Lizard tail-loss rates on islands are not governed by longer life spans
In: Israel Journal of Ecology and EvolutionSearch for other papers by Yuval Itescu in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Rachel Schwarz in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Shai Meiri in
Current site
Google Scholar
Search for other papers by Panayiotis Pafilis in
Current site
Google Scholar
We recently studied whether, on islands, predation or intraspecific aggression is the main driver of tail-loss, a common defense mechanism among lizards. We concluded the latter was the stronger driver (Itescu et al. 2017). Werner (2017) suggested that we failed to falsify an alternative hypothesis. He claims that on low-predation islands lizards live longer. Thus while tail loss is caused by predators, it accumulates over longer periods, resulting in overall higher tail-loss rates in populations experiencing weak predation. Here we test this hypothesis and three other arguments he presented, and fail to support them. We therefore adhere to our original conclusion that intraspecific aggression is the main driver of lizard tail loss on islands.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
EN Arnold . (1988). Caudal autotomy as a defense. In: Biology of the Reptilia. New York: Alan R. Liss. pp. 235–273.
-
PW Bateman , PA Fleming . (2009). To cut a long tail short: a review of lizard caudal autotomy studies carried out over the last 20 years. J Zool. 277, pp. 1–14.
-
KM Brock , PA Bednekoff , P Pafilis , J Foufopoulos . (2015). Evolution of antipredator behavior in an island lizard species, Podarcis erhardii (Reptilia: Lacertidae): The sum of all fears? Evolution. 69, pp. 216–231.
-
A. Cattaneo (2010). Note eco-morfologiche su alcune specie ofidiche Egee, con particolare riferimento alle popolazioni delle Cicladi centro-orientali (Reptilia). Natural. Sicil. 34, pp. 319–350.
-
DG Chapple , R Swain . (2002). Effect of caudal autotomy on locomotor performance in a viviparous skink, Niveoscincus metallicus. Funct Ecol. 16, pp. 817–825.
-
WE Cooper , I Dimopoulos , P Pafilis . (2015). Sex, age, and population density affect aggressive behaviors in island lizards promoting cannibalism. Ethology 121, pp. 260–269.
-
CM Donihue , KM Brock , J Foufopoulos , A Herrel . (2016). Feed or fight: testing the impact of food availability and intraspecific aggression on the functional ecology of an island lizard. Funct Ecol. 30, pp. 566–575.
-
Y Itescu , R Schwarz , C Donihue , A Slavenko , SA Roussos , K Sagonas ,ED Valakos ,J Foufopoulos , P Pafilis , S Meiri . (2018). Inconsistent patterns of body size evolution in co-occurring island reptiles. Global Ecol Biogeogr. In press.
-
Y Itescu , R Schwarz , S Meiri , P Pafilis . (2017). Intra-specific competition, not predation, drives lizard tail loss on islands. J Anim Ecol 86, pp. 66–74.
-
Y Itescu , R Schwarz , M Moses , P Pafilis , S Meiri . (2016). Record sizes for the Turkish house gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, from Aegean islands, Greece. Herpetol. Bull. 138, pp. 24–26.
-
S Meiri , AE Kadison , M Novosolov , P Pafilis , J Foufopoulos , Y Itescu , P Raia , D Pincheira-Donoso . (2014). The number of competitor species is unlinked to sexual dimorphism. J Anim Ecol 83, pp. 1302–1312.
-
P Pafilis , J Foufopoulos , N Poulakakis , P Lymberakis , ED Valakos . (2009a). Tail shedding in island lizards [Lacertidae, Reptilia]: decline of antipredator defenses in relaxed predation environments. Evolution 63, pp. 1262–1278.
-
P Pafilis , S Meiri , J Foufopoulos , E Valakos . (2009b). Intraspecific competition and high food availability are associated with insular gigantism in a lizard. Naturwissenschaften 96, pp. 1107–1113.
-
R. Schwarz (2016). Evolution of life history traits in lizards: A local and global approach. M.Sc. thesis, School of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University .
-
YL Werner . (2017). Commentary on the factors governing the rate of tail loss in island lizards. Isr J Ecol Evol. In press.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 327 | 49 | 10 |
| Full Text Views | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 0 | 0 |
Lizard tail-loss rates on islands are not governed by longer life spans
In: Israel Journal of Ecology and EvolutionSearch for other papers by Yuval Itescu in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Rachel Schwarz in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Shai Meiri in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Panayiotis Pafilis in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
We recently studied whether, on islands, predation or intraspecific aggression is the main driver of tail-loss, a common defense mechanism among lizards. We concluded the latter was the stronger driver (Itescu et al. 2017). Werner (2017) suggested that we failed to falsify an alternative hypothesis. He claims that on low-predation islands lizards live longer. Thus while tail loss is caused by predators, it accumulates over longer periods, resulting in overall higher tail-loss rates in populations experiencing weak predation. Here we test this hypothesis and three other arguments he presented, and fail to support them. We therefore adhere to our original conclusion that intraspecific aggression is the main driver of lizard tail loss on islands.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 327 | 49 | 10 |
| Full Text Views | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 10 | 0 | 0 |
