Data from: Phenotypic diversity facilitates niche partitioning in a sky island assemblage of spiny lizards

If closely-related species should be more similar and, therefore, more
likely to compete for resources, why do we see so many examples of
species-rich congeneric communities in nature? To avoid competition, many
species possess suites of traits associated with differential resource
use—or ecomorphologies—that promote niche differentiation with
co-occurring species. Yet, the axes through which niche partitioning
evolves and the traits involved are still poorly understood in most
systems. Island systems, in which species interactions can form strong
forces of selection due to limited resources, provide valuable insights
into how ecomorphological diversity contributes to coexistence. Here, we
examined axes of resource use and morphological traits that facilitate
niche partitioning in a community of spiny lizards (genus Sceloporus) in a
sky island system, the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. By
quantifying structural, temporal, and thermal niche use for over 300
co-occurring lizards from four species over three field seasons, we show
that sympatric species diverge primarily in perch height and type but also
in thermal and temporal resource use. Our results also demonstrate
interspecific divergence in a suite of phenotypic traits known to
covary with ecology in other lizard radiations, including body size, scale
size, hindlimb length, foot length, and dorsal coloration. Studies of
niche partitioning and ecomorphology, especially of closely-related
species, deepen our understanding of how diverse communities assemble and
how morphological diversity accumulates across the tree of life, and our
findings highlight the importance of examining multiple axes of resource
use to better understand these processes.