Speculative Species

In Speculative Evolution, we envisioned how species could be further developed to increase their resilience based on scientific publications on synthetic biology, genetic engineering and robotics, and formulated text prompts to create AI-generated images using DALL-E. As a result, each speculative species in the environment has a backstory rooted in real-life scenarios.
 
 


Leopard Gecko
Leopard Geckos
2021developmental biology research showed unusual tumor coloration on leopard geckos
Laboratory research by Longhua et al., 2021
2054genetically modified leopard geckos with glowing, colored skin, resistant to tumors and increasing temperatures

Lineage of the 79 species from a total of 91

    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-1)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-1-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-1-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-1-1-1Samsung A326U, Android 13, Detroit, United States (30-1-1-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-12, Android 14, Thessaloniki, Greece (30-12)
      • Leopard Gecko, Android 14, Thessaloniki, Greece (30-12)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-16, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-16)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-16-1, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-16-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-2)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-2-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-2-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-3)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-3-1)
        • Leopard GeckoSamsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-3-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-1-2Samsung T227U, Android 13, Kissimmee, United States (30-3-1-2)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-1-2-1Samsung G960F, Android 10, Bolton, United Kingdom (30-3-1-2-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-1-3Huawei PPA, Android 10, Skopje, North Macedonia (30-3-1-3)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-2, Android 12, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (30-3-2)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-3-2-1, Android 12, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico (30-3-2-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-4)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-4-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-1, Android 13, Statesville, United States (30-4-1-1)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-1-1, Android 13, Statesville, United States (30-4-1-1-1)
            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-1-1-1, Android 11, Alor Star, Malaysia (30-4-1-1-1-1)
              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-1-1-1-1Samsung N981N, Android 13, Gangseo-gu, South Korea (30-4-1-1-1-1-1)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-1-2Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (30-4-1-1-2)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-2Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (30-4-1-2)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-1-2-1Lenovo TB, Android 10, Guasave, Mexico (30-4-1-2-1)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-2, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-4-2)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-2-1, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-4-2-1)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-2-1-1, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-4-2-1-1)
            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-4-2-1-1-1, Android 11, Yekaterinburg, Russia (30-4-2-1-1-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-5Samsung G955F, Android 9, Zurich, Switzerland (30-5)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-5-1Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (30-5-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-6, Android 12, Makati City, Philippines (30-6)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-6-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (30-6-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1)
            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1)
              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1)
                • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1)
                  • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1)
                    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2)
                        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1)
                          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1)
                            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1)
                              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1)
                                • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1)
                                  • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, , Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                  • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                              • Leopard GeckoSamsung A325M, Android 13, Bahía Blanca, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1)
                                                              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2Samsung A325M, Android 13, Neuquén, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2)
                                                                • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Neuquén, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1)
                                                                  • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1Samsung A325M, Android 13, Neuquén, Argentina (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-1)
                          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-2Samsung T720, Android 11, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, United Kingdom (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-2)
                          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-3Samsung G986U1, Android 13, Monterrey, Mexico (30-8-1-2-1-1-1-1-1-1-2-1-3)
              • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-1-2Samsung G955U, Android 9, , China (30-8-1-2-1-1-2)
            • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-1-2Samsung A546W, Android 14, Belleville, Canada (30-8-1-2-1-2)
          • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-1-2-2Samsung G955F, Android 9, Lucerne, Switzerland (30-8-1-2-2)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-2Samsung A047M, Android 13, Dom Pedro, Brazil (30-8-2)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-8-2-1Samsung G955U, Android 9, Xi'an, China (30-8-2-1)
    • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-9, Android 12, Santiago, Chile (30-9)
      • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-9-1Samsung S918B, Android 14, São Paulo, Brazil (30-9-1)
        • Leopard Gecko, Species 30-9-1-1Samsung G990E, Android 14, São Paulo, Brazil (30-9-1-1)

Genetics of white color and iridophoroma in Lemon Frost leopard geckos

Guo, Longhua et al. PLoS genetics vol. 17,6 e1009580. 24 Jun. 2021, doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009580
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8224956/

Abstract

The squamates (lizards and snakes) are close relatives of birds and mammals, with more than 10,000 described species that display extensive variation in a number of important biological traits, including coloration, venom production, and regeneration. Due to a lack of genomic tools, few genetic studies in squamates have been carried out. The leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, is a popular companion animal, and displays a variety of coloration patterns. We took advantage of a large breeding colony and used linkage analysis, synteny, and homozygosity mapping to investigate a spontaneous semi-dominant mutation, “Lemon Frost”, that produces white coloration and causes skin tumors (iridophoroma). We localized the mutation to a single locus which contains a strong candidate gene, SPINT1, a tumor suppressor implicated in human skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) and over-proliferation of epithelial cells in mice and zebrafish. Our work establishes the leopard gecko as a tractable genetic system and suggests that a tumor suppressor in melanocytes in humans can also suppress tumor development in iridophores in lizards.
The Lemon Frost mutant of the common leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius.
  1. wild type;
  2. heterozygous mutant;
  3. homozygous mutant, with red arrow pointing to the eye lid;
  4. blizzard mutant with minimal color;
  5. Lemon Frost mutation
(lf) on the blizzard background; (F-H) segregation of the lf allele. Lemon Frost (LF) denotes heterozygotes for the mutation; super LF denotes homozygotes for the mutation. All proportions are consistent with expectations for single-locus Mendelian inheritance (chi-square test p > 0.1).