Locomotor performance and dominance in male Tree Lizards, Urosaurus ornatus

摘要: 1. The importance of locomotor performance to the social status male lizards may lie in its effect on outcome agonistic interactions and territorial contests. Presumably, dominant males are able acquire defend larger territories, encounter more potential mates have greater reproductive success. 2. Therefore, hypothesis that dominance should covary with was tested using Tree Lizard, Urosaurus ornatus. 3. Two components performance, maximum sprint speed stamina, were measured. The former variable estimated as fastest a 0·25-m length along 2-m long racetrack. second measured elapsed time lizard could sustain walking pace canvas belt moving at 0·50 km h−1. 4. The relative size-matched independently determined by staging paired encounters novel arena. Dominance behavioural scores aggression submission. 5. The dyadic resulted unambiguous determination individuals for 48 50 trials. Dominant significantly faster than submissive males. In addition, endurance capacity exceeded males. 6. Dominance behaviour strongly associated. Although exact underlying mechanism is unknown, results suggest link between hormones, lizards.