Comparitive Anatomy Comparitive DNA Fossil Record Comparitive Embryology Vocabulary About
Scientific Name: Basiliscus plumifrons
Habitat:
- The Green Basilisk Lizard, or otherwise called the Plumed Basilisk, is a meduim-sized lizard that lives in rainforests throughout South America. They are also kept as pets by many reptile enthusiasts.
Diet:
- These lizards are omnivores. As well as eating plenty of vegetation and fruit, Green Basilisk Lizards also hunt insects and small lizards.
Lifespan:
- Basilisks can live from 5-8 years in the wild, although some accounts have them living more than 15 years in captivity.
Offspring:
- Female Green Basilisk Lizards can lay between 15-18 eggs per clutch.
Adaptations:
- This species has been nicknamed the “Jesus Lizard” because of its ability to run on water, thanks to its specialized feet and scales. It can also hold its breath underwater for over 10 minutes.
Arguement for Natural Selection and Evolution
Natural Selection is a process of nature that was hypothesized by Charles Dawrwin. The theory of natural selection states that only the individuals of a species with the best adaptations survive and reproduce. This changes species over time to have the best traits. If natural selection did not exist, then it would be hard to explain how our world is so varied and diverse in species. It would also explain why we find fossils of animals that are no longer living. This is displayed in the Green Basilisk Lizard. With the use of comparitive DNA, we saw how it's ancestors were once the Poposaurus and the Archosaur, though the mutated scale gene. Through comparitive anatomy, it can be seen that the Green Iguana and the Argentine Tegu both share those common ancestors as well. Based on the evidence through the fossil record, it can be uncovered that it also shares some ancestry with Megachirella wachtleri and the Linheraptor, through comapring homologous structures in their bones. Finally, comparitive embryology proves that the Gargoyle gecko and Calyptommatus sinebrachiatus are also both connected to the Green Basilisk lizard.
Evolution is a natural process in which species change over time. This process is usually very slow, but can also happen quickly, depending on how fast a species reproduces. A species evolves due to natural selection, where the best traits are repeated and continue to be present. The members of a species that don’t have the good traits die off and are unable to reproduce.
Gallery of Images (to free your mind of sorrow and woe)
