Although typically possessing four limbs and short bodies, lizards have evolved diverse
morphologies, including elongate trunks with tiny limbs. Such forms are hypothesized to aid …

Dollo's law of irreversibility argues that evolution cannot revert to earlier states. It has
remained controversial ever since its inception in the 19th century. Enabled by advances in …

Aim Limb reduction is a dramatic evolutionary transition, yet whether it is achieved in similar
trajectories across clades, and its environmental drivers, remain unclear. We investigate the …

A number of biologists and philosophers have noted the diversity of interpretations of
evolvability in contemporary evolutionary research. Different clusters of research identified …

Abstract Mud snakes (Serpentes: Homalopsidae) are a family of 55 described, mainly
aquatic, species primarily distributed throughout mainland Southeast Asia and the Indo …

Many animals have strict diel activity patterns, with unique adaptations for either diurnal or
nocturnal activity. Diel activity is phylogenetically conserved, yet evolutionary shifts in diel …

Granular substrates ranging from silt to gravel cover much of the Earth's land area, providing
an important habitat for fossorial animals. Many of these animals use their heads to …

Australian scincid lizards in the sister-genera Lerista and Ctenotus are a prominent system
for understanding adaptation in the transition from surface to fossorial life. The …

Reduced limbs and limblessness have evolved independently in many lizard clades.
Scincidae exhibit a wide range of limb‐reduced morphologies, but only some species have …

Although typically possessing four limbs and short bodies, lizards have evolved a diversity of
body plans, from short-bodied and fully-limbed to elongate and nearly limbless. Such …