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*''[[Anolis desechensis]]'' (Heatwole's Anole)
*''[[Anolis desechensis]]'' (Heatwole's Anole)
*''[[Anolis dissimilis]]'' (Odd Anole)
*''[[Anolis dissimilis]]'' (Odd Anole)
*''[[Anolis distichus]]'' (Bark Anole)
*''[[Anolis distichus]]'' ([[Bark Anole]])
*''[[Anolis distichus aurifer]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus biminiensis]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus dapsilis]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus distichoides]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus distichus]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus dominicensis]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus flavillarum]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus floridanus]]'' (Florida Bark Anole)
*''[[Anolis distichus ignigularis]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus juliae]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus ocior]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus patruelis]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus properus]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus ravitergum]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus sejunctus]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus suppar]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus tostus]]''
*''[[Anolis distichus vinosus]]''
*''[[Anolis dolichocephalus]]'' (Place Negre Anole)
*''[[Anolis dolichocephalus]]'' (Place Negre Anole)
*''[[Anolis dolichocephalus dolichocephalus]]''
*''[[Anolis dolichocephalus portusalus]]''
*''[[Anolis dolichocephalus sarmenticola]]''
*''[[Anolis eewi]]''
*''[[Anolis eewi]]''
*''[[Anolis equestris]]'' ([[Knight Anole]])
*''[[Anolis equestris]]'' ([[Knight Anole]])

Revision as of 01:49, 14 January 2009

Anolis
A green anole, Anolis carolinensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
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Genus:
Anolis

(Daudin, 1802)
Species

See text.

Anolis is a genus of lizards belonging to the family Iguanidae. With nearly 400 species, Anolis represents the world's most species rich amniote genus. Several species of Anolis are occasionally ascribed to the genus Norops, but the validity of the Norops genus is not widely accepted. The green anole (Anolis carolinensis) has recently become the first non-avian reptile to have its complete genome sequenced.

Ecomorphs

Anolis lizards are one of the best examples of both adaptive radiation and convergent evolution. Populations on lizards on isolated islands diverge to occupy separate ecological niches, mostly in terms of the location within the vegetation where they forage (such as in the crown of trees vs. the trunk vs. underlying shrubs). These divergences in habitat are accompanied by morphological changes primarily related to moving on the substrate diameter they most frequently encounter, with twig ecomorphs having short limbs while trunk ecomorphs have long limbs.

In addition, these patterns repeat on numerous islands, with animals in similar habitats converging on similar body forms repeatedly (Losos et al., 1998). This demonstrates that adaptive radiation can actually be predictable based on habitat encountered, and experimental introductions onto formerly lizard-free islands have proven that Anolis evolution can be predicted.

Species of genus Anolis

A. polylepis in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, bobbing its head and extending a large yellow dewlap.
Neotropical Green Anole (A. biporcatus) in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica.

References

  • Losos, J. B., Jackman, T. R., Larson, A., de Queiroz, K., & Rodriguez-Schettino, L. (1998). Contingency and determinism in replicated adaptive radiations of island lizards. Science, 279, 2115-2118.