Microgeographic diversity does not drive macroevolutionary divergence in bite force of the Ibiza wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis

Despite extensive research on microgeographic phenotypic variation, this study reveals that such diversity does not necessarily translate into macroevolutionary divergence. Using the Ibiza wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis, as a model, researchers analyzed bite force and morphology across 11 populations with varying degrees of evolutionary isolation. Surprisingly, the two major clades of P. pityusensis, isolated for over 100,000 years, showed negligible phenotypic differences in bite force, contradicting expectations. The study also found that environmental selective pressures drive form-function evolution differently by sex: natural selection is more influential on females, while males exhibit both natural and sexual selection influences. This research highlights the complexity of form-function-environment relationships, demonstrating how convergence at greater evolutionary scales can obscure microevolutionary diversity.

Woodgate, S. C., Pérez-Cembranos, A., Pérez-Mellado, V., & Müller, J. (2025). Microgeographic diversity does not drive macroevolutionary divergence in bite force of the Ibiza wall lizard, Podarcis pityusensis. Evolution, 79(10), 2144–2155. https://doi.org/10.1093/evolut/qpaf140