PHYLOGENETIC STUDIES OF COADAPTATION: PREFERRED TEMPERATURES VERSUS OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE TEMPERATURES OF LIZARDS

Abstract

The view that behavior and physiological performance are tightly coadapted is a central principle of physiological ecology. Here, we test this principle using a comparative study of evolutionary patterns in thermal preferences and the thermal dependence of sprinting in some Australian skinks (Lygosominae). Thermal preferences (Tp) differ strikingly among genera (range 24° to 35°C), but critical thermal maxima (CTMax) (range 38° to 45°C) and optimal temperatures for sprinting (To, 32° to 35°C) vary less. Diurnal genera have relatively high Tp, To, and CTMax. In contrast, nocturnal genera have low Tp but have moderate to high To and CTMax. Both nonphylogenetic and phylogenetic (minimum‐evolution) approaches suggest that coadaptation is tight only for genera with high Tp. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that low Tp and, thus, partial coadaptation are evolutionarily derived, indicating that low thermal preferences can evolve, even if this results in reduced performance. In one instance, thermal preferences and the thermal dependence of sprinting may have evolved in opposite directions, a phenomenon we call “antagonistic coadaptation.” We speculate on factors driving partial coadaptation and antagonistic coadaptation in these skinks.