Posted by:
eric adrignola
at Wed Apr 27 15:34:37 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by eric adrignola ]
There's more to itthan that even.
The most dangerous part of chameleon on it's mouth. Even triceratops, which had 4 foot horns, had a more powerfulweapon - it's mouth.
With their jaws, they could cripple and kill another of their kind very quickly. Same goes with chameleons. they have about the most powerful jaws for a lizard of their size(as did triceratops and its relatives).
Veields and panthers will fight to the death sometimes. Horned chameleons will fight, but their horns get in the way of their jaws. The one with the longer horns can keep the other's jaws farther away.
It's not just triocerus - remember, furcifer AND Calumma have similar adaptations - rostral projections, while not true horns, provide the same function. They keep the other guy's jaws away.
Pardalis have short "horns," and seem to rely on color and threat,not pushing and shoving. Same for calyptratus.
That might be the evolutionary reason for the horns showing up in the first place, and for them being useful. Now, I'm sure the females sexual selction has a say in it. If horns are a desireabel trait, then sexual selection may be even more of a factor now than fighting.
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