Geckos Without Sticky Feet Seem To Evolve Faster

Article
Published: January 10, 2015
By: The Staff of Science 2.0

Evolution is typically thought of as an organism developing a useful trait, however a recent sudy with geckos shows that evolution can also downgrade and remove seemingly useful traits. When the adhesive system in gecko's feet was lost, there were in fact higher rates of evolution rather than lower rates. The absence of sticky feet allowed them to run faster and burrow into the ground. This means that the geckos can occupy a different niche, leading to diversification.

Although the lack of adhesive feet may seem like a disadvantage, geckos living in a terrestrial environment with sticky feet ran much slower than the ones without them. They could not escape from predators as quickly and they could not burrow for a hiding place, making them easy targets. Therefore, losing this trait of adhesive feet is actually beneficial and not harmful for to geckos since geckos without adhesive feet have higher mobility. Geckos without the trait experience higher levels of  evolution related to morphology and locomotion.

This article relates to our study in class of evolution and adaptation. The gecko loses its adhesive system in order to adapt to terrestrial environments. The geckos with the trait soon are eaten or killed due to the process of natural selection, since the geckos without the trait can run faster and therefore escape predators. It loses and gains this trait many times throughout history, showing that the trait's appearance is relevant to the gecko's enivronment and current needs.