Evolutionary and environmental influences on life history traits in Neotropical microteiid lizards

Abstract We examine the life history traits of microteiid lizards (families Alopoglossidae and Gymnophthalmidae), focusing on how environmental variables and female body size influence reproductive traits. We compiled life history data from 34 Neotropical microteiid species. We assess phylogenetic signals and the influence of climatic variables on these traits by employing comparative phylogenetic methods. Our results indicate significant phylogenetic signals in most life history traits, suggesting evolutionary structure within these lizard clades. Clutch size (number of eggs) does not vary within microteiid species such that increasing reproductive investment by increasing clutch size is not an option. We found positive correlations between female body size and egg volume. This finding supports our prediction that lizards with a fixed clutch size will exhibit reproductive compensation by producing larger eggs. Our environmental analyses reveal that less arid conditions favour larger body and egg sizes, while increased precipitation and seasonality positively influence reproductive investment, leading to higher relative clutch mass and larger egg volumes. Conversely, higher mean annual temperatures negatively impact reproductive traits. These findings highlight the adaptive strategies of microteiid lizards in response to diverse and fluctuating environmental conditions, balancing reproductive investment and offspring survival to optimize their success across varying habitats.