"Despite their obvious differences, both animals are adult males of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), a widespread species whose remarkable variation in colour, size and behaviour reveals a crucial dimension of biodiversity: the variation within species."
"The lizards are evidence that biodiversity is far more complex than a simple inventory of species inhabiting an ecosystem. Differences in rostral ornaments, or horns, among male Parson's chameleons (Calumma parsonii) in Madagascar, social or feeding behaviours among populations of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), regional song dialects in white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys), or colour variation in common wall lizards are all expressions of biodiversity within species."
Biodiversity extends beyond counting different species to include significant variations within individual species. Common wall lizard populations near Rome display remarkable differences in coloration, size, and morphology despite belonging to the same species. Researchers like Dr. Javier Abalos study these intraspecific variations, which represent a crucial but often overlooked dimension of biodiversity. Similar variations occur across other species, including Parson's chameleons with different horn sizes and colorations, chimpanzee populations with distinct social behaviors, and white-crowned sparrows with regional song dialects. This within-species biodiversity is dynamic and subject to evolutionary pressures, revealing that true biodiversity is far more complex than simple species inventories suggest.
#intraspecific-variation #biodiversity #common-wall-lizards #evolutionary-biology #species-diversity
Read at www.theguardian.com
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