| Aggressive behavior and performance in the Tegu lizard Tupinambis merianae. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 19758090 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Aggression is an important component of behavior in many animals and may be crucial to providing individuals with a competitive advantage when resources are limited. Although much is known about the effects of catecholamines and hormones on aggression, relatively few studies have examined the effects of physical performance on aggression. Here we use a large, sexually dimorphic teiid lizard to test whether individuals that show high levels of physical performance (bite force) are also more aggressive toward a potential threat (i.e., a human approaching the lizard). Our results show that independent of their sex, larger individuals with higher bite forces were indeed more aggressive. Moreover, our data show that individuals with higher bite forces tend to show decreased escape responses and are slower, providing evidence for a trade-off between fight and flight abilities. As bite force increased dramatically with body size, we suggest that large body size and bite force may reduce the threshold for an individual to engage in an aggressive encounter, allowing it to potentially gain or maintain resources and fight off predators while minimizing the risk of injury. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Anthony Herrel; Denis V Andrade; Jos? Eduardo de Carvalho; Ananda Brito; Augusto Abe; Carlos Navas |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Physiological and biochemical zoology : PBZ Volume: 82 ISSN: 1537-5293 ISO Abbreviation: Physiol. Biochem. Zool. Publication Date: 2009 Nov-Dec |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-10-13 Completed Date: 2010-02-17 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 100883369 Medline TA: Physiol Biochem Zool Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 680-5 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
D?partement d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversit?, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France. anthony.herrel@mnhn.fr |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Aggression
/
physiology* Animals Behavior, Animal / physiology* Body Size / physiology Brazil Female Jaw / physiology* Lizards / physiology* Male Muscle Strength / physiology* Sex Factors |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: No Article Title
Next Document: Muscle metabolic capacities and plasma cortisol levels of the male three-spine stickleback Gasterost...