' populations of the Skyros wall lizard , an endemic lacertid to Skyros Archipelago, Greece.

Some like it hotter: Differential thermal preferences among lizard color morphs.

Temperature rules the lives of ectotherms. To perform basic biological functions, ectotherms must make behavioral adjustments to keep their body temperatures near a preferred temperature (Tpref). Many color polymorphic lizards are active thermoregulators and exhibit morph differences in traits related to thermoregulation, such as color, body size, and microhabitat use.

Population Genomics of Wall Lizards Reflects the Dynamic History of the Mediterranean Basin.

The Mediterranean Basin has experienced extensive change in geology and climate over the past six million years. Yet, the relative importance of key geological events for the distribution and genetic structure of the Mediterranean fauna remains poorly understood. Here, we use population genomic and phylogenomic analyses to establish the evolutionary history and genetic structure of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis).

Specialist versus Generalist at the Intraspecific Level: Functional Morphology and Substrate Preference of Mediodactylus kotschyi Geckos.

Populations of the same species occupying different microhabitats can either exhibit generalized traits across them or display intraspecific variability, adapting to each microhabitat in order to maximize performance. Intraspecific variability contributes to the generation of diversity, following selection and adaptation, and understanding such variability is important for comprehending how individuals choose their microhabitats. Compared with interspecific variability, however, intraspecific variability in functional morphology and its relationship with microhabitat preference and use have been relatively little studied.

Tail regeneration alters the digestive performance of lizards.

Tissue regeneration is a fundamental evolutionary adaptation, which is well known in lizards that can regenerate their entire tail. However, numerous parameters of this process remain poorly understood. Lizard tail serves many functions.

Landscape Connectivity Limits the Predicted Impact of Fungal Pathogen Invasion.

Infectious diseases are major drivers of biodiversity loss. The risk of fungal diseases to the survival of threatened animals in nature is determined by a complex interplay between host, pathogen and environment. We here predict the risk of invasion of populations of threatened Mediterranean salamanders of the genus by the pathogenic chytrid fungus by combining field sampling and lab trials.

Evolutionary Variability of W-Linked Repetitive Content in Lacertid Lizards.

Lacertid lizards are a widely radiated group of squamate reptiles with long-term stable ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes. Despite their family-wide homology of Z-specific gene content, previous cytogenetic studies revealed significant variability in the size, morphology, and heterochromatin distribution of their W chromosome. However, there is little evidence about the accumulation and distribution of repetitive content on lacertid chromosomes, especially on their W chromosome.

Environmental temperatures shape thermal physiology as well as diversification and genome-wide substitution rates in lizards.

Climatic conditions changing over time and space shape the evolution of organisms at multiple levels, including temperate lizards in the family Lacertidae. Here we reconstruct a dated phylogenetic tree of 262 lacertid species based on a supermatrix relying on novel phylogenomic datasets and fossil calibrations. Diversification of lacertids was accompanied by an increasing disparity among occupied bioclimatic niches, especially in the last 10 Ma, during a period of progressive global cooling.

Promoting evolution: the brand new .

Herein we present the recently founded Hellenic Evolutionary Society (HEVOS) that has been recently instituted to promote evolution and scientific thinking among the Greek-speaking public. HEVOS is a timely initiative, given the low levels of acceptance of evolution by Greek society and the almost complete lack of evolution teaching in primary and secondary education in Greece. Herein, the main aims of the Society are presented.

Habitat shapes the thermoregulation of Mediterranean lizards introduced to replicate experimental islets.

Both environmental temperatures and spatial heterogeneity can profoundly affect the biology of ectotherms. In lizards, thermoregulation may show high plasticity and may respond to environmental shifts. In the context of global climate change, lizards showing plastic thermoregulatory responses may be favored.

Partitioning thermal habitat on a vertical rock, a herculean task.

Species occurring in sympatry have to effectively segregate their niche in order to co-exist. In the case of ectotherms in particular, the very important parameter of thermal biology has to be taken into account. Here we investigated the thermoregulatory effectiveness (E) of two endemic Greek lizards (Hellenolacerta graeca and Podarcis peloponnesiacus) that live syntopically on a rocky cliff in the Peloponnese.

Living in sympatry: The effect of habitat partitioning on the thermoregulation of three Mediterranean lizards.

The ability for effective, accurate and precise thermoregulation is of paramount importance for ectotherms. Sympatric lizards often partition their niche and select different microhabitats. These microhabitats, however, usually differ in their thermal conditions and lizards have to adapt their thermoregulation behavior accordingly.

Tail regeneration affects the digestive performance of a Mediterranean lizard.

In caudal autotomy, lizards shed their tail to escape from an attacking predator. Since the tail serves multiple functions, caudal regeneration is of pivotal importance. However, it is a demanding procedure that requires substantial energy and nutrients.