Lizards, Limbs, And Important Lessons
In a rare opportunity to study how a species evolves, scientists introduced pairs of anoles on islands in the Bahamas, where no lizards existed. They watched the lizard population grow and adapt. And what they found is fascinating.
Biologists at the University of Rhode Island conducted this interesting experiment over several years. They selected, at random, male and female pairs of the brown anole lizard from an island in the Bahamas called Iron Cay. Then they chose seven smaller islands whose lizard population had been completely wiped out by a hurricane. These seven islands were all similar to each other, but very different to Iron Cay (where the lizards came from). Iron cay was forested, but these islands were full of scrubs.
The Questions..
Now, whether the lizards came from forests or whether they live in scrubs has a very important bearing on how they look. Those from forests (like the initial population) have longer hind limbs, to help them climb over branches and so on. Those in scrubs have shorter hind limbs.
So what would happen if the forest species were introduced into scrubland? Would the length of their hind limbs change – with time and over generations? This would be an example of natural selection – where the best genes, adapted for survival would be passed on from generation to generation.
The other question that the scientists asked were around what is called the “founder effect.” The population of lizards on these test islands started from a very small number of individuals. Founder effect basically shows that if the starting (founding) population is small, there will be very little genetic variation in the lizards in following generations.
The observations
Both these hypothesis were proved right! While several generations of the lizards with longer limbs still have on average long limbs (founder effect), the hind limbs did grow shorter and shorter (natural selection).
Moreover, the number of lizards did not die off even though the genetic variation was small. Usually, a low genetic variation is of grave danger to a population since any disease can potentially wipe out the entire population.
This study has been hailed as an important one as it illustrates evolutionary concepts in real time. The fact that the lizards survived for so many generations could also mean that a good population can be produced from a small number of individuals. Of course, the subsequent generations have to be well protected and allowed to thrive.
Scientists hope that this study can guide us in preserving dwindling or near-extinct species.
I wonder who thought of this? Lizards are awesome.
wow
lizard win.
I never knew that the lizards were so cool!
Very interesting, I love lizards!
I never knew lizards were so fascinating!
I think that lizard ia very unique and cool the lizard is interesting just like all of the other ones because of the way they can camoflouge in the most peculiar places
I think this is good news for endangered species close to extinction. I wish they could do the same thing to Polar Bears.
I wonder how lizards got there in the first place. I loved how they explained everything beacause I got confused in the article but the video explained on how they were so amazed they found lizzards in a place where a huricane hit there.
its interesting to know that changing the habitat can change how they look.I think lizards are cool but there not my favorite.
How neat is that
pretty neat
I love touching lizards.
WOW!!! That's such a cool lizard!!! I want to see one in real life!!!!:)
What comes next?
YOU can go skiing on the mars?
or
Be immune against every sickness or poison?
But still its a cool discovery
cool lizard!
Lizards hurts when lizards bite
It almsot tickles hehe
this is so cool i used to have a anole (they live in my back yard)
Lizards are really cool creatures... They're awesome!! Ive never really taken an interest in lizards but this is quite cool.
Its cool to think that changing an animals habitat will change the way that they look. Like the lizards. I wonder if that could happen to any other animals
lizards are cool but i would like to know more about them in maybe a longer article because they are interesting and i want to learn a bit more about them.
lizards are beast
Those lizards are really weird, but still fascinating! That is a really good experiment to test....
i love lizards. it is fascinating what they have found about them.
I love it I have to tell mosa2992
this article is very interesting I loved it. :)
That's a very intresting experiment. Who knew that by changing a lizards environment could make a lizards hind limbs slowly shrink. I never really never knew that lizards could be so interesting!
I think so too
This is very interesting... Knowing that beauty isn't just in paintings and in mirrors, but in animals as well
this is so interesting and cool.
yeah it is
Very interesting! Never known lizards were fascinating!
Who ever knew that lizards were so interesting?
That is very interesting! It will be very interesting to see when the founder effect disappears.
That is a really fascinating experiment! Who knows what scientists will discover next!
Interesting!
you like lizards