Title |
Unique Structural Features Facilitate Lizard Tail Autotomy
|
---|---|
Published in |
PLOS ONE, December 2012
|
DOI | 10.1371/journal.pone.0051803 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Kristian W. Sanggaard, Carl Chr. Danielsen, Lise Wogensen, Mads S. Vinding, Louise M. Rydtoft, Martin B. Mortensen, Henrik Karring, Niels Chr. Nielsen, Tobias Wang, Ida B. Thøgersen, Jan J. Enghild |
Abstract |
Autotomy refers to the voluntary shedding of a body part; a renowned example is tail loss among lizards as a response to attempted predation. Although many aspects of lizard tail autotomy have been studied, the detailed morphology and mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, we showed that tail shedding by the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) and the associated extracellular matrix (ECM) rupture were independent of proteolysis. Instead, lizard caudal autotomy relied on biological adhesion facilitated by surface microstructures. Results based on bio-imaging techniques demonstrated that the tail of Gekko gecko was pre-severed at distinct sites and that its structural integrity depended on the adhesion between these segments. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Japan | 3 | 27% |
United States | 2 | 18% |
Canada | 1 | 9% |
Australia | 1 | 9% |
Unknown | 4 | 36% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 8 | 73% |
Scientists | 3 | 27% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 2 | 2% |
Portugal | 2 | 2% |
Netherlands | 1 | 1% |
Brazil | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 79 | 93% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 15 | 18% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 13 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 12 | 14% |
Researcher | 9 | 11% |
Professor > Associate Professor | 4 | 5% |
Other | 11 | 13% |
Unknown | 21 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 42 | 49% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 5 | 6% |
Engineering | 4 | 5% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 3 | 4% |
Chemistry | 3 | 4% |
Other | 6 | 7% |
Unknown | 22 | 26% |