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American Zoologist 1981 21(1):273-294; doi:10.1093/icb/21.1.273
© 1981 by The Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology
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Function and Causation of Social Signals in Lizards1

DAVID CREWS and NEIL GREENBERG
Departments of Biology and Psychology and Social Relations and the Museum of Comparative Zoology Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

SYNOPSIS. We describe here a multidisciplinary investigation of the stimuli and mechanisms controlling reproduction in the green anole lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Bothenvironmental and social stimuli that vary seasonally are used as proximate cues to reproduction. In order for these ecological factors to initiate breeding, they must be perceived and integrated in the central nervous system. External and internal stimuli converge upon the hypothalamus, the major neuroendocrine integrative area of the brain, which, in turn, directly regulates pituitary and autonomic function. In addition to their role in reproduction, the gonadal hormones are important throughout the life of the organism, acting both peripherally and centrally, to adapt the individual to its environment. Thus, the environment, behavior, and physiology interact in complex ways to synchronize the social and reproductive activities of individuals.


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