Is increased maternal basking an adaptation or a pre‐adaptation to viviparity in lizards?

摘要: Pregnant females modify their thermoregulatory behaviour in many species of viviparous (live-bearing) reptiles, typically maintaining higher and more stable body temperatures at this time. Such modifications often have been interpreted as adaptations to viviparity, functioning accelerate embryonic development and/or phenotypic traits hatchlings. An alternative possibility is that similar maternal thermophily may be widespread also oviparous if so, would a pre-adaptation (rather than an adaptation) viviparity. Because eggs are retained utero for significant proportion even might confer advantages taxa. Experimental trials on montane scincid lizards (Bassiana duperreyi) support the hypothesis. First, captive (both reproductive non-reproductive) selected males. Second, experimentally imposing thermal regimes pregnant significantly affected oviposition dates (body shape, running speed) Thus, other behavioural correlates pregnancy likely already present ancestral taxa gave rise present-day forms.