Why Diffrent Colors For Diffrent Locals?

[Alejandro17]

Hi everyone! do scientist have any idea for why panther Chameleons are diffrent colors from other locals?

 

[jojackson]

This has been asked before, no solid conclusion has as yet been made though I strongly suspect its to do with the wavelengths of light that chameleons see. A given chameleon will look very different to another chameleon than it does to you or me.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-causes-panther-locales-19426/

 

[hallenhe]

Presumably, a combination of natural variation and natural/sexual selection - say chameleons' colors vary to a degree within a locale (which is true). Over time, reddish chameleons with white markings become more prevalant around Tamatave, blue chameleons on Nosy Be, pink Ankaramies, multicolored Ambilobes... female preference likely plays a role. (A mutation favoring larger areas of or more consistant blue occurs on Nosy Be, the females like it so this male has more offspring, passes on more of his genes, his offspring with blue-favoring ladies increase the proportion of blue or blue-favoring chameleons in the population, until by the time a gene leading to more pink or yellow pops up, pretty much everyone on Nosy Be prefers blue, and the pink genes don't persist in the population.

 

[Chris Jury]

No one has a clue why we see the geographic pattern of male F. pardalis colors that we see. They colors may be adaptive, or they may not be. If they are adaptive, there are huge number of possible mechanisms that might explain how, including sexual selection. If they are not adaptive they could result from the founder effect or genetic drift. Out of the countless possibilities though, no one knows which are correct.

cj

 

[jojackson]

Worth a read,,,

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100407134812.htm

 

[Alejandro17]

panther colors

Yea I guess we really don't know or will ever know, but hallenhe has a very good point!

 

[sdheli420]

Presumably, a combination of natural variation and natural/sexual selection - say chameleons' colors vary to a degree within a locale (which is true). Over time, reddish chameleons with white markings become more prevalant around Tamatave, blue chameleons on Nosy Be, pink Ankaramies, multicolored Ambilobes... female preference likely plays a role. (A mutation favoring larger areas of or more consistant blue occurs on Nosy Be, the females like it so this male has more offspring, passes on more of his genes, his offspring with blue-favoring ladies increase the proportion of blue or blue-favoring chameleons in the population, until by the time a gene leading to more pink or yellow pops up, pretty much everyone on Nosy Be prefers blue, and the pink genes don't persist in the population.

i think this is the best intelligent guess i have heard yet..it makes perfect sense that what the females started "going for" in the begginnig made a big difference..they chose whos bloodline continues, so its a really good guess!!

 

[Elizadolots]

I figured it related to the dominate plants in the area. Those who looked more like the flowers around them were able to survive longer and produce more progeny so their genes became the dominate genes for the area. Just to go the next step, my guess is that the plants which thrive in an area are based on both the environment and the different nutritional benefits of the soil. What thrives on the east side of the mountain might die early on the west side of the mountain.