Anole lizards living in three cities in Puerto Rico have mutations in genes linked to immune function, limb and skin development, which may help them thrive alongside humans
To find out, they collected tissue samples from lizards in three cities in Puerto Rico, as well as in the surrounding countryside, and compared their DNA. They found that, even though the three urban populations were genetically distinct, each had mutations in the same groups of genes – a textbook case of parallel evolution.
“No matter how we looked at it, urban lizards keep experiencing the same changes,” says Winchell, which shows that this species of lizard, at least, will adapt to deal with the pressures of urban life in predictable ways, rather than randomly hitting on a new solution.The groups of genes involved were also notable.
The latter set of genes proved more interesting still. “When we looked at the function of these genes, our jaws dropped,” says Winchell. Many of them, when they are mutated in humans, tend to result in limb and skin diseases and deformities.at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC says they give us an insight into the trade-offs of evolution. “The lizards that can adapt to the city are kind of messed up,” he says.
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