Digest: Phylogenetic comparative methods identify traits associated with urbanization tolerance in Anolis*

Abstract

Humans have, and continue to, dramatically influence the life history of many taxa. Identification of traits that allow taxa to tolerate humans and urban environments is important for informed conservation policy. Winchell et al. (2020) uses a phylogenetic comparative framework to identify such traits in the Caribbean clade of Anolis lizards. They provide an example of how to use disparate data sources to develop probabilities about species’ traits that can be used in phylogenetic analyses.