Data from: Correlation of morphology and metabolism of reproductive traits in the genus Phrynocephalus around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

The offspring size-number trade-off is a crucial concept in life-history
theory, offering key insights into animal reproductive strategies. Our
study examines the relationship between reproductive characteristics,
morphological traits, and metabolism in Phrynocephalus lizards across 10
species around the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Reproductive output and
morphological and metabolic differentiations were analyzed using
Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) and phylogenetic ANOVA. The
results show no significant differences in reproductive traits between
oviparous and viviparous species. Snout-vent length and standard metabolic
rate positively correlated with offspring mass, while no correlation was
found with offspring number. The lack of a trade-off between offspring
size and number suggests that larger females invest more in offspring mass
than in offspring number. These were inconsistent with the classic
prediction that females give priority to adjusting the number rather than
the size of their offspring, enabling us to understand the evolution of
the reproductive strategy in reptiles.