Behavior and Ecology
نویسنده
چکیده
I guanas have long fascinated be-havioral ecologists because they offer an exception to almost every generalization. The implicit hope is that by explaining the exceptions, we might also be able to understand the rule. Whereas most lizards are insectivorous, iguanas feed mostly on plants. Whereas most lizards are territorial, iguanas often live together in groups. Much of lizard behavior and ecology can be explained by understanding the phylogenetic history of the groups. For example, most lizards are probably territorial simply because their ancestors were territorial and there has not been sufficient selective pressure to change that behavior. In contrast, iguanas are incredibly diverse, exhibiting a tremendous variety of behavior and ecology despite their shared phylogenetic history. By studying iguanas, behavioral ecologists can thus learn a great deal about the evolutionary origins and selective importance of many forms of behavior. For example, much early iguana research fo-cused on green iguanas and the ecological and behavioral ramifications of being an herbivore (e.g., see Burghardt and Rand, 1982; Burghardt, this volume). Leaves are particularly difficult to digest. Thus, iguanas may also aggregate to improve transmission of symbiotic organisms that help to break leaves down into digestible components (Iverson, 1982; McBee and McBee, 1982). Their activity periods may also be determined largely by the need to spend long hours digesting their food. Leaves are generally nutrient poor and often loaded with toxic chemicals. Thus, iguana movement patterns may be dictated by the need to switch plant types often enough to gather enough calories without making themselves sick (Iverson, 1979). Plants tend to be seasonal , offering only occasional nutritionally-rich bursts of flowers and fruit. Thus, iguana groups may have formed originally as aggregations of animals taking advantage of these food bonanzas. Another flurry of research involved the importance of nesting patterns and the green iguana tendency to lay eggs in communal nesting areas and only at particular times of the year. The requirements imposed by fierce competition for limited nesting sites leads to impressive homing behavior by which females migrate long distances to the same small spot of beach every year
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تاریخ انتشار 2003