Halliwell et al_NatComms_2017.pdf (1.15 MB)
Live bearing promotes the evolution of sociality in reptiles
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-19, 14:09 authored by Benjamin HalliwellBenjamin Halliwell, Uller, T, Barbara HollandBarbara Holland, Geoffrey WhileGeoffrey WhileIdentifying factors responsible for the emergence and evolution of social complexity is an outstanding challenge in evolutionary biology. Here we report results from a phylogenetic comparative analysis of over 1000 species of squamate reptile, nearly 100 of which exhibit facultative forms of group living, including prolonged parent–offspring associations. We show that the evolution of social groupings among adults and juveniles is overwhelmingly preceded by the evolution of live birth across multiple independent origins of both traits. Furthermore, the results suggest that live bearing has facilitated the emergence of social groups that remain stable across years, similar to forms of sociality observed in other vertebrates. These results suggest that live bearing has been a fundamentally important precursor in the evolutionary origins of group living in the squamates.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Nature CommunicationsVolume
8Article number
2030Number
2030Pagination
1-8ISSN
2041-1723Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Nature publishing groupPlace of publication
United KingdomRights statement
Copyright 2017 The Authors. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Repository Status
- Open