Lizards Show Evolution in Action

Discovery-News.com: Fire ant attacks are forcing fence lizards to evolve to survive. James Williams takes a look at what's going on.

For more science news stories, check out http://dsc.discovery.com/news/news.html

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Science & Technology

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• lizard
• evolve
• repile
• animal
• discovery
• news
• species
• video

[Thedbelisario96]

@austinSN Yes it is.

[gupsphoo]

@austinSN Have you ever visited New York? If you did, you'd know Spiderman is as real as your god, according to your line of reasoning.

[CatSpiritOfChaos]

@utubedetective72 Amen

[01101100d]

@utubedetective72 Evolution can be predictable but is not determined, in that one group may not develop the same result as another distinct group of the once same species, they can diverge. For example, the common ancestor between humans and chimps, one line took to bipedalism, the other took to knuckle walking.

Besides which you're being dishonest because your example was a rat in an undisclosed environment "SHOULD" grow the ability to fly or glide!! This is the assertion i'm challenging.

[utubedetective72]

@01101100d Bro your talking complete nonsense. You cannot get a multitude of solutions from one specific environment if you are using one type of animal, typically the entire population will all adapt in the same way. If there is an example to the contrary be specific otherwise don't bother. Natural selection is the result of predictable variation and not random mutations, I assure you Dawkins himself would school you on this matter.

[01101100d]

@utubedetective72 Comment 2. So by your idea that species are determined by a specific environment, then why would some species in an identical environment develop a different number of toes? When it's cold, some species insulate with blubber, others with fur, others with a combination of both, or even feathers. So, you see, you can get a multitude of solutions in one specific environment, that's why it's never pre determined because you don't know the course of evolution that'll unfold.

[01101100d]

@utubedetective72 Yeah sure. Now you've jumped back to micro evolution on your rabbits example and besides which there are hundreds of examples like that, something you should know from your degree that involves evolutionary studies which i don't think does somehow.

So, back to speciation and changes due to the environment. Ever heard of something called "convergent evolution." Where 2 distinct species find a common problem not inherited from one or another? Hope that serves a clue.

[utubedetective72]

@01101100d mate for all its worth I already have a stupid science degree. Psych major to be specific however a course in evolution was necessary (which I aced).

If you don't believe that manipulating the environment will lead to a predictable variation then you are one who does not understand natural selection. e.g. if I placed a population brown rabbits in the snow I can expect that they will turn white over time cos the darker rabibits will consistantly be hunted. Very simple stuff

[01101100d]

@utubedetective72 Me being silly, i think i've shown you plenty of patience here. Yes, the environment affects natural selection but selection is never predetermined, there are more than one solution to a common problem.

Billions of years are measured through radiometric dating, i'm not talking of personal experience lol. You're very misguided and lost in your understanding of what evolution is about. I suggest you get yourself onto a science course in higher education if you can.

[utubedetective72]

@01101100d sorry mate I've had enough of this sillyness. If the environment is manipulated the inhabitants adapt in a manner correpoding to the manipulation. This is just environmental selection, plenty of experiments show this I don't understand why you are being difficult.

You cannot easly measure a billion years, in fact you cannot do it at all. If you really believe you can observe a biilion yrs than i'm done here. Go conduct your experiment and get back to me in a billion yrs time. bye

[01101100d]

@utubedetective72 lol, no, not at all. Evolution could take a species down a number of routes, a route is never predetermined. Please give me the resources that makes you believe this to be the case.

Well it's funny how you try to assert that what we can't see or experience doesnt exist, especially when discussing on an invisible man. Billions of years can be easily measured. With enough minutes, you can still acquire billions of years.

[utubedetective72]

@01101100d obviously time is not magic, 'long time' is magic. We can both observe a minute, however we cannot observe a billion years.

You are a difficult sally, according to evolution a rat-like creature will turn into a bat-like creature given the right environment and enough time correct? If this experiment was conducted this would prove your theory, cept for the fact that it is impossible to conduct because of the magic ingrediant (a million yrs)