<
https://theconversation.com/tropical-geckos-in-australia-are-more-adaptable-than-we-thought-266777>
"Earth is teeming with life: creatures big and small have spread and adapted to
vastly different environments. Many animals can also change their physiology –
how their bodies function – in response to local fluctuations. Just think of
hibernating bears in winter, for example.
But some places experience less fluctuation. When you imagine the tropics,
you’re likely picturing something akin to a travel brochure – lush and always
warm.
Indeed, temperatures in the tropics are relatively stable, so some biologists
have suggested tropical animals can’t adjust their physiology in response to a
changing environment.
For animals in tropical rainforests that’s somewhat true. However, a bigger
portion of the tropics consists of savannas with strongly seasonal rainfall.
For the animals that live here, water is as important as temperature when it
comes to shaping their physiology.
My colleagues and I studied geckos from Australia’s seasonal tropics to see if
they can adjust to the seasons. Our new study, published in
The Journal of
Experimental Biology, challenges conventional views on what we know about
reptiles and their ability to adjust to the seasons."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
