Claudia Sicilia wins the UB Master+ Scolarship and will investigate Sexual Dimorphism in the Catalan wall lizard

Claudia Sicilia, student of the Master's program in Biodiversity, is carrying out an exciting research project under the supervision of Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou, Ramón y Cajal researcher in BEECA & IRBio, Faculty of Biology. The scholarship starts on October 1 until June 30, 2024. 

Sexual dimorphism of functional morphology in lizards: 

Claudia will embark on an investigation whose main objective is to examine the relationship between morphology and functional capacity in the context of the evolution of sexual dimorphism in the Catalan wall lizard (Podarcis liolepis). The project will be carried out through rigorous field work and laboratory experiments. 

What is the project looking for? 

The project aims to quantify morphological traits, such as body size, head dimensions, trunk and limb length, as well as functional traits, such as bite force and locomotor capacity (running and climbing) in males and females of a population of Catalan wall lizard.  

In addition, the integration between morphology and functional capacity at the individual level will be explored and its variation between sexes will be investigated to better understand the evolutionary basis of the dimorphism observed in these lizards. 

Functional perspective of the evolution of sexual dimorphism: 

This project will shed new light on how the ecological and social roles of both sexes have influenced their differentiation throughout evolution. 

The project will begin in the spring of 2024, when Claudia will carry out field work and laboratory experiments to capture lizards in the city of Barcelona and quantify both their morphology and their functional traits, such as bite force and locomotor capacity. In addition, an automatic motion detection program will be used to measure the running speed from the videos filmed during the locomotion experiments. Lastly, statistical analysis methods will be used to test if there is sexual dimorphism in morphological and functional traits, as well as to investigate the relationship between both. 

This project, winner of the Master+ UB Scholarship, promises to expand our knowledge about the evolution and adaptation of brown lizards and the interaction between morphology and function in the context of sexual dimorphism.