2007/07/01 by Jonathan B. Losos · 1 citation
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Environmental Science · #Adaptive evolution #Adaptive radiation #Amphibian and Reptile Biology #Anolis #Biology #Diversification (marketing strategy) #Ecology #Epistemology #Ethnology #Evolutionary biology #Evolutionary theory #History #Iguanidae #Interspecific competition #Lizard #Macroevolution #Phylogenetic tree #Phylogenetics #Plant and animal studies #Sauria #Species Distribution and Climate Change #West indies
paper · pdf · doi:10.1641/b570712
openalex publication_date 2007/07/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/04/21
Evolutionary biology is a historical science, like astronomy and geology. Understanding how and why evolution has occurred requires synthesizing multiple lines of inquiry. Historical studies, such as those that estimate phylogenetic trees, can detail the pattern of evolutionary diversification, whereas studies on living species can provide insight into the processes that affect ecological interactions and evolutionary change. The evolutionary radiation of Anolis lizards in the Greater Antilles illustrates the interplay between historical and modern-day approaches and strongly supports the hypothesis that interspecific interactions drive adaptive diversification. Studies of these species also demonstrate the role that manipulative experiments can play in understanding evolutionary phenomena.