Understanding Evolution

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Understanding Evolution

Evo 101

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Evo 101

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Evo in the News

A circular diagram illustrating a "rock-paper-scissors" competitive cycle between three distinct lizard morphs. At the top left, a yellow-throated lizard is circled in yellow; a black arrow points from it to the orange lizard with the text "Yellow beats orange." At the top right, an orange-throated lizard is circled in orange; an arrow points from it to the blue lizard with the text "Orange beats blue." At the bottom, a blue-throated lizard is circled in blue; an arrow points from it back to the yellow lizard with the text "Blue beats yellow." This creates a closed loop where each color morph dominates one other but is dominated by the third.

High-stakes rock-paper-scissors: These lizards are all in on an evolutionary game

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You might think of rock-paper-scissors as a kids’ game, good for choosing who gets to ride shotgun or who gets the last slice of pizza. But for the side-blotched lizards of western North America, it’s not just a game. It’s a way of life. Literally. Male lizards seek their mates using one of three strategies, each of which is a winner against one of the other strategies and a loser against the remaining strategy. These strategies shape what the lizards look like, how they act, and whether they’ll leave behind offspring in the next generation. And in terms of evolutionary success, no outcome is more important than that! Recent research has uncovered the genetic and environmental mechanisms that underlie this fascinating example of a rock-paper-scissors game in nature.

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