Scaredy-Cat Lizards Are The Product Of Their Environment

Natural selection shapes behavior as well as morphology -- but it can have different effects in males and females! Assessment of risk-taking behaviors of the Bahaman brown anole (Anolis sagrei): Exploratory behavior is favored in the absence of predators, whereas avoidance of the ground is favored in their presence. Scientific research long ago established that natural selection can change an animal's physical appearance. For example, animals with longer limbs are faster runners whereas animals with shorter limbs are more efficient climbers. But does natural selection shape an animal's behavior, too?