Medical Sciences Commons^™

Habitat As A Source Of Intrapopulational Variation Of Ornament Size In Galápagos Lava Lizards (Microlophus Albemarlensis Complex), Mark Jordan, Jennifer Hollis, Paul Stone, Howard Stone

Mark A. Jordan

Gradients in habitat structure are expected to influence the outcome of selection on traits that contribute to communicative display. Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus albemarlensis complex) on Isla Plaza Sur in the Galápagos Islands occur across a gradient of vegetative cover. Previous work in this population has shown that traits associated with predator avoidance are magnified in habitats with low vegetative cover. This pattern suggests that predation pressure differs by habitat and thus, may act to select against the elaboration of ornamentation. We measured the size of the chin patch, an ornament known to be used in intraspecific signaling, to test …