image: Examples of severe malformations caused by thermal stress. The white scale bars equal 1cm. Top left: an embryo with exencephaly and caudal torsion; top right: embryo with severe axial deformation and skeletal displacement; bottom left: embryo with exencephaly and pronounced cranial flattening; bottom right: embryo with extreme generalized malformation affecting the entire body. As reptile embryos cannot behaviorally escape extreme heat, this highlights how climate warming may affect the survival and long-term persistence of lizard populations in rapidly warming environments.
Credit: Dillenburg et al., 2026.
Journal
Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science
Method of Research
Experimental study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
Thermal stress and developmental disruption in the Neotropical lizard Tropidurus torquatus under climate change scenarios
Article Publication Date
24-Feb-2026
COI Statement
The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.