Question

Anolis cristatellus and A. cooki are both trunk-ground anoles that live on Puerto Rico. A. cristatellus lives in a shady, forest environment, while A. cooki lives in an open, sunny environment. What is an adaptive explanation for why the dewlap of one species evolved to be brighter and that of another species darker?

Answer 1

(In Explanation) But it's because of reproductive reasons

Step-by-step explanation:

The dewlap of the A. cooki evolved to be of a brighter color because the environment of these reptiles tends to be brighter due to the brighter colored plants that will be present. The bright colors are a result of the greater amount of sunlight incident on the plant species there.

On the other hand, the darker dewlaps help A. cristatellus camouflage in the darker environment.

Answer 2

The answer is for reproductive reasons.

Step-by-step explanation:

The anolis cristatellus has a brighter dewlap and the anolis cristatellus has a darker dewlap. Their dewlap contrasts the brightness of their environment, most likely because it stands out more and attracts more female anoles.