Nice men have an advantage with this lizard

In a small species of lizard found in Mexico and the United States, males hold other males at bay while their mate tends to the offspring.

This animal – which lives for about a year – spends its time, like many other animals, looking for a mate to breed with. One might think: then it’s every man for himself. It’s the best tactic. But this lizard takes a different approach and seeks cooperation.

Some time ago, researchers found that males of this species can have three different throat colors. And that each color has its own behavior. Orange is the bullies who fight and take the women away. Blue is the calm fathers who want to ensure the safety of their family. Where one blue-throated lizard sacrifices itself to absorb the blows of passing bullies, while the other blue-throated lizard cares for the offspring. And then there’s the yellow: the sneaky lizard, who tries to do everything behind the backs of the blues.

Blue beats yellow (because they’re much more comfortable) and yellow beats orange (because they keep sneaking around) and you get a sort of rock-paper-scalable game. scissors. But why there are blue-throated lizards sacrificing themselves for another blue-throated one has long been a mystery.

The answer turned out to be in the genes: although these two blue-throated males are not related, their genes are very similar. So somehow they know that their genes are passed on to the next generation, despite putting aside self-interest.

Read more: Nice guys finish first in evolutionary lizard race, says MSU professor†