Evolution story with a hook: A newly evolved, aggressive “Hulk” wall lizard is spreading out from the Rome region — and researchers are watching a million-year stable system unravel in real time.

From three morphs to one: Across 220 populations, the pattern is consistent: where “Hulk” arrives, yellow and orange throat morphs vanish, leaving populations dominated by — or fixed for — white.

Not just colour — a social shake-up: Genomic data suggest this isn’t simple genetic hitchhiking. The spread of “Hulk” likely changes the social ecology (competition, dominance, mating), tipping the balance so long-standing alternative strategies can no longer coexist.