Main Contributors
This is truly beautiful. A little more than thirty years after introducing a mere 10 Italian Wall Lizards to an isolated island off the coast of Croatia, scientists discover a new generation populated by roughly 5000 lizards. Even more astounding, the species has evolved considerably, a feat usually requiring millions of years to accomplish:
In just a few decades the 5-inch-long (13-centimeter-long) lizards have developed a completely new gut structure, larger heads, and a harder bite, researchers say.
In 1971, scientists transplanted five adult pairs of the reptiles from their original island home in Pod Kopiste to the tiny neighboring island of Pod Mrcaru, both in the south Adriatic Sea.
Genetic testing on the Pod Mrcaru lizards confirmed that the modern population of more than 5,000 Italian wall lizards are all descendants of the original ten lizards left behind in the 1970s.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen… As if it were ever necessary, we now have a recent, formal scientific experiment supporting Evolution and refuting Creationism.
Perhaps lizards just hate Ben Stein.
2 responses so far ↓
1
Mitchell // Apr 26, 2008 at 2:20 am
The Lizards were clearly payed off by big science.
2
kyle90 // Apr 26, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Of course, the creationists will spin this to support their own views. I can see it now: “Clearly this can’t be evolution because the scientists tell us that evolution takes millions of years! Only God could make these Lizards change this rapidly; he works in mysterious ways, blah blah blah”
You must log in to post a comment.