Tag: natural history
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Three-Legged Lizards Thrive, Challenge Evolution Assumptions
Introduction: A surprising clue from the Bahamian branches In the wild, lizards are famed for their speed, agility, and razor‑sharp ecological tuning. Yet a chance encounter in the Bahamas changed how some lizard biologists view adaptation. A typically uncooperative brown anole proved elusive, only to reveal a missing entire left hind leg after capture. That…
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Three-Legged Lizards: Surprising Survival Stories Redefine Evolution in the Wild
Introduction: A Bold Challenge to Evolutionary Assumptions In the fast-paced world of lizards, where speed and agility often determine survival, a remarkable discovery has squirmed its way into evolutionary biology. Three-legged lizards—creatures that have lost a hind limb due to trauma—are not only surviving but thriving in diverse habitats around the globe. This finding, born…
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Three-Legged Lizards Defy Evolution: Surprising Survivors Across the Globe
Introduction: An Unexpected Observation Biologists who study lizards chase fast, elusive prey and rely on a toolkit of careful observation and precise measurements. In our work across six continents, one discovery has flipped many assumptions: some lizards survive after losing a leg and can thrive in the wild. The moment a brown anole was captured…