Understanding the role of traits in dispersal is necessary to improve our knowledge of historical biogeography, community assembly processes and predictions of species' future movements. Here we aimed to determine the relationship between three traits (coastal distribution, body size, position on the fast/slow life history continuum) and past dispersal probability on an evolutionary timescale in chameleons (Chamaeleonidae). Using species' distribution data we identified the nine most important biogeographic regions for all included chameleons (181/217 species). We compiled life history trait data and used phylogenetic factor analysis to infer independent body size and fast/slow life history trait axes. Finally, we tested whether traits and trait combinations related to biogeographic dispersal success in the past, using trait-dependent biogeographic models. All three traits were associated with past biogeographical movements. Lineages having coastal distributions and those with large bodies had higher dispersal probabilities. Interestingly, chameleons with either a very fast or very slow life history were more successful dispersers than species with an intermediate strategy. Together, the three traits – coastal, large-bodied and extreme life history – form a dispersal syndrome. Traits have played an important role in the biogeographic history of chameleons. While only fast traits have been linked to present-day invasion success in reptiles, both extremes of the life history spectrum were likely advantageous for dispersal and establishment during past biogeographic movements. Fast-living species may be less susceptible to stochastic extinction in the first phases of a colonization (due to rapid population growth), and slow-living species may be less vulnerable to environmental stochasticity (due to low demographic variability). Our results call for broader analyses testing the general influence of life history strategy in biogeographic dispersal success, which would help explain species distribution patterns on Earth.

中文翻译：

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变色龙生物地理分布与极端生活史策略有关

了解特征在传播中的作用对于提高我们对历史生物地理学、群落组装过程和物种未来运动预测的了解是必要的。在这里，我们旨在确定变色龙（Chamaeleonidae）进化时间尺度上三个特征（沿海分布、体型、快/慢生活史连续体上的位置）与过去扩散概率之间的关系。使用物种分布数据，我们确定了所有包括变色龙（181/217 种）的九个最重要的生物地理区域。我们汇编了生活史特征数据并使用系统发育因子分析来推断独立的体型和快/慢生活史特征轴。最后，我们测试了过去是否与生物地理传播成功相关的性状和性状组合，使用性状依赖的生物地理模型。这三个特征都与过去的生物地理运动有关。沿海分布的血统和体型较大的血统具有较高的分散概率。有趣的是，具有非常快或非常慢生活史的变色龙比具有中间策略的物种更成功地分散。这三个特征——沿海、大体型和极端的生活史——共同形成了一种扩散综合症。性状在变色龙的生物地理历史中发挥了重要作用。虽然只有快速特征与当今爬行动物的入侵成功有关，但生活史谱的两个极端可能有利于过去生物地理运动中的传播和建立。快速生活的物种在殖民化的第一阶段可能不太容易受到随机灭绝的影响（由于人口快速增长），而生活缓慢的物种可能不太容易受到环境随机性的影响（由于人口变异性低）。我们的结果要求进行更广泛的分析，以测试生命史策略对生物地理扩散成功的一般影响，这将有助于解释地球上的物种分布模式。