Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Developmental biology

How the lizard gets its speckled scales

Nature volume 544, pages 170–171 (2017)Cite this article

Subjects

Can a reptile compute? In one species of lizard, Timon lepidus, the colour and pattern of its scales evolve in a manner akin to a discrete rule-based computation called a cellular automaton. See Letter p.173

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The ocellated lizard.

A, FLPA/ALAMY; B, IAN WATT/ALAMY

Notes

  1. See all news & views

References

  1. Murray, J. D. Sci. Am. 258, 80–87 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Manukyan, L., Montandon, S. A., Fofonjka, A., Smirnov, S. & Milinkovitch, M. C. Nature 544, 173–179 (2017).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ulam, S. Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 64, 1–49 (1958).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Shannon, C. E. Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 64, 123–129 (1958).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cook, M. Complex Syst. 15, 1–40 (2004).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Wolfram, S. Nature 311, 419–424 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gardner, M. Sci. Am. 224, 112–117 (1971).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Ermentrout, G. B. & Edelstein-Keshet, L. J. Theor. Biol. 160, 97–133 (1993).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Turing, A. M. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 237, 37–72 (1952).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Gierer, A. & Meinhardt, H. Biol. Cybern. 12(1), 30–39 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Keller, P. J., Schmidt, A. D., Wittbrodt, J. & Stelzer, E. H. K. Science 322, 1065–1069 (2008).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Keller, P. J. Science 340, 1234168 (2013).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Nakamasu, A., Takahashi, G., Kanbe, A. & Kondo, S. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 8429–8434 (2009).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Leah Edelstein-Keshet is in the Department of Mathematics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z2, Canada.,

    Leah Edelstein-Keshet

Authors
  1. Leah Edelstein-Keshet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Leah Edelstein-Keshet.

Related links

Related links

Related links in Nature Research

Computation: The edge of reductionism

Biomechanics: Swimming in the Sahara

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Edelstein-Keshet, L. How the lizard gets its speckled scales. Nature 544, 170–171 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/544170a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/544170a

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing