Active generation glands present in neonates of some Cordylid Lizards: A case study ofCordylus macropholis (Sauria: Cordylidae)

Mouton, P. le Fras N.; Flemming, Alexander F.; Searby, C. Alexander

doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-4687(199803)235:3<177::aid-jmor1>3.0.co;2-4

Cited by 12 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…There is presently no information available on whether generation glands in immature individuals, despite similar morphological appearance, are comparable with glands in mature individuals in terms of activity and/or the chemical composition of secretions. It is significant, however, that the three species where differentiated generation glands are already present in neonates are unrelated ground‐dwelling species (Mouton, Flemming & Searby, 1998). It would thus appear that the presence of generation glands in neonates could be related to a ground‐dwelling lifestyle.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidermal glands in cordylid lizards, with special reference to generation glands

Mouton¹,

Rensburg²,

Wyk³

2009

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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We investigated inter-and intraspecific variation in epidermal gland characteristics in cordylid lizards. Our particular interest was whether a causal relationship exists between the presence of generation glands and lifestyle, i.e. in rock-dwelling or ground-dwelling lizards. We established that both femoral and generation glands are always present in adult males, but that species can be divided into three categories on the basis of the presence of these glands in adult females: both femoral and generation glands absent; femoral glands present, but generation glands absent; and both femoral and generation glands present. The absence of epidermal glands in females appears to be the basal condition in the Cordylidae. All cordylid species are sexually dimorphic as far as generation gland number is concerned, with females having consistently less glands than males. Gland number in females is strongly affected by climate, being lower in cooler compared with warmer environments. In males, there is no clear geographical pattern, although in some clades males of high-altitude species have more generation glands than males of species occurring at lower altitudes. At least four of the five ground-dwelling species in the family display unique generation gland characteristics, compared with rock-dwelling species, reflecting the continued importance of generation glands in terrestrial environments.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…data; g, Mouton, Flemming & Nieuwoudt (2000); h, Fell (2005); i, Bates (2007); j, Mouton & Van Wyk (1993); k, Mouton et al. (2005); l, Costandius & Mouton (2006); m, Jacobsen (1989); n, Mouton & Van Wyk (1994); o, Mouton (1987); p, Branch (1998); q, Mouton et al. (1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidermal glands in cordylid lizards, with special reference to generation glands

Mouton¹,

Rensburg²,

Wyk³

2009

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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“…Mouton et al (2000a) ascribed the observed female-biased sex ratio in this species to male territoriality and the relegation of young males to suboptimal areas where mortality due to predation is high. Mouton et al (1998) found that seemingly active generation glands are present in neonates of C. macropholis, while in most other cordylids these glands only develop when sexual maturity is reached (Mouton et al 2010). Generation glands play an important role in chemical communication (Cooper et al 1996Hayward & Mouton 2007) and there is therefore a distinct possibility that adult males may recognise juvenile males as potential rivals and evict them from the plants, together with the older, more competitive males.…”

Section: Aggregating Behaviour In Cordylus Macropholismentioning

confidence: 99%

Aggregation behaviour of lizards in the arid western regions of South Africa

Mouton

2011

African Journal of Herpetology

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Investigations of aggregation behaviour in five lizard species (three diurnal rockdwelling species, one nocturnal rock-dwelling species, and one diurnal terrestrial species) occurring in the arid western regions of South Africa revealed that there is no single set of causal factors explaining this behaviour. Aggregating behaviour in Cordylus macropholis is simply the result of environmental constraints, namely a shortage of preferred shelter sites. Individuals of Ouroborus cataphractus aggregate to benefit from the early predator detection effect. In Platysaurus broadleyi and Chondrodactylus bibronii aggregation behaviour appears to be the result of environmental constraints as well as possible benefits from the dilution effect. At present there is no conclusive information on the reasons for aggregation in Namazonurus peersi. In the rock-dwelling species investigated, the extent of adaptation to counter the effects of intra-group competition appears to be correlated with the proportion of activity time spent at the communal shelter. The proportion of time spent at the shelter, in turn, appears to be determined by the morphology of the species and whether it is diurnal or nocturnal.

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“…In other species, there is a build up of mature generations in that generations are not shed, resulting in a multiple-layer type gland (Searby, 2002). No intraspecific variation in generation gland type has been recorded to date (Herselman, 1991;Van Wyk and Mouton, 1992;Mouton et al, 1998;Searby, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The absence of epidermal glands in females appears to be the basal condition in the family (Mouton et al, 2010). In those species where both males and females have generation glands, the available data show that the sexes display the same type of generation gland (Searby, 2002;Mouton et al, 1998;De Villiers, unpubl. data).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generation gland morphology in cordylid lizards: An evolutionary perspective

Mouton

Flemming

Broeckhoven

2013

Journal of Morphology

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To elucidate the functional significance of the three distinct types of generation glands that have been identified among cordylid lizards, we mapped gland type to the terminal taxa in the most recent phylogenetic tree for the Cordylidae. We used the phylogenetic programme Mesquite and applied the principle of parsimony to infer character states for the ancestral nodes in the tree. For those species where information on gland type was not available from the literature, we conducted a histological investigation of generation gland morphology, using standard histological techniques. We included two species of the sister family Gerrhosauridae in the analysis to serve as outgroups. In both Gerrhosaurus typicus and G. flavigularis, scales immediately anterior to the femoral pores displayed glandular activity, but differed from generation glands of cordylids in the absence of mature glandular generations. Among the cordylids investigated, we identified a fourth type of generation gland in Pseudocordylus subviridis, P. spinosus, and in the two Hemicordylus species, one where the glands consistently comprise of two mature glandular generations. In H. capensis, both single- and two-layer type glands are present. Our reconstruction of ancestral character states suggests a minimum of six transformations from one gland type to another during the evolutionary history of the family. The reconstruction furthermore suggests that the single-layer type gland reappeared at least once (in Hemicordylus) in the Cordylinae after having been lost. The reconstruction also unequivocally shows that the pit-like multiple-layer type gland evolved directly from the single-layer type and not from the protruding multiple-layer type. The two-layer type gland appears to be an intermediary condition between the multiple-layer and single-layer types. The evolutionary transformation of generation gland type appears to be linked to changes in lifestyle and associated changes in degree of territoriality and the need for chemical communication.

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Active generation glands present in neonates of some Cordylid Lizards: A case study ofCordylus macropholis (Sauria: Cordylidae)

Cited by 12 publications

References 9 publications

Epidermal glands in cordylid lizards, with special reference to generation glands

Epidermal glands in cordylid lizards, with special reference to generation glands

Aggregation behaviour of lizards in the arid western regions of South Africa

Generation gland morphology in cordylid lizards: An evolutionary perspective

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