The Evolution of Lizard Chemical Signals Across Time, Space, and Contexts
(2026) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 16 — ISBN: [978-3-032-30751-4], 65-85, published
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- Abstract
- Research on the evolution and diversity of animal signals has long been dominated by studies of visual and acoustic modalities, leaving chemical communication comparatively overlooked. Moreover, within the existing chemical signaling literature, research has been strongly skewed toward invertebrates-leaving chemical signaling in vertebrates, especially nonmammalian groups, relatively underex-plored. In this chapter, I argue that lizards represent a particularly promising group for advancing our understanding of chemical signal evolution in vertebrates. I highlight major macro-evolutionary advances over the past decade, during which large-scale phylogenetic comparative studies have begun to uncover how ecological, social, and phylogenetic factors shape chemical signal diversity across lizard species. In contrast, micro-evolutionary research-investigating how chemical signals evolve within species across space and time-is lagging behind, not just in lizards, but across vertebrates more broadly. Encouragingly, recent longitudinal and experimental studies are beginning to demonstrate the power of this approach. I also draw attention to the largely untapped potential of studying chemical communication under major anthropogenic perturbations, which are increasingly exploited in evolutionary research but remain rarely applied to chemical signaling systems. These coming years are especially promising for scholars seeking to connect macro-evolutionary patterns with fine-scale, contemporary evolutionary processes-a critical next step in understanding the evolution of vertebrate chemical signaling.
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Citations
Baeckens, S. (2026). The Evolution of Lizard Chemical Signals Across Time, Space, and Contexts. In Lisa M. Schulte, (ed.), Chemical Signals in Vertebrates 16 (pp. 65-85). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-30752-1_4