Evolution of adhesive toepads in geckos - locomotor morphology and performance in the genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata)
Evolution, Anthropology
Final Report Abstract
The adhesive toepads of geckos and other lizards are complex morphological structures, facilitating astonishing climbing abilities through friction and adhesion. But toepad evolution is poorly understood, partially due to the scarcity of studies on morphologically intermediate forms. One suggested example of intermediate toepad morphologies are members of the gecko genus Cyrtodactylus, forming a morphological series from pad-less Cyrtodactylus species over intermediate forms towards fully developed toepads in their sister genus Hemidactylus. This series has been proposed based on qualitative assessment of scale shape and internal morphology in selected species. But quantitative, comparative statistical analysis of the locomotor morphology of the whole genus which considers the phylogenetic relationships as well as the ecology of the species in question have not been conducted before. Therefore, I combined different morphological techniques with phylogenetic and ecological data to reconstruct the evolution of adhesive toepads and to understand the involved ecological drivers. I found that different parts of the locomotor system differentially evolved in correlation with habitat use in Cyrtodactylus. Incipiently expressed toepads have evolved at least two times independently in lineages shifting to an arboreal (tree-dwelling) habit. Other arboreal and rock-dwelling lineages also evolved incipiently expressed toepads, but their incipient morphology is closer to the ancestral pad-less digit configuration compared to the previously mentioned lineages.
Publications
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Ecomorphology of the locomotor apparatus of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata). - Abstract of oral presentation, 21st SEH European Congress of Herpetology, Belgrade/Serbia, September 5 – 9, 2022; Program and Book of Abstracts, p. 35.
Riedel, J., Higham, T., Grismer, L., Russell, A., Reinhold, K. & Rödder, D.
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Variation in claw morphology among the digits of Bent-toed geckos (Cyrtodactylus: Gekkota: Gekkonidae). BMC Zoology, 8(1).
Riedel, Jendrian; Klemm, Melinda; Higham, Timothy; Grismer, L. Lee; Ziegler, Thomas; Russell, Anthony; Rödder, Dennis & Reinhold, Klaus
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Data from: Ecologically-related variation of digit morphology in Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata) reveals repeated origins of incipient adhesive toepads. [OA]
Riedel, J., Eisele, K., Gabelaia, M., Higham, T.E., Wu, J., Do, Q.H., Nguyen, T.Q., Meneses, C.G., Brown, R.M., Ziegler, T., Grismer, L.L., Russell, A.P. & Rödder, D.
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Ecologically‐related variation of digit morphology in Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata) reveals repeated origins of incipient adhesive toepads. Functional Ecology, 38(7), 1630-1648.
Riedel, Jendrian; Eisele, Katrin; Gabelaia, Mariam; Higham, Timothy E.; Wu, Joseph; Do, Quyen Hanh; Nguyen, Truong Quang; Meneses, Camila G.; Brown, Rafe M.; Ziegler, Thomas; Grismer, L. Lee; Russell, Anthony P. & Rödder, Dennis
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Ecomorphology of the Locomotor Apparatus in the Genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkota, Squamata). Evolutionary Biology, 51(1), 106-123.
Riedel, Jendrian; Grismer, L. Lee; Higham, Timothy; Wu, Joseph; Do, Quyen Hanh; Nguyen, Truong Quang; Meneses, Camila G.; Brown, Rafe M.; Campbell, Patrick D.; Ziegler, Thomas; Russell, Anthony P. & Rödder, Dennis
