Data from: Include the females: morphology-performance relationships vary between sexes in lizards

An animal’s morphology influences its ability to perform essential tasks,
such as locomoting to obtain prey or escape predators. While
morphology–performance relationships are well-studied in lizards, most
conclusions have been based only on male study subjects, leaving
unanswered questions about females. Sex-specific differences are important
to understand because females carry the bulk of the physiological demands
of reproduction. Consequently, their health and survival can determine the
fate of the population as a whole. To address this knowledge gap, we
sampled introduced populations of common wall lizards (Podarcis muralis)
in Ohio, USA. We measured a complete suite of limb and body dimensions of
both males and females, and we measured sprint speeds while following
straight and curved paths on different substrates. Using a multivariate
statistical approach, we identified that body dimensions relative to
snout-to-vent length in males were much larger compared with females and
that body dimensions of P. muralis have changed over time in both sexes.
We found that sprint speed along curved paths increased with relative limb
size in both males and females. When following straight paths, male speed
similarly increased as body dimensions increased; conversely, female speed
decreased as body dimensions increased. Female sprint speed was also found
to have less variation than that of males and was less affected by changes
in body size and hindfoot length compared with males. This study thus
provides insights into how selective pressures might shape males and
females differently and the functional implications of sexual dimorphism.