Alex Slavenko
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View article: Building evolutionary resilience: a framework for managing safe haven populations
Building evolutionary resilience: a framework for managing safe haven populations Open
Safe havens are widely used to mitigate the impacts of invasive predators on threatened species, yet their isolation often disrupts evolutionary processes and can leave them vulnerable to environmental change and stochastic events. We pres…
View article: Lessons learned by addressing challenges to deep-sea conservation planning in the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea: linking science to practice
Lessons learned by addressing challenges to deep-sea conservation planning in the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea: linking science to practice Open
View article: Publisher Correction: Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in tetrapods is driven by varying patterns of sex-specific selection on size
Publisher Correction: Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in tetrapods is driven by varying patterns of sex-specific selection on size Open
View article: Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in tetrapods is driven by varying patterns of sex-specific selection on size
Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in tetrapods is driven by varying patterns of sex-specific selection on size Open
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is highly prevalent in nature. Several hypotheses aim to explain its evolution including sexual selection, differential equilibrium and ecological niche divergence. Disentangling the causal mechanism behind the…
View article: Modelling the spread of a novel endosymbiont infection in field populations of an aphid pest
Modelling the spread of a novel endosymbiont infection in field populations of an aphid pest Open
View article: Gold in the mountains: Striking new species of Papuascincus (Sphenomorphini: Scincidae) from New Guinea
Gold in the mountains: Striking new species of Papuascincus (Sphenomorphini: Scincidae) from New Guinea Open
Skinks are the most diverse component of the reptile fauna in the mountains of New Guinea and many seemingly specialised high-elevation species remain undescribed. Here we describe two spectacular new gold-patterned skinks in the montane-s…
View article: Lessons Learned by Addressing Challenges to Deep-Sea Conservation Planning in the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea: Linking Science to Practice
Lessons Learned by Addressing Challenges to Deep-Sea Conservation Planning in the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea: Linking Science to Practice Open
View article: Diversity gradients of terrestrial vertebrates – substantial variations about a common theme
Diversity gradients of terrestrial vertebrates – substantial variations about a common theme Open
Environmental factors, such as temperature, precipitation, and elevation, explain most of the variation in species richness at the global scale. Nevertheless, richness patterns may have different drivers across taxa and regions. To date, a…
View article: Built for success: Distribution, morphology, ecology and life history of the world's skinks
Built for success: Distribution, morphology, ecology and life history of the world's skinks Open
In animals, the success of particular lineages can be measured in terms of their number of species, the extent of their geographic range, the breadth of their habitats and ecological niches, and the diversity of their morphological and lif…
View article: Oligo-Miocene radiation within South-west Pacific arc terranes underpinned repeated upstream continental dispersals in pigeons (Columbiformes)
Oligo-Miocene radiation within South-west Pacific arc terranes underpinned repeated upstream continental dispersals in pigeons (Columbiformes) Open
Upstream colonizations from islands to continents have played an important role in two major global bird radiations: the oscine passerines and the pigeons. Here, we investigate insular diversification and upstream dispersal dynamics of pig…
View article: Skinks of Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea: an underexplored biodiversity hotspot
Skinks of Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea: an underexplored biodiversity hotspot Open
Context Skinks comprise the dominant component of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna in Oceania, New Guinea, and Eastern Wallacea (ONGEW). However, knowledge of their diversity is incomplete, and their conservation needs are poorly understoo…
View article: Macroecological and biogeographical patterns of limb reduction in the world's skinks
Macroecological and biogeographical patterns of limb reduction in the world's skinks Open
Aim Limb reduction is a dramatic evolutionary transition, yet whether it is achieved in similar trajectories across clades, and its environmental drivers, remain unclear. We investigate the macroevolutionary and biogeographical patterns of…
View article: Oligo-Miocene colonisation and radiation within South-West Pacific arc terranes underpinned repeated upstream continental colonisations in pigeons (Columbiformes).
Oligo-Miocene colonisation and radiation within South-West Pacific arc terranes underpinned repeated upstream continental colonisations in pigeons (Columbiformes). Open
Upstream colonisations from islands to continents have played an important role in the evolution of at least two major global bird radiations – the oscine passerines and the pigeons. Here we investigate the dynamics of insular diversificat…
View article: A database of the morphology, ecology and literature of the world's limb‐reduced skinks
A database of the morphology, ecology and literature of the world's limb‐reduced skinks Open
Aim Limb‐reduced squamates are a convenient model system to investigate macroevolutionary trends in morphology. Here, we provide morphological, ecological and literature data on all known species of limb‐reduced skinks (Scincidae) and thei…
View article: Evolution of diel activity patterns in skinks (Squamata: Scincidae), the world's second‐largest family of terrestrial vertebrates
Evolution of diel activity patterns in skinks (Squamata: Scincidae), the world's second‐largest family of terrestrial vertebrates Open
Many animals have strict diel activity patterns, with unique adaptations for either diurnal or nocturnal activity. Diel activity is phylogenetically conserved, yet evolutionary shifts in diel activity occur and lead to important changes in…
View article: Activity time data.xlsx
Activity time data.xlsx Open
Data on diel activity patterns of skinks, collected from primary literature sources and personal observations in the field. Species are categorised under one of three character states, and references are given to the sources of the data.
View article: Body mass and geographic distribution determined the evolution of the wing flight-feather molt strategy in the Neornithes lineage
Body mass and geographic distribution determined the evolution of the wing flight-feather molt strategy in the Neornithes lineage Open
The evolutionary history of many organisms is characterized by major changes in morphology and distribution. Specifically, alterations of body mass and geographic distribution may profoundly influence organismal life-history traits. Here, …
View article: Conservation status of the world's skinks (Scincidae): Taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk
Conservation status of the world's skinks (Scincidae): Taxonomic and geographic patterns in extinction risk Open
View article: Elevation is a stronger predictor of morphological trait divergence than competition in a radiation of tropical lizards
Elevation is a stronger predictor of morphological trait divergence than competition in a radiation of tropical lizards Open
Adaptations for efficient performance are expected to shape animal morphology based on selection for microhabitat use and ecological forces. The presence of competitor species is predicted to cause niches to contract and enhance trait dive…
View article: To be or not to be tchernovi: a taxonomic revision of the snake genus Micrelaps (Squamata: Serpentes), in Israel
To be or not to be tchernovi: a taxonomic revision of the snake genus Micrelaps (Squamata: Serpentes), in Israel Open
The enigmatic snake genus Micrelaps has uncertain phylogenetic affinities. The type species of the genus, Micrelaps muelleri, inhabits the Southern Levant. Snakes inhabiting the Jordan River Valley just south of the Sea of Galilee have bee…
View article: The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes
The global diversity and distribution of lizard clutch sizes Open
Aim Clutch size is a key life‐history trait. In lizards, it ranges over two orders of magnitude. The global drivers of spatial and phylogenetic variation in clutch have been extensively studied in birds, but such tests in other organisms a…
View article: Competition poorly correlates with morphological niche partitioning in a radiation of tropical lizards
Competition poorly correlates with morphological niche partitioning in a radiation of tropical lizards Open
Morphology is expected to represent species' ecological niches, based on microhabitat and ecological selection pressures dictating morphological adaptations for efficient performance. However, the presence of competitor species is predicte…
View article: Global patterns of body size evolution in squamate reptiles are not driven by climate
Global patterns of body size evolution in squamate reptiles are not driven by climate Open
Aim Variation in body size across animal species underlies most ecological and evolutionary processes shaping local‐ and large‐scale patterns of biodiversity. For well over a century, climatic factors have been regarded as primary sources …
View article: Inconsistent patterns of body size evolution in co‐occurring island reptiles
Inconsistent patterns of body size evolution in co‐occurring island reptiles Open
Aim Animal body sizes are often remarkably variable across islands, but despite much research we still have a poor understanding of both the patterns and the drivers of body size evolution. Theory predicts that interspecific competition an…
View article: Tarentola annularis (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) : a new invasive species in Israel
Tarentola annularis (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae) : a new invasive species in Israel Open
In recent years, unusually large geckos have been sighted in Kibbutz Ein Gedi in the Judean Desert, Israel. These geckos are morphologically different from the local, Sinai fan-fingered gecko (Ptyodactylus guttatus), one of the largest gec…
View article: Home is where the shell is: predicting turtle home range sizes
Home is where the shell is: predicting turtle home range sizes Open
Summary Home range is the area traversed by an animal in its normal activities. The size of home ranges is thought to be tightly linked to body size, through size effect on metabolic requirements. Due to the structure of E ltonian food pyr…