Results showed that, the longer a lizard population had been exposed to fire ants, the more likely the reptiles were to twitch and flee. Only half of the lizards from the uninvaded site reacted this way, compared with 80 percent of lizards from the site where ants had lived the longest. Lizards from groups with more ant experience also had longer hind legs, which Langkilde suspects, help the lizards scurry away more quickly. "Individuals that have survived ant attacks probably passed on their genes for doing that behavior," said Laurie Vitt, a zoologist at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. "Lizards that stood there like idiots were killed by ants and didn't pass on their genes. It's as simple as that." Invasive species are causing problems worldwide. But Langkilde said her study shows that, at least in some cases, creatures can quickly adapt to coexist, even when one species is capable of ripping the other to shreds. Related Links: |
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