Unique structural features facilitate lizard tail autotomy.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sanggaard KW
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3526639 | biostudies-literature | 2012
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Unique structural features facilitate lizard tail autotomy.
Sanggaard Kristian W KW Danielsen Carl Chr CC Wogensen Lise L Vinding Mads S MS Rydtoft Louise M LM Mortensen Martin B MB Karring Henrik H Nielsen Niels Chr NC Wang Tobias T Thøgersen Ida B IB Enghild Jan J JJ
PloS one 20121219 12
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 facil ...[more]
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