Today we're joined by Adam Algar who is talking about biodiversity, islands and Adams favourite anolis lizards!
Adam with Carl and George in the studio!
Islands
Our first topic is islands, you may think you know about these since most of us live on one, but islands have proved to be pretty important when it comes to determining things such as biodiversity and evolution.
Darwins Finches
Adam actually researches islands, and more specifically lizards, leading him to work in the Caribbean and the canary islands. Lizards to tend to live in warm areas so he's got pretty lucky! Islands by definition are a singular block of land with no easy in/out for a lizard, this means the research is easier out there.
Adam used a process adaptive radiation, this is the evolution of ecological and phenotypic diversity within a rapidly multiplying lineage - thanks Wikipedia! A good example of this is Darwins Finches shown on the right.
Anolis Lizards
