How ecological opportunity drives asymmetric phenotypic diversity in the gartersnakes, watersnakes, and allies (Natricidae:Thamnophiini)

Adaptive radiation is a common explanation for asymmetric diversity within taxonomic groups. Adaptive radiation is often initiated by ecological opportunity which promotes rapid evolution as species fill unoccupied niche space. Ecological opportunity via colonization can occur on continents where lineages pass through a geographical/environmental barrier, resulting in accelerated rates of phenotypic evolution. North American Thamnophiini (gartersnakes, watersnakes, brownsnakes, and swampsnakes) are a clade of colubroid snakes that exhibit high levels of ecological variance and a wide variety of diet preferences inhabiting many disparate biomes. Additionally, Thamnophiini represents an asymmetric radiation where 57% of species diversity is represented by the gartersnakes (Thamnophis). Furthermore, the group is geographically unevenly distributed, apart from Storeria storerioides, Thamnophis is the only genus that naturally occurs west of the Western Continental Divide in North America. A..., , , # How ecological opportunity drives asymmetric phenotypic diversity in the gartersnakes, watersnakes, and allies (Natricidae:Thamnophiini)

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc03](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ghx3ffc03)

## Description of the data and file structure

### Files and variables

#### File: All_Thamno_Traits.csv

**Description:** Dataset of trait data for all Thamnophiini taxa.

##### Variables

* Name_in_Tree: Scientific binomial included in the Thamnophiini phylogeny.
* Lifestyle: Habitat categorization for each taxon.
* Diet: Diet categorization for each taxon.
* Clade: Clade categorization for each taxon.
* Side: Geography categorization for each taxon.
* Genus: Genus for each taxon.

#### File: Landmarks_Bilat_Curves.csv

**Description:** Datset of landmarks to be read into downstream geometric morphometrics scripts.

##### Variables

* num: Number across all total landmarks.
* lm: Number split across anatomical landmarks and curve semilandmarks.
* Bone: Bone on whic..., ,