Any observant individual has noticed and possibly even been astonished by the incredible densities that some insular anole populations (i.e. A. sagrei) can achieve. Islands necessarily create a unique combination of environmental factors, several of which have traditionally been suggested as reasons that insular species are capable of attaining such densities. Species richness tends to be quite low on islands and so the diversity of predators remains low and there are fewer other species with which to compete for resources. A lack of predation pressure and competition can allow a species to more broadly utilize a traditionally occupied niche or even evolve to fill new regions of adaptive space, further utilizing resources in ways that increase population growth. Leer más.
