The discovery of a new lizard species in the Dominican Republic by University of Toronto researchers reinforces a theory that lizard communities evolve almost identically on separate islands. 

A team from University of Toronto (U of T) has recently discovered a new species of lizard in the Dominican Republic (DR). The Greater Antillean Anole, Anolis landestoyi, is the first new species to be discovered in the DR in decades. It is named after the naturalist who found it, Miguel Landestoyi. Landestoyi captured images of the lizard and sent them to U of T researcher Luke Mahler, with the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. Mahler recalls his surprise:

As soon as I opened the email, I thought ‘what on earth is that!?

Anolis Landestoyi resting on branch. By Miguel Landestoyi

This new species is an exciting and fortuitous find for the field of ecology; Anolis landestoyi informs the theory of replicated adaptive radiation. According to the article,

The discovery supports a theory of replicated adaptive radiation, where related species evolving on different islands diversify into similar sets of species that occupy the same ecological niches.

The discovery, in light of numerous other newly identified island species, is a reminder that countless unknown species share the planet with us. Islands prove to be especially rich sources of new discoveries; they surprise us over and over with species we never knew existed.

Palm tree at the water’s edge in the Dominican Republic. By Roozbeh Rokni

Island Conservation works in the Dominican Republic to protect native island species. Islands have very high biodiversity, but in too many cases their native wildlife are threatened by invasive species. If we are to continue to discover the unknown species living on islands, attending to ecosystem disturbances is a must.

Feature photo: Anolis landestoyi on a tree branch. By Miguel Landestoyi
Read the original article at Phys.org