Editing Anolis (section)

==Ecomorphs==
{{Main|Anolis ecomorph}}
''Anolis'' lizards are some of the best examples of both [[adaptive radiation]] and [[convergent evolution]]. Populations of lizards on isolated islands diverge to occupy separate [[ecological niches]], mostly in terms of the location within the vegetation where they forage (such as in the crown of trees vs. the trunk vs. underlying shrubs).<ref name="Losos">{{cite journal | last1 = Losos | first1 = J.B. | year = 2007 | title = Detective work in the West Indies: integrating historical and experimental approaches to study island lizard evolution | url = https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/2643861/Losos_DetectiveWorkinWestIndies.pdf?sequence=2| journal = BioScience | volume = 57 | issue = 7| pages = 585–597 | doi=10.1641/b570712| s2cid = 6869606 | doi-access = free }}</ref> These divergences in [[habitat]] are accompanied by [[Morphology (biology)|morphological]] changes primarily related to moving on the substrate diameter they most frequently encounter, with twig ecomorphs having short limbs, while trunk ecomorphs have long limbs.

In addition, these patterns repeat on numerous islands, with animals in similar habitats converging on similar body forms repeatedly.<ref name="Losos" /><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Losos | first1 = J. B. | last2 = Jackman | first2 = T. R. | last3 = Larson | first3 = A. | last4 = de Queiroz | first4 = K. | last5 = Rodriguez-Schettino | first5 = L. | year = 1998 | title = Contingency and determinism in replicated adaptive radiations of island lizards | journal = Science | volume = 279 | issue = 5359| pages = 2115–2118 | doi=10.1126/science.279.5359.2115| pmid = 9516114 | bibcode = 1998Sci...279.2115L }}</ref> This demonstrates adaptive radiation can actually be predictable based on habitat encountered, and experimental introductions onto formerly lizard-free islands have proven ''Anolis'' evolution can be predicted.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Calsbeek | first1 = R | year = 2008 | title = Experimental evidence that competition and habitat use shape the individual fitness surface | journal = Journal of Evolutionary Biology | volume = 22 | issue = 1| pages = 97–108 | doi=10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01625.x | pmid=19120813| s2cid = 25745447 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Calsbeek | first1 = R. | last2 = Buermann | first2 = W. | last3 = Smith | first3 = T.B. | year = 2009 | title = Parallel shifts in ecology and natural selection in an island lizard | journal = BMC Evolutionary Biology | volume = 9 | issue = 1 | page = 3 | doi=10.1186/1471-2148-9-3 | pmid=19126226 | pmc=2630972 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2009BMCEE...9....3C }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Calsbeek | first1 = R. | last2 = Cox | first2 = R.M. | year = 2010 | title = Experimentally assessing the relative importance of predation and competition as agents of selection | journal = Nature | volume = 465 | issue = 7298| pages = 613–616 | doi=10.1038/nature09020 | pmid=20453837| bibcode = 2010Natur.465..613C | s2cid = 4326027 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Calsbeek | first1 = R. | last2 = Smith | first2 = T.B. | year = 2007 | title = Probing the adaptive landscape using experimental islands: density-dependent natural selection on lizard body size | journal = Evolution | volume = 61 | issue = 5| pages = 1052–1061 | doi=10.1111/j.1558-5646.2007.00093.x | pmid=17492960| s2cid = 4643163 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

After appearing on each of the four [[Greater Antilles|Greater Antillean Islands]] about 50 million years ago, ''Anolis'' lizards spread on each island to occupy niches in the island's trees. Some living in the tree canopy area, others low on the tree trunk near the ground; others in the mid-trunk area, others on twigs. Each new species developed its own distinct body type, called an [[Ecomorphology|ecomorph]], adapted to the tree niche where it lived. Together, the different species occupied their various niches in the trees as a "[[community]]". A study of lizard fossils trapped in amber shows that the lizard communities have existed for about 20 million years or more. Four modern ecomorph body types, trunk-crown, trunk-ground, trunk, and twig, are represented in the amber fossils study. Close comparison of the lizard fossils with their descendants alive today in the Caribbean shows the lizards have changed little in the millions of years.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Trapped in Amber: Ancient fossils reveal remarkable stability of Caribbean lizard communities|date = 27 July 2015|url = http://smithsonianscience.si.edu/2015/07/trapped-in-amber-ancient-fossils-reveal-remarkable-stability-of-caribbean-lizard-communities/|access-date = 2015-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|title = Amber fossils demonstrate deep-time stability of Caribbean lizard communities|journal = Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|date = 2015-07-27|issn = 0027-8424|pmid = 26216976|pages = 9961–9966|doi = 10.1073/pnas.1506516112|first1 = Emma|last1 = Sherratt|first2 = María del Rosario|last2 = Castañeda|first3 = Russell J.|last3 = Garwood|first4 = D. Luke|last4 = Mahler|first5 = Thomas J.|last5 = Sanger|first6 = Anthony|last6 = Herrel|first7 = Kevin de|last7 = Queiroz|first8 = Jonathan B.|last8 = Losos|volume=112|issue = 32|pmc=4538666|bibcode = 2015PNAS..112.9961S|doi-access = free}}</ref>