Here we have the Australian yellow-bellied three-toed skink.
Nothing too special, except that if you look closely, you can spot a few light orbs in the body -- those, folks, are live embryos.
This lizard species is presently evolving into one that gives live birth.
That's actually not that unusual -- there are some 20% of all snake and lizard species today that give birth to live young, and fossil records show nearly 100 reptile species independently evolving to give live birth. What makes this skink unique is that the species is
currently in transition: members of the same species in warmer coastal lowlands are still laying eggs, but almost all of those in the colder highlands are giving live birth!
This is a rare opportunity to study how the transition from laying eggs to giving live birth can actually happen -- only two other known species (another skink, and a European lizard) use both methods of reproduction.
The really shocking part? The transition from laying eggs to live birth is a lot simpler than previously thought.
There are 11 private posts in this thread. You need
sign in to read them.
Why Join 4thKingdom?
Note that there are no ads here. Just intelligent and friendly conversation. We keep
the spam out, the trolls out, the advertisers out... 4K is just a low-key, old-fashioned
site with members from around the world.
This community began in 1998, and we continue to accept new members today.
If you're looking for a richer experience than Facebook or Twitter,
this is it.
Posted by Kromey at 9:41pm Sep 7 '10
Evolution caught in the act! - Kromey