“Evolution has been caught in the act, according to scientists who are decoding how a species of Australian lizard is abandoning egg-laying in favor of live birth. Along the warm coastal lowlands of New South Wales (map), the yellow-bellied three-toed skink lays eggs to reproduce. But individuals of the same species living in the state’s higher, colder mountains are almost all giving birth to live young.
Only two other modern reptiles—another skink species and a European lizard—use both types of reproduction. (Related: “Virgin Birth Expected at Christmas—By Komodo Dragon.”) Evolutionary records shows that nearly a hundred reptile lineages have independently made the transition from egg-laying to live birth in the past, and today about 20 percent of all living snakes and lizards give birth to live young only.
But modern reptiles that have live young provide only a single snapshot on a long evolutionary time line, said study co-author James Stewart, a biologist at East Tennessee State University. The dual behavior of the yellow-bellied three-toed skink therefore offers scientists a rare opportunity. “By studying differences among populations that are in different stages of this process, you can begin to put together what looks like the transition from one [birth style] to the other.”"
Read more at National Geographic (Thanks David G)
A part of me hopes this will finally bring an end to the evolution vs. creationism debate. The rest of me laughs at my naive optimism.
Not enough calcium in their diet?
Hm, tiny little feet (on the pic), almost surreal .. Don’t seem that usefull.
I’m sure there are women who’d prefer to lay egg(s) .. then put the egg in an incubator and so on .. Ofcourse they already have eggs (multo) in stock ..
I wonder whether one of these little creatures do both .. From what I get that’s not the case .. ‘They talk about differences between populations living in very different areas, although within one population both styles occur although one of both less. Probably to late with studying them huh? Le moment supreme gone .. before they could catch a glimps of the switch .. (not that you would see that happening before your eyes ofcourse .. ). They will have to take them apart .. these little creatures .. check their inside. And for what purpose?
Those little limbs made me think it was in the middle of evolving those in itself, never seen this creature before! Looks just like a snake with mini arms.
”A part of me hopes this will finally bring an end to the evolution vs. creationism debate. The rest of me laughs at my naive optimism.”
That was my Exact first thoughts too – oh how i wish they would see and believe the facts.
Julien S.-R
“A part of me hopes this will finally bring an end to the evolution vs. creationism debate”
I wouldn’t have thought so. It has always seemed to me that creationists affirm what they call microevolution. So this, if evolution, would simply be an example of that and completely consistent with their theory.
Further, the article seems to be saying some animals within a species do things differently than others, not that the population never had both behaviours in the gene pool in the past.
It’s a small tidbit, but I just want to get it on the record that there is a huge population of Christians out there who fully embrace biological evolution. They just don’t get as much press as the 6-day, Intelligent Design, squeaky wheels.
I would have liked to read even more tips and tricks related to this matter; interesting facts always make people come back for more. Other than that, I got what I wanted to know, so many thanks for that!
Why is it that, when a species does something different it is called “evolution”. While everything points out to adaption of the circumstances. Adaption = “The process of adapting to something (such as environmental conditions)”
When people live in colder climates they grow more hair or in hot climates their hair is more curly. Does that mean evolving to ANOTHER SPECIES ? No, they are still the same species only adapting to their environment.
How ridiculous this all is. Show me any proof of any species that has evolved from one to another. The over time argument is absolute ridiculous. This is the Madness of the speculation capability of the fantasy of minds over matter.
I have watched many programs of Richard Dawkins and I am laughing throughout the programme when he tries to convince
everyone and even children. He is just as much brainwashing in the same way that people who apply religion to their children, in Islam, Catholicism, etc.
Why the denial of spiritual activity while it is everywhere around you. You just have to lay down your earthly cravings of your greed, egoism, selfishness, evil, drugs, alcohol, etc. and you will soon discover spiritual interaction in your life. Many people do not meditate they just observe only with their brain activity and their senses. Try for once to get off from the sensual carnal behaviour and start to quiet down in yourself and see in the turmoil of yourself and stop for a while to look for an everlasting fact mania.
You might be surprised of what you will encounter, you just have to quiet. 99.9% just can’t.
What always bakes my noodle about creationism vs. evolution (if indeed such a comparison can even be made), is that they are not actually opposites and certainly not equals.
Creationism is about where the system came from, evolution is about how the system behaves. Food for thought.
KJ, I don’t do drugs, don’t drink alcohol, am a virgin, and try my hardest to be lovely to everyone I meet. I am also, after trying on several religions when I was younger, an atheist/agnostic (I do not think there is sufficient evidence, or plausibility, to presuppose the existence of a god). So I think your argument is slightly flawed there.
Although, if by ‘stop to look for an everlasting fact mania’ you mean that people should stop observing and learning and just accept what they’re told, I do understand why I never discovered your kind of spirituality. I exist to learn and observe, it is the single most pleasurable act in existance to me. I’d never stop doing that.
@ Berber Anna
I was not saying you have to stop learning things. I was saying, many only learn for this sake and there is no room for anything else what is out there. Our brain is on constant activity of input, TV, Music, Books, Iphone, …etc. We choose it because we stop being quiet to our environment. The constant filling of our brain of information pushes out any encounter that is spiritual. We get up and turn on the radio, we go on the tube and listen to our ipod, we go in the car and we have a CD on, we are constantly on the phone, texting, emailing, reading, using the Tom Tom, We come home, we eat and watch TV for the rest of the night or talk to friends. We become so addicted that as soon the quietness kicks in we must fill in the void of information to make it through the day.