Anderson Lab
@andersonlabusd.bsky.social
Studying comparative biomechanics, functional morphology & the physiology of movement, mostly in chameleons and anoles; All views our own
Reposted by Anderson Lab
🦎THREAD: We just published something wild in @asn-amnat.bsky.social - lizards missing entire limbs not only survive, but some appear to actually thrive in the wild?!
Let me tell you about the "three-legged pirate" lizards 🏴☠️
[Paper: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... ]
(1/n)
Let me tell you about the "three-legged pirate" lizards 🏴☠️
[Paper: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... ]
(1/n)
October 14, 2025 at 1:52 PM
🦎THREAD: We just published something wild in @asn-amnat.bsky.social - lizards missing entire limbs not only survive, but some appear to actually thrive in the wild?!
Let me tell you about the "three-legged pirate" lizards 🏴☠️
[Paper: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... ]
(1/n)
Let me tell you about the "three-legged pirate" lizards 🏴☠️
[Paper: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/... ]
(1/n)
Some fun chameleon and Anolis contributions from the Anderson Lab to this work!
122 cases of limb loss in lizards revealed that these these rare survivors of traumatic injuries can run just as fast, maintain healthy body weight, reproduce successfully & live surprisingly long lives.
Article: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
Summary: theconversation.com/3-legged-liz...
Article: www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/...
Summary: theconversation.com/3-legged-liz...
October 13, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Some fun chameleon and Anolis contributions from the Anderson Lab to this work!
Reposted by Anderson Lab
A reevaluation of chameleon foraging mode using movement- & attack-based indices. Chameleons spent most of the day in stationary positions & fed more when stationary than when moving, suggesting they should be considered ambush foragers rather than "cruise foragers".
academic.oup.com/cz/advance-a...
academic.oup.com/cz/advance-a...
September 20, 2025 at 7:54 PM
A reevaluation of chameleon foraging mode using movement- & attack-based indices. Chameleons spent most of the day in stationary positions & fed more when stationary than when moving, suggesting they should be considered ambush foragers rather than "cruise foragers".
academic.oup.com/cz/advance-a...
academic.oup.com/cz/advance-a...
Some nice coverage on our new chameleon and salamander feeding paper: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujjq...
Ballistic Tongues: How do they do that? | The Bat Signal
YouTube video by Dan Riskin
www.youtube.com
September 10, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Some nice coverage on our new chameleon and salamander feeding paper: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujjq...
Reposted by Anderson Lab
In our latest issue, we're going ballistic!
On the cover, a chameleon capturing prey, using its ballistic tongue, driven by a linear actuator, a skeletal rod squeezed out by muscles. So ingenious is the solution that lungless salamanders evolved it too... 🦎
www.cell.com/current-biol...
On the cover, a chameleon capturing prey, using its ballistic tongue, driven by a linear actuator, a skeletal rod squeezed out by muscles. So ingenious is the solution that lungless salamanders evolved it too... 🦎
www.cell.com/current-biol...
September 8, 2025 at 9:42 PM
In our latest issue, we're going ballistic!
On the cover, a chameleon capturing prey, using its ballistic tongue, driven by a linear actuator, a skeletal rod squeezed out by muscles. So ingenious is the solution that lungless salamanders evolved it too... 🦎
www.cell.com/current-biol...
On the cover, a chameleon capturing prey, using its ballistic tongue, driven by a linear actuator, a skeletal rod squeezed out by muscles. So ingenious is the solution that lungless salamanders evolved it too... 🦎
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Anderson Lab
While similar mechanistically, ballistic tongues of chameleons & salamanders were each assembled via a different sequence of innovations, highlighting how biomechanical modularity, rather than exceptional materials, underlies this vertebrate ballistic innovation.
August 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM
While similar mechanistically, ballistic tongues of chameleons & salamanders were each assembled via a different sequence of innovations, highlighting how biomechanical modularity, rather than exceptional materials, underlies this vertebrate ballistic innovation.
Reposted by Anderson Lab
Chameleons & salamanders evolved a sliding-based linear actuator to launch the tongue via muscular squeezing of a tapered skeletal rod, contrasting with tendon-driven pulling mechanisms common in most musculoskeletal systems, allowing acceleration along a straight path.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
August 28, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Chameleons & salamanders evolved a sliding-based linear actuator to launch the tongue via muscular squeezing of a tapered skeletal rod, contrasting with tendon-driven pulling mechanisms common in most musculoskeletal systems, allowing acceleration along a straight path.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
A 2nd clutch of Bradypodion melanocephalum from Durban was born in the lab this week (in addition to the clutch from Hilton ~2.5 weeks ago)! Here a 2 day old neonate is next to an ~12 week old juvenile (clutch has grown 6-10x in mass since birth). Lots of cool data being collected in the lab!
August 15, 2025 at 3:44 AM
A 2nd clutch of Bradypodion melanocephalum from Durban was born in the lab this week (in addition to the clutch from Hilton ~2.5 weeks ago)! Here a 2 day old neonate is next to an ~12 week old juvenile (clutch has grown 6-10x in mass since birth). Lots of cool data being collected in the lab!
A clutch of Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” born in the lab today! Immediately getting some metabolic rate data from them to follow through ontogeny! Have also been getting metabolic rate data from the mother for the last 3 months and will continue as she recovers from birth as well!
July 26, 2025 at 12:19 AM
A clutch of Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” born in the lab today! Immediately getting some metabolic rate data from them to follow through ontogeny! Have also been getting metabolic rate data from the mother for the last 3 months and will continue as she recovers from birth as well!
Anderson lab members are coauthoring 11 talks and posters with collaborators at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyology and Herpetology (JMIH) this week in St. Paul, MN!
July 7, 2025 at 3:39 AM
Anderson lab members are coauthoring 11 talks and posters with collaborators at the Joint Meeting of Ichthyology and Herpetology (JMIH) this week in St. Paul, MN!
Two female Trioceros jacksonii, which appear to be T. j. xantholophus with rostral horns, from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya.
May 31, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Two female Trioceros jacksonii, which appear to be T. j. xantholophus with rostral horns, from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya.
Trioceros hoehnelii from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya!
May 31, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Trioceros hoehnelii from 2,130m elevation on the western/southwestern slopes of Mount Kenya!
Some Trioceros hoehnelii from the Naro Moru route on Mount Kenya!
May 31, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Some Trioceros hoehnelii from the Naro Moru route on Mount Kenya!
Aberdares Montane Dwarf Chameleon (Trioceros kinangopensis)!
May 27, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Aberdares Montane Dwarf Chameleon (Trioceros kinangopensis)!
Kenya Montane Viper (Montatheris hindii)!
May 27, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Kenya Montane Viper (Montatheris hindii)!
High-casqued Chameleons (Trioceros hoehnelii)!
May 27, 2025 at 12:37 PM
High-casqued Chameleons (Trioceros hoehnelii)!
Members of the Anderson Lab (past and present) in Kenya. Of course they are finding lots of cool chameleons and other herps! Stay tuned for some cool highlights!
May 27, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Members of the Anderson Lab (past and present) in Kenya. Of course they are finding lots of cool chameleons and other herps! Stay tuned for some cool highlights!
Headed home from a successful trip!
April 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Headed home from a successful trip!
Recording feeding trials at different temperatures using high-speed video to look at thermal effects on performance in elastic recoil- and muscle-powered movements.
April 15, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Recording feeding trials at different temperatures using high-speed video to look at thermal effects on performance in elastic recoil- and muscle-powered movements.
Searching for Bradypodion sp. “Emerald” (Emerald Dwarf Chameleons) and a couple things along the way.
April 12, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Searching for Bradypodion sp. “Emerald” (Emerald Dwarf Chameleons) and a couple things along the way.
Finding and photographing Bradypodion thamnobates, and animal care in the field at Colin Tilbury’s house.
April 11, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Finding and photographing Bradypodion thamnobates, and animal care in the field at Colin Tilbury’s house.
Finishing off some collection and checking out some other local chameleon taxa.
Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” & Bradypodion cf. thamnobates “Karkloof”
Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” & Bradypodion cf. thamnobates “Karkloof”
April 10, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Finishing off some collection and checking out some other local chameleon taxa.
Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” & Bradypodion cf. thamnobates “Karkloof”
Bradypodion cf. melanocephalum “Hilton” & Bradypodion cf. thamnobates “Karkloof”
Some good luck finding chameleons & some looks at a few local snakes thanks to help from local herpers Nick Evans & Carla Goede!
Bradypodion melanocephalum, Chamaeleo dilepis, Python natalensis hatchlings, & Dastpeltis inornata.
Bradypodion melanocephalum, Chamaeleo dilepis, Python natalensis hatchlings, & Dastpeltis inornata.
April 8, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Some good luck finding chameleons & some looks at a few local snakes thanks to help from local herpers Nick Evans & Carla Goede!
Bradypodion melanocephalum, Chamaeleo dilepis, Python natalensis hatchlings, & Dastpeltis inornata.
Bradypodion melanocephalum, Chamaeleo dilepis, Python natalensis hatchlings, & Dastpeltis inornata.
Off for a round of fieldwork in South Africa! Pictures from the trip and work to follow as usual.
April 4, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Off for a round of fieldwork in South Africa! Pictures from the trip and work to follow as usual.
Thread: A new lab publication explores functional, anatomical and developmental aspects of extreme length change among chameleon hyoid musculature. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 1/6
Feats of supercontractile strength: functional convergence of supercontracting muscle properties among hyoid musculature in chameleons | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
The structure of sarcomeres imposes limits to the capacity of striated muscle to change length and produce force, with z-disc and myosin filament interactions constraining shortening. Conversely, supercontracting muscles, hitherto only known among ...
royalsocietypublishing.org
April 4, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Thread: A new lab publication explores functional, anatomical and developmental aspects of extreme length change among chameleon hyoid musculature. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/... 1/6