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Lizard Pushups:
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Lizard Pushups: Summary

Let's summarize what's been covered:

  • Questions about behavior can be divided into four main types:
    • "How" questions about proximate causes:
      • What is the mechanism of behavior?
      • How does the behavior develop?
    • "Why" questions about ultimate causes:
      • What is the function of the behavior?
      • How did the behavior evolve?
  • Behavior must be recorded carefully and objectively to avoid "observer bias"
  • Decisions must be made about how to "code" behavior before data can be taken.
  • Both male and female lizards of many species establish and defend territories.
  • Territories may be useful for food, shelter, mates, or other purposes.
  • Territory holders are often more aggressive toward strange intruders than toward known neighbors -- the "dear enemy" phenomenon.
  • Lizard "pushups" or head-bobs function as a signal between individuals, usually in a competitive or territorial context. Ritualized displays are thought to evolve as a means of evaluating opponents without incurring the costs of actual combat.

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