Discrimination between related and unrelated individuals in the Australian lizard Egernia striolata

dc.contributor.authorBull, C.
dc.contributor.authorGriffin, C.
dc.contributor.authorBonnett, M.
dc.contributor.authorGardner, M.
dc.contributor.authorCooper, S.
dc.date.issued2001
dc.description.abstractWe examined evidence for kin-related signal discrimination in the Australian scincid lizard Egernia striolata, using 41 juvenile lizards from 14 litters from a population in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. We characterised each juvenile at four polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci, determined genetic relatedness among pairs of juveniles, and assigned for each litter one other litter that was genetically closest and one other litter that was genetically most distant. Lizards responded significantly more strongly, with tongue flicks and time in contact, to skin secretion stimuli from more distant than genetically close, unfamiliar conspecific juveniles. When presented with an intruder, juvenile lizards basked for shorter periods when the intruder was more distantly related, and aggressive lizards directed more aggressive acts towards more distantly related than closely related conspecific intruders. We deduce from these results that there is kin recognition in juvenile E. striolata, and that they are able to discriminate related from unrelated individuals among unfamiliar conspecifics.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityMichael C. Bull, Clare L. Griffin, Matthew Bonnett, Michael G. Gardner, Steven J. Cooper
dc.identifier.citationBehavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2001; 50(2):173-179
dc.identifier.doi10.1007/s002650100348
dc.identifier.issn0340-5443
dc.identifier.issn1432-0762
dc.identifier.orcidCooper, S. [0000-0002-7843-8438]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/28043
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s002650100348
dc.titleDiscrimination between related and unrelated individuals in the Australian lizard Egernia striolata
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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