Animal Contests: Lizards and other reptiles as model systems for the study of contest behaviour

摘要: Summary Reptiles, especially sexually selected lizards, have proven to be good model systems for studying the evolution of contest competition. Aggression, by males, plays an important role in structuring reptilian social often characterised territorial defence and both fixed plastic alternative male tactics. Reptilian aggressive behaviour ranges from overt physical attacks that are likely require significant energy expenditure risk injury less costly signalling using visually conspicuous stereotypical motor patterns, striking colouration chemical cues. Morphological traits promote success contests involve development exaggerated specialised armaments, colour conspicuousness, as well whole animal performance large overall size. Aggressive patterns may also influenced body temperature, prior experience other variables affect context interactions. Lizards models tests proposed influence hormones on aggression, possible effects aggression hormone levels. Lastly, lizards been used test extent which game-theoretic can explain evolutionary maintenance colour/behaviour morphs outcome dyadic contests. Introduction Extant vertebrates commonly known ‘reptiles’ actually include three lineages related only distantly (Zug et al . 2001, Vitt & Caldwell 2009). Although fossil record suggests fascinating hypotheses pertaining intraspecific some extinct reptiles (e.g. Hieronymus 2009, Peterson 2009), obvious reasons, research has focused extant forms. For this chapter, thus refers members clades: Crocodilians (alligators crocodiles), Chelonians (turtles) and, especially, Lepidosauria (tuataras, snakes).