Lizards in three cities in Puerto Rico have evolved a similar set of genetic changes to help them adapt to urban life. The Puerto Rican crested anole (Anolis cristatellus) is abundant in cities ...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Lizards that once dwelled in forests but now slink around urban areas have genetically morphed to survive life in the city, researchers have found.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Lizards that once dwelled in forests but now slink around urban areas have genetically morphed to survive life in the city, researchers have found. The Puerto Rican ...

Studies that delve into how animals adapt in urban environments are still relatively rare. ... Winchell showed that city lizards have evolved longer limbs and larger toepads with specialized scales.

But some species can adapt to live in these unfamiliar environments. New research suggests city lizards in Puerto Rico have genetic changes distinct from their forest-dwelling counterparts ...

The changes in these lizards, whose lifespans are roughly 7 years, can occur very quickly, within 30 to 80 generations, enabling them to escape from predators and survive in urban areas, Winchell ...

(via PBS Terra) Puerto Rican Crested Anoles are a prime example of adaptation in action.In just a few decades, these city-dwelling lizards have undergone remarkable evolutionary changes to thrive in ...

Urban areas across the U.S. are home to more than just people; many animals have adapted to city life, thriving alongside skyscrapers and busy streets. These resilient species have found ways to ...

Scientists have known that Caribbean lizards naturally have larger toepads than those on mainlands, but the “physical difference has never been definitively linked to an evolutionary response to ...