DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolutionary consequences of behavioral drive and inhibition in a tropical lizard

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Behavior determines how organisms interact with their environment, and has long been posited as a pacemaker for evolutionary diversification. The classical view is that behavior drives evolution by exposing organisms to new selective pressures. Behavior can also restrain evolutionary change. The ?behavioral inhibition? hypothesis suggests that some behaviors, such as thermoregulation, helps organisms maintain a constant selective environment, obviating the need to adapt even in the face of changing environments. This research tests the idea that a single behavior (perch use) can simultaneously impede physiological evolution while impelling morphological evolution in Anolis cybotes. This species is found in different thermal environments, so the researchers expect that it will use behavior to maintain a constant body temperature. The researchers are using a replicated experiment to test this hypothesis, comparing habitat use, physiological, and morphological characteristics of A. cybotes in the Dominican Republic.This research is the first empirical test of the idea that behavior can simultaneously impede and impel evolution in different traits. This study will provide an excellent example of evolution in action. The research will help show that, while natural selection drives evolution, it is behavior that mediates the selective environment. The authors will disseminate the results of this study to popular scientific articles, public lectures, scientific blogs, and museum exhibits. The results of this study will help inform policy makers and conservationists how species can mediate the thermal environment, and use these data in the light of climate change to protect species and their environments.