Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34161384›Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Status of the largest extant population of the critically endangered Aeolian lizard Podarcis raffonei (Capo Grosso, Vulcano island).

Gentile Francesco Ficetola, Iolanda Silva-Rocha, Miguel A Carretero, Leonardo Vignoli, Roberto Sacchi, Andrea Melotto, Stefano Scali, Daniele Salvi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Gentile Francesco FicetolaDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Iolanda Silva-RochaCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal.
Miguel A CarreteroCIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, InBio Laboratório Associado, Vairão, Portugal.
Leonardo VignoliDipartimento di Scienze, Università Roma Tre, Rome, Italy.
Roberto SacchiDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.
Andrea MelottoCentre of Excellence for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa.
Stefano ScaliMuseo di Storia Naturale di Milano, Milano, Italy.
Daniele SalviDepartment of Health, Life and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio, L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3804-2690

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The Aeolian wall lizard Podarcis raffonei is an island endemic that survives only on three tiny islets, and on the Capo Grosso peninsula of the Vulcano island, thus is among the European vertebrates with the smallest range and one of the most threatened by extinction. This species is declining due to competition and hybridization with the non-native lizard Podarcis siculus, but a regular monitoring program is lacking. Here we assessed the size and status of the Capo Grosso population of P. raffonei on Vulcano. In September 2015 we captured 30 individuals showing the typical brown phenotype of P. raffonei, while one single male showed a green phenotype, apparently intermediate between P. raffonei and the non-native Podarcis siculus. In May 2017, only 47% of 131 individuals showed the typical brown phenotype (P. raffonei-like) and 53% showed the green phenotype (P. siculus-like). Based on N-mixture models and removal sampling the estimated size of the Capo Grosso population was of 800-1300 individuals in 2017, being similar to 2015; available data suggest that the total range of the species could be as small as 2 ha. The frequency of individuals with the typical P. raffonei phenotype dramatically dropped between two samplings with a parallel increase of individuals displaying the green phenotype. Observation on outdoor captive-bred individuals demonstrates plasticity for colouration in P. raffonei individuals from Capo Grosso, with several individuals showing the typical brown pattern in September 2017 and a green pattern in March 2021. Non-exclusive hypotheses, including hybridization with P. siculus and plasticity in colour pattern of P. raffonei, are discussed to explain the phenotypic shifts of the P. raffonei population of Capo Grosso. While genomic evidence is required to reach conclusions and investigate eventual hybridization, it is urgent to undertake a programme for the monitoring and management of this lizard.

Indexed as

Conservation of Natural ResourcesPhenotypeAnimalsBody SizeIslandsLizardsPhylogeny

Identifiers

PMID34161384
PMCPMC8221524

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.