Cuban Lizard Invasion

A report which may be somewhat relevant to the issue of the small number of animals on the ark re-populating the world after the Flood, despite the extreme genetic bottleneck, is "Genetic variation increases during biological invasion by a Cuban lizard" by Kolbe et al., Nature v. 431, 9 Sept. '04, p. 177.

While quite a different situation, of course, I believe it shows that genetic diversity can be preserved in "generic" specimens produced by cross-breeding the different varieties. "A genetic paradox exists in invasion biology: how do introduced populations, whose genetic variation has probably been depleted by population bottlenecks, persist and adapt to new conditions?

Genetic analyses indicate that at least eight introductions have occurred in Florida from across this lizard's native range, blending genetic variation from different geographic source populations and producing populations that contain substantially more, not less, genetic variation than native populations.

Moreover, recently introduced brown anole populations around the world originate from Florida, and some have maintained these elevated levels of genetic variation."

Until Next Time,

David Bump
Philippians 3: 13 Brethren, I
count not myself to have
apprehended: but [this] one thing
[I do], forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching
forth unto those things which are
before, 14 I press toward the
mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.

http://home.att.net/~david.bump