Question

Þ1. Anolis cristatellus and A. cooki are both trunk-ground anoles that live on Puerto Rico. A.

Þ cristatellus lives in a shady, forest environment, while A. cookelives in an open, sunny
environment. What is an adaptive explanation for why the dewlap of one species evolved to be
Þ brighter and that of another species darker?

Answer 1

The dewlap of the A. cooki evolved to be of a brighter color because the environment of these reptiles tends to be brighter due to the brighter colored plants that will be present. The bright colors are a result of the greater amount of sunlight incident on the plant species there.
On the other hand, the darker dewlaps help A. cristatellus camouflage in the darker environment.