Anolis serves as an important model system that can unite different approaches to Evo-devo. On one hand, it serves as one of the first reptilian model species, complete with widely use husbandry and embryonic staging protocols. New techniques are also advancing our ability to access the embryo and manipulate its genome. With these tools, Anolis provides us the ability to polarize relatively large-scale developmental changes that occurred during amniote evolution and investigate phenomena not observed in other species.

With over 400 species, Anolis is also remarkably diverse and exhibits a pattern of repeated phenotypic evolution across Caribbean. This diversity has been studied by ecologists and evolutionary biologists for nearly 80 years, creating a wealth of information upon which to layer new developmental insights. This system, therefore, provides us with the ability to understand how the dynamics of developmental evolution translate to adaptive changes in morphology. The repeated nature of phenotypic change further allows us to tease apart the roles of history, contingency, and determinism across levels of biological organization.

Herein, I will curate information regarding the development and embryology of Anolis lizards. I hope that this provides a useful resource for students interested in pursuing questions regarding the developmental bases of Anolis diversity.