A. S. RAND (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Box 2072, Balboa, 
Canal Zone) has continued his study of the evolution of display in anoles 
of the Northern Lesser Antilles, utilizing frame-by-frame analysis of 
male-male interaction. He has been able to show that on any one island 
there may be considerable microgeographic variation in male coloration and 
pattern but little in display. In sharp contrast between islands separated 
on different banks, males in addition to differing in color and pattern 
differ also in display. This is true even of populations inhabiting very 
similar microhabitats. 
He has now investigated an intermediate condition, that seen on the 
three islands of St. Barts, St. Martin and Anguilla, now separated by water 
but all on the same bank, Here the males show very little variation from 
sample to sample in either appearance or dewlap display. He suggests two 
possible explanations: (1) a time hypothesis: the islands on the same bank 
were continuous dry land during the last glacial maximum, Hence, since 
display evolution is a slow process, the presently isolated populations have 
not had time to diverge; (2) a founder hypothesis: display evolution occurs 
primarily during the gene pool reorganization which follows the colonization 
of a new island by the very small founder population, Since islands on the 
same bank were not independently colonized over water, populations on such 
islands show no founder effect. 
Rand has now visited and filmed displays on all the northern Lesser 
Antillean banks except Redonda, Dominica, however, which was visited very 
early, should be revisited. 
Rand continues to maintain the anole facility in Panama, This permits 
study of displays and of much else for anoles captured elsewhere. Among 
the exotic species filmed this year at the facility were Phenacosaurus 
heterodermus (Bogota), Anolis insolitus (La Palma, Hispaniola) and Anolis 
townsendi (Cocos Island), (See Jenssen for comments and discussion.) 
The anole colony maintains breeding populations of various anoles, 
ordinarily selected because of their divergent behavior. Colonies are 
continuing of Anolis cuvieri, A. agassizi, A. oculatus cabritensis, A. O. 
winstoni, A. leachii and A. (Tropidodactylus) onca. Two species have been 
added during the year: A. “gingivinus (Anguilla) and A. townsendi (as 
mentioned, from Cocos Island in the Pacific). There “is still difficulty in 
maintaining montane species such as Phenacosaurus but there are hopes that 
some problems of this sort will soon be solved. 
Information on growth rates and reproduction is provided by the anole 
colony as well as on social behavior. Rand has, for example, collaborated 
with Robin Andrews on her studies on reproductive effort in anoles and in 
her experiments with growth rates and egg laying rates in A. limifrons in 
captivity. The latter observations provide comparisons with Robin Andrews' 
long term study of population fluctuations in Anolis limifrons on Barro 
Colorado Island (again in collaboration with Rand). 
