Data from: Differentiation of movement behavior in an adaptively diverging salamander population

Dispersal is considered to be a species-specific trait, but intraspecific
variation can be high. However, when and how this complex trait starts to
differentiate during the divergence of species/lineages is unknown. Here,
we studied the differentiation of movement behavior in a large salamander
(Salamandra salamandra) population, in which individual adaptations to
different habitat conditions drive the genetic divergence of this
population into two subpopulations. In this system, salamanders have
adapted to the deposition and development of their larvae in ephemeral
ponds versus small first order streams. In general, the pond habitat is
characterized as a spatially and temporally highly unpredictable habitat,
while streams provide more stable and predictable conditions for the
development of larvae. We analyzed the fine scale genetic distribution of
larvae, and explored whether the adaptation to different larval habitat
conditions has in turn also affected dispersal strategies and home range
size of adult salamanders. Based on the genetic assignment of adult
individuals to their respective larval habitat type, we show that
pond-adapted salamanders occupied larger home ranges, displayed long
distance dispersal and had a higher variability of movement types than the
stream-adapted individuals. We argue that the differentiation of
phenotypically plastic traits such as dispersal and movement
characteristics can be a crucial component in the course of adaptation to
new habitat conditions, thereby promoting the genetic divergence of
populations.