PHYLOGENETIC AND ADAPTIVE VARIATION IN LIZARD FEMORAL GLAND SECRETIONS

The protein compositions of femoral gland secretions from 16 lizard species was compared using polacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Similarities between species were examined both with a reciprocal averaging ordination that grouped species according to secretion similarity, and using trees constructed by the Wagner parsimony method. Closely related species have secretions that are more similar than more distantly related species, although not all of the interspecific variation in secretion chemistry can be explained by phylogeny. Intraspecific variation in the secretions of Iguana and Dipsosaurus dorsalis indicates that femoral gland secretions could be used in individual and sex recognition.