Can diet niche partitioning enhance sexual dimorphism?

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 12(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2022

Classic evolutionary theory suggests that sexual dimorphism evolves primarily via and fecundity selection. However, evidence are beginning to accumulate suggesting resource competition can drive the evolution of dimorphism, ecological character displacement between sexes. A key prediction this hypothesis is extent divergence sexes will be associated with dimorphism. As stable isotope ratios animal tissues provide a quantitative measure various aspects ecology, we carried out meta-analysis examining associations isotopic body size Our models demonstrate large amounts between-study variation in (ecological) nonrandom may traits study subjects. We, therefore, completed meta-regressions examine whether We found modest but significantly positive across species differences sexes, increased strength when opportunity for dietary was greatest. results, further ecologically mediated selection, not directly related reproduction, contribute

Language: Английский

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Evolutionary Patterns of Intersexual Power

Animals, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 13(23), P. 3695 - 3695

Published: Nov. 29, 2023

Dominance and leverage are both possible causes of social inequality. If sexual dimorphism influences patterns intersexual dominance, we predicted that highly dimorphic species constrained to exhibit male-biased power (MP), but with low free demonstrate a broader range relationships. market effects influence leverage, females have more when group composition is estrus asynchronous. We analyzed data on power, dimorphism, expected estrous overlap, sex ratio for 79 extant primate using phylogenetic logistic regression ancestral state reconstructions. Although MP common, every major clade includes non-MP species. was associated greater body mass canine length female-biased sex-ratios. Low overlap non-MP. reconstructed as likely anthropoids, the last common ancestor this probably did not high dimorphism. The catarrhines dimorphic, potentially constraining Non-MP evolved multiple times in primates may be less because traits linked while fewer or equality.

Language: Английский

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Fossil evidence sheds light on sexual selection during the early evolution of birds

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 121(3)

Published: Jan. 8, 2024

The impact of sexual selection on the evolution birds has been widely acknowledged. Although hypothesized as a driving force in occurrences numerous morphological features across theropod evolution, this hypothesis yet to be comprehensively tested due challenges identifying sex fossils and by limited sample size. Confuciusornis sanctus is arguably best-known early avialan represented thousands well-preserved specimens from Early Cretaceous Jehol lagerstätte, which provides us with chance decipher strength extinct vertebrates. Herein, we present morphometric study C. based largest size taxon collected up now. Our results indicate that characteristic elongated paired rectrices sexually dimorphic trait statistically robust inferences dimorphism size, shape, allometry have established, providing earliest known avian evolution. findings suggest selection, conjunction natural does act upon body limb length ratio birds, thereby promoting deeper understanding role large-scale phylogenetic

Language: Английский

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Evolution of sex‐biased genes in Drosophila species with neo‐sex chromosomes: Potential contribution to reducing the sexual conflict

Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 14(7)

Published: July 1, 2024

An advantage of sex chromosomes may be the potential to reduce sexual conflict because they provide a basis for selection operate separately on females and males. However, evaluating relationship between is challenging owing difficulty in measuring substantial divergence species with without chromosomes. We therefore examined sex-biased gene expression as proxy three sets

Language: Английский

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Evolutionary lability of sexual selection and its implications for speciation and macroevolution

The American Naturalist, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 000 - 000

Published: Dec. 17, 2024

AbstractSexual selection is widely hypothesized to facilitate speciation and phenotypic evolution, but evidence from comparative studies has been mixed. Many previous have relied on proxy variables quantify the intensity of sexual selection, raising possibility that inconclusive results may reflect, in part, imperfect measurement this evolutionary process. Here, we test relationship between phylogenetic rates indices opportunity for drawn populations 82 vertebrate taxa. These provide a much more direct assessment than traits allow straightforward comparisons among distantly related clades. We find no correlation rate, result consistent across many complementary analyses. In addition, used variables-sexual dimorphism dichromatism-are not correlated with employed here. Moreover, low signal intraspecific variability species approaches range variation observed all vertebrates as whole. Our potentially reconcile major paradox biology at interface microevolution macroevolution: can be important speciation, yet lability process over deeper timescales restricts its impact broad-scale patterns biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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