Sprint sensitivity and locomotor trade-offs in green anole (Anolis carolinensis) lizards.

Tail loss and narrow surfaces decrease locomotor stability in the arboreal green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis).

Tails play an important role in dynamic stabilization during falling and jumping in lizards. Yet tail autotomy (the voluntary loss of an appendage) is a common mechanism used for predator evasion in these animals. How tail autotomy has an impact on locomotor performance and stability remains poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine how tail loss affects running kinematics and ...

The gross anatomy of the original and regenerated tail in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis).

This study investigates the gross anatomy of the original and the regenerated tail in the green anole (Anolis carolinensis). Dissections were conducted on 24 original and 13 regenerated tails. While the extrinsic muscles of the original tail in A. carolinensis are similar to those in other known Anolis lizard species, the extent of the origins of m. caudofemoralis longus and m. caudofemoralis b...

Developmental regulation of hemoglobin synthesis in the green anole lizard <i>Anolis carolinensis</i>

The quick and the fast: the evolution of acceleration capacity in Anolis lizards.

Although of prime ecological relevance, acceleration capacity is a poorly understood locomotor performance trait in terrestrial vertebrates. No empirical data exist on which design characteristics determine acceleration capacity among species and whether these design traits influence other aspects of locomotor performance. In this study we explore how acceleration capacity and sprint speed have...

Loading effects on jump performance in green anole lizards, Anolis carolinensis.

Locomotor performance is a crucial determinant of organismal fitness but is often impaired in certain circumstances, such as increased mass (loading) resulting from feeding or gravidity. Although the effects of loading have been studied extensively for striding locomotion, its effects on jumping are poorly understood. Jumping is a mode of locomotion that is widely used across animal taxa. It de...