Photo by Casey Gilman, U. Mass. Amherst
In addition to performing dewlap extensions, head bobs, and pushups, many anoles raise a dorsal crest during territorial disputes. Here, two Anolis sagrei males square off. The static dorsal crest serves to modify the appearance of active pushups and dewlap extensions, perhaps making the male appear larger and more imposing. It is unclear how the crest is controlled. Jenssen notes the lag period before the crest is raised and the persistence of the crest after a territorial bout is concluded; thus, the crest may be a response to adrenaline and under the control of the sympathetic nervous system. Note the tongue extension by the top lizard.
I am interested in whether, how, and why ecology shapes evolution (and evolution shapes ecology) through time, with an emphasis on microevolutionary pattern and process, adaptation, and field experiments. I completed my Ph.D. on Anolis lizards in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. I am currently a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Texas, Austin studying threespine stickleback. They're not anoles, but they're cool too.
Latest posts by Yoel Stuart (see all)
- DNA Sequencing from Formalin-Preserved Specimens - December 16, 2014
- Sans the Claws, Anoles Present Under The Trees? - December 5, 2014
- Out Damned Spot! Or, How They’d Be Loving If They Weren’t Fighting - November 18, 2014
Maxine Runkle
I am Elderly and every day I go outside to communicate with some Anoles. There is one particular one, appears Black, is a Large one so I assume he is old. I call him Grandpa! Today I saw an Anole with a crest on his head and back. As I spoke to him, he showed me his Dewlap. Then I noticed his crest went down!! I Love these guys and wish I could know more about them….the other day I saw a Baby. It was so tiny, no longer than an inch in length, from his head to the bottom of his tail…..