L'évolution est habituellement un processus si lent qu'on ne peut espérer en voir les effets dans l'espace d'une vie humaine. Mais il y a parfois des exceptions extraordinaires:
A recent lizard invasion shows how quickly evolutionary change can occur when the competition for food and space gets fierce. On a group of small islands in Florida, native green lizards were pushed to higher tree perches after brown lizard invaders forced their way in. As a result, their little green feet became bigger and stickier -- all the better to grip those higher branches with. This study, published in Science this week, provides a rare glimpse of real-time evolution.
A recent lizard invasion shows how quickly evolutionary change can occur when the competition for food and space gets fierce. On a group of small islands in Florida, native green lizards were pushed to higher tree perches after brown lizard invaders forced their way in. As a result, their little green feet became bigger and stickier -- all the better to grip those higher branches with. This study, published in Science this week, provides a rare glimpse of real-time evolution.
