Evolutionarily conserved thermal biology across continents: The North American lizard Plestiodon gilberti (Scincidae) compared to Asian Plestiodon
Document Type
Article
Department
Biology (HMC)
Publication Date
7-2008
Abstract
- 1. The lizard genus
Plestiodon
- (Scincidae; formerly
Eumeces
- ) is widespread in North America and Asia, but the thermal biology of only a few species has been studied.
2. We measured several thermal physiological traits in Plestiodon gilberti, among the few measurements of temperature sensitivity in a North American scincid lizard.
3. Critical thermal minimum (7.7 °C) and maximum (42.3 °C), preferred body temperature (31.5 °C), and optimal temperature for sprinting (34.1 °C) were very similar to published values for several Asian species of Plestiodon.
4. These results suggest that thermal physiology in Plestiodon lizards may be evolutionarily conserved over large temporal and spatial scales.
Rights Information
Copyright © 2008 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Mina K. Youssef, Stephen C. Adolph, Jonathan Q. Richmond, Evolutionarily conserved thermal biology across continents: The North American lizard Plestiodon gilberti (Scincidae) compared to Asian Plestiodon, Journal of Thermal Biology, Volume 33, Issue 5, July 2008, Pages 308-312, ISSN 0306-4565, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2008.02.007. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306456508000399)
