Intraspecific variation in climate-relevant traits in a tropical rainforest lizard

Aim

The exceptionally rich biodiversity found in tropical rainforest is under threat from anthropogenic climate change. We recognize the threat, yet we have little knowledge of the capacity of tropical species to adjust their climate sensitivity in response to it. One indicator of a species’ capacity to adjust to different climates is the amount of intraspecific variation observed in its climate-relevant traits; if a climate-relevant trait varies, and this variation is correlated with local climates, it suggests the species can adjust the trait to different conditions through either phenotypic plasticity or evolutionary adaptation. Here, we test for intraspecific variation in climate-relevant traits in a rainforest specialist to shed light on the capacity of such species to adjust to different climates.
Location

The Wet Tropics Bioregion, Australia.
Methods

We studied 12 populations of a lizard that is a tropical rainforest specialist, the rainforest sunskink (Lampropholis co...