Search for: All records

Abstract Variation of form–function relationships within populations is the substrate for adaptation at higher levels. Therefore, assessing similarity in form–function relationships within and between species may help reveal the processes shaping functional diversity. Here, we test such similarity across three levels of anuran phenotypic divergence: within a population, among species in a single family (Hylidae; ~60 myr), and across a much broader sample of all anuran species using a single microhabitat (arboreal; ~120 myr). We expected less interspecific divergence to show higher similarity of form–function relationships with the intraspecific level. We analyzed the relationships between locomotor performance (in both swimming and jumping) and several hindlimb traits across these three evolutionary levels. While we found a positive correlation between swimming and jumping velocity at both intra- and interspecific levels, relationships between performance and body form did not match across levels. We suggest that different strengths of functional constraints or trade-offs may have produced more variation in form–function relationships across species, decoupling them from within-species patterns. We conclude that performance landscapes are likely qualitatively different across the different evolutionary scales, potentially reflecting changes in the relative importance of different behaviors across all arboreal species.