On the other hand: shape variation in the autopodia of Tropidurus lizards living in human-modified environments

The persistence of biota in the Anthropocene may be related to the ability of specific lineages to survive in highly modified habitats. Although urbanization often leads to habitat loss and abrupt changes in environmental conditions, some lizards seem to prosper in urban areas due to functional and morphological modifications that can be interpreted as adaptations or exaptations to urban life. Here we use a lineage of Tropidurus lizards commonly found in urban areas to evaluate if morphological variation is associated with habitat modification by human activity. We tested if T. torquatus exhibits distinct phenotypic patterns along its wide geographical distribution and tested the hypothesis that morphological diversity is more strongly associated with habitat modification by humans than with the set of environmental conditions related to the biomes it inhabits (i.e. Atlantic rainforest or Cerrados in Brazil). We identified that autopodia variation is correlated with the intensity of anthropic habitat change, suggesting that fast rates of habitat modification can influence ecological and evolutionary processes in these animals.