News Animals True-pal lizards may show odd gene By Susan Milius May 24, 2006 at 8:42 am - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Willing to stand between the neighborhood bully and your pal next door? BULLY BOY. The large, aggressive, orange-marked lizard relentlessly harasses his neighbors. S. Mills California lizards doing just that may have a genetic quirk that scientists have been looking for since the 1960s but hardly ever found. The search for the genetic phenomenon began as theorists wondered why altruism doesn’t just self-sacrifice itself out of existence, explains Andrew G.