| Title |
Intraspecific competition and high food availability are associated with insular gigantism in a lizard
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
The Science of Nature, June 2009
|
| DOI | 10.1007/s00114-009-0564-3 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Panayiotis Pafilis, Shai Meiri, Johannes Foufopoulos, Efstratios Valakos |
| Abstract |
Resource availability, competition, and predation commonly drive body size evolution. We assess the impact of high food availability and the consequent increased intraspecific competition, as expressed by tail injuries and cannibalism, on body size in Skyros wall lizards (Podarcis gaigeae). Lizard populations on islets surrounding Skyros (Aegean Sea) all have fewer predators and competitors than on Skyros but differ in the numbers of nesting seabirds. We predicted the following: (1) the presence of breeding seabirds (providing nutrients) will increase lizard population densities; (2) dense lizard populations will experience stronger intraspecific competition; and (3) such aggression, will be associated with larger average body size. We found a positive correlation between seabird and lizard densities. Cannibalism and tail injuries were considerably higher in dense populations. Increases in cannibalism and tail loss were associated with large body sizes. Adult cannibalism on juveniles may select for rapid growth, fuelled by high food abundance, setting thus the stage for the evolution of gigantism. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profile of 1 X user who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 157 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 5 | 3% |
| Brazil | 3 | 2% |
| Portugal | 3 | 2% |
| Spain | 3 | 2% |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 1% |
| Australia | 1 | <1% |
| Finland | 1 | <1% |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 138 | 88% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 29 | 18% |
| Student > Master | 29 | 18% |
| Researcher | 22 | 14% |
| Student > Bachelor | 17 | 11% |
| Other | 14 | 9% |
| Other | 28 | 18% |
| Unknown | 18 | 11% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 92 | 59% |
| Environmental Science | 22 | 14% |
| Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 6 | 4% |
| Unspecified | 3 | 2% |
| Social Sciences | 3 | 2% |
| Other | 8 | 5% |
| Unknown | 23 | 15% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 49. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 09 October 2021.
All research outputs
#774,573
of 23,794,258 outputs
Outputs from The Science of Nature
#109
of 2,195 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#2,012
of 116,349 outputs
Outputs of similar age from The Science of Nature
#3
of 17 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,794,258 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 96th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,195 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 13.5. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 95% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 17 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 82% of its contemporaries.