Eleven new chameleon species found in Madagascar

Researchers from Switzerland and Madagascar have found that what used to be considered a single species of chameleon is actually 11 different species.  A research team led by Michel Milinkovitch of the University of Geneva and collaborators from the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar have published their findings in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Ecology.  The panther chameleon is known for its dramatic range of colours, but after analysing DNA samples from 324 individual reptiles, the scientists realised that they were actually dealing with 11 distinct genetic profiles.  They hypothesised that the main colour in each pattern could be linked to an individual chameleon’s geographic zone. Once the DNA samples were analysed, the researchers found that the patterns could actually predict the chameleons’ genetic lineage, suggesting that individuals from different zones were different enough to warrant their own species classifications.  The evolution of ...