Macroecological and biogeographical patterns of limb reduction in the world's skinks

Abstract Aim Limb reduction is a dramatic evolutionary transition, yet whether it achieved in similar trajectories across clades, and its environmental drivers, remain unclear. We investigate the macroevolutionary biogeographical patterns of limb skinks, where occurred more often than any other tetrapod clade, test their associations with substrate categories using global database. for habitat body shapes group Australian skinks quantitative data. Location Global (Scincidae), Australia (Sphenomorphinae). Taxon Skinks, Sphenomorphinae. Materials Methods use morphological data to explore world's investigating how proportions differ skink clades subfamilies. examine relationships between shape (coarsely classified). Further, we high‐resolution soil climate properties extracted from each species' distribution sphenomorphines. Results Relationships lengths trunk elongation show idiosyncratic clades. Presacral vertebrae numbers positively correlate all taxa, except Glaphyromorphus . Skinks sandy habitats greater disparity forelimb hindlimb categories. In sphenomorphines, shorter limbs elongated trunks colder, humid microhabitats richer soils; high correlates hot, arid sandy, poor substrates. Main Conclusions The are clade‐specific sometimes unique. Selection specific sizes limb‐reduced forms changes On poor, substrates environments, longer hindlimbs may be efficient locomotion granular fluid (i.e. sand) exploit air–substrate interface complete limblessness. richer, substrates, such morphology rare, indicating that navigating cluttered selects equal lengths.