Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 12 November 1982:
Vol. 218. no. 4573, pp. 692 - 693
DOI: 10.1126/science.218.4573.692
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Social Cost of Tail Loss in Uta stansburiand

STANLEY F. FOX 1 and MARGARET A. ROSTKER 1

1 Department of Zoology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078

Tail removal from dominant juvenile Uta stansburiana resulted in a decrease in social status in dyadic encounters. Most lizards were affected after removal of two-thirds of their tails. In some pairs, dominant lizards lost status after removal of one-third of their tails but regained dominance after the other member of the pair lost two-thirds of its tail. Tail loss in nature may impose a social handicap to successful home range acquisition and thereby increase risk of death.

Submitted on March 8, 1982
Revised on June 21, 1982


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Losing stability: tail loss and jumping in the arboreal lizard Anolis carolinensis.
G. B. Gillis, L. A. Bonvini, and D. J. Irschick (2009)
J. Exp. Biol. 212, 604-609
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The costs of autotomy and regeneration in animals: a review and framework for future research.
T. L. Maginnis (2006)
Behav. Ecol. 17, 857-872
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)