Hurricanes twist evolution in island lizards

A good grip can mean the difference between life and death for lizards in a hurricane.

lizard

Anolis lizards have specialized toepads that enable them to cling to smooth surfaces. Researchers found that the toepads of the surviving lizards after the hurricane were significantly larger than those from before. IMAGE: COLIN DONIHUE, WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY

Talia Ogliore, April 27, 2020
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A good grip can mean the difference between life and death for lizards in a hurricane, causing populations hit more frequently by hurricanes to have larger toepads, according to researchers from Washington University and Penn State.

Lizard groups that experience more hurricanes evolve larger toepads than those that experience fewer hurricanes, according to analysis spanning 12 island populations of Anolis sagrei lizards and a separate analysis of 188 Anolis species ranging from Florida to Brazil.

Read the article here: https://news.psu.edu/story/617378/2020/04/27/research/hurricanes-twist-evolution-island-lizards?fbclid=IwAR3vbYTunScsjQQyz-HAQKzMlbBK7EOWjyEuM2iD4bhoRkLJHALW5PNwDzM#.XqsIuaY3qyY.facebook