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Padilla-Morales B, Acuña-Alonzo AP, Kilili H, Castillo-Morales A, Díaz-Barba K, Maher KH, Fabian L, Mourkas E, Székely T, Serrano-Meneses MA, Cortez D, Ancona S, Urrutia AO. Sexual size dimorphism in mammals is associated with changes in the size of gene families related to brain development. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6257. [PMID: 39048570 PMCID: PMC11269740 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50386-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sexual size dimorphism often reflects the intensity of sexual selection, yet its connection to genomic evolution remains unexplored. Gene family size evolution can reflect shifts in the relative importance of different molecular functions. Here, we investigate the associate between brain development gene repertoire to sexual size dimorphism using 124 mammalian species. We reveal significant changes in gene family size associations with sexual size dimorphism. High levels of dimorphism correlate with an expansion of gene families enriched in olfactory sensory perception and a contraction of gene families associated with brain development functions, many of which exhibited particularly high expression in the human adult brain. These findings suggest a relationship between intense sexual selection and alterations in gene family size. These insights illustrate the complex interplay between sexual dimorphism, gene family size evolution, and their roles in mammalian brain development and function, offering a valuable understanding of mammalian genome evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Padilla-Morales
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | | | - Huseyin Kilili
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | | | - Karina Díaz-Barba
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
- Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico city, 04510, Mexico
- Licenciatura en ciencias genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, 62210, México
| | - Kathryn H Maher
- NERC Environmental Omics Facility, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Laurie Fabian
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Evangelos Mourkas
- Zoonosis Science Centre, Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Martin-Alejandro Serrano-Meneses
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Sta. Catarina Mártir, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, 72810, México
| | - Diego Cortez
- Centro de Ciencias Genómicas, UNAM, Cuernavaca, 62210, México
| | - Sergio Ancona
- Instituto de Ecología, Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, UNAM, México City, 04510, México
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
- Instituto de Ecología, UNAM, Mexico city, 04510, Mexico.
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2
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Sidler L, Rode-White J, Kappeler PM. Male-biased dominance in greater bamboo lemurs ( Prolemur simus). Primate Biol 2024; 11:13-17. [PMID: 39045309 PMCID: PMC11262024 DOI: 10.5194/pb-11-13-2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Intersexual dominance relationships in virtually all lemur species have been reported to be female-biased. Although a claim of male dominance in greater bamboo lemurs (Prolemur simus) which was not supported by data is unusual against this background, it is in line with recent studies on other lemur species that suggest the existence of a continuum of intersexual dominance relationships. We therefore studied the details of agonistic interactions among adults of one captive group of P. simus at Cologne Zoo. This very preliminary study confirmed male-biased dominance because the adult male of the study group won all agonistic interactions with all three adult females, and the male was never dominated by any of the females. This result raises several interesting questions about the mechanisms and evolution of intersexual dominance relationships in group-living lemurs and should encourage similar future studies of additional groups of this species - ideally in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilith Sidler
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute of Primatology, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
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3
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Tombak KJ, Hex SBSW, Rubenstein DI. New estimates indicate that males are not larger than females in most mammal species. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1872. [PMID: 38472185 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45739-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism has motivated a large body of research on mammalian mating strategies and sexual selection. Despite some contrary evidence, the narrative that larger males are the norm in mammals-upheld since Darwin's Descent of Man-still dominates today, supported by meta-analyses that use coarse measures of dimorphism and taxonomically-biased sampling. With newly-available datasets and primary sources reporting sex-segregated means and variances in adult body mass, we estimate statistically-determined rates of sexual size dimorphism in mammals, sampling taxa by their species richness at the family level. Our analyses of wild, non-provisioned populations representing >400 species indicate that although males tend to be larger than females when dimorphism occurs, males are not larger in most mammal species, suggesting a need to revisit other assumptions in sexual selection research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia J Tombak
- Department of Anthropology, Hunter College of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Severine B S W Hex
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
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4
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Schüßler D, Blanco MB, Guthrie NK, Sgarlata GM, Dammhahn M, Ernest R, Evasoa MR, Hasiniaina A, Hending D, Jan F, le Pors B, Miller A, Olivieri G, Rakotonanahary AN, Rakotondranary SJ, Rakotondravony R, Ralantoharijaona T, Ramananjato V, Randrianambinina B, Raoelinjanakolona NN, Rasoazanabary E, Rasoloarison RM, Rasolofoson DW, Rasoloharijaona S, Rasolondraibe E, Roberts SH, Teixeira H, van Elst T, Johnson SE, Ganzhorn JU, Chikhi L, Kappeler PM, Louis EE, Salmona J, Radespiel U. Morphological variability or inter-observer bias? A methodological toolkit to improve data quality of multi-researcher datasets for the analysis of morphological variation. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:60-78. [PMID: 37607125 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The investigation of morphological variation in animals is widely used in taxonomy, ecology, and evolution. Using large datasets for meta-analyses has dramatically increased, raising concerns about dataset compatibilities and biases introduced by contributions of multiple researchers. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compiled morphological data on 13 variables for 3073 individual mouse lemurs (Cheirogaleidae, Microcebus spp.) from 25 taxa and 153 different sampling locations, measured by 48 different researchers. We introduced and applied a filtering pipeline and quantified improvements in data quality (Shapiro-Francia statistic, skewness, and excess kurtosis). The filtered dataset was then used to test for genus-wide sexual size dimorphism and the applicability of Rensch's, Allen's, and Bergmann's rules. RESULTS Our pipeline reduced inter-observer bias (i.e., increased normality of data distributions). Inter-observer reliability of measurements was notably variable, highlighting the need to reduce data collection biases. Although subtle, we found a consistent pattern of sexual size dimorphism across Microcebus, with females being the larger (but not heavier) sex. Sexual size dimorphism was isometric, providing no support for Rensch's rule. Variations in tail length but not in ear size were consistent with the predictions of Allen's rule. Body mass and length followed a pattern contrary to predictions of Bergmann's rule. DISCUSSION We highlighted the usefulness of large multi-researcher datasets for testing ecological hypotheses after correcting for inter-observer biases. Using genus-wide tests, we outlined generalizable patterns of morphological variability across all mouse lemurs. This new methodological toolkit aims to facilitate future large-scale morphological comparisons for a wide range of taxa and applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Schüßler
- Institute of Biology and Chemistry, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany
| | | | - Nicola K Guthrie
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Mamy Rina Evasoa
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alida Hasiniaina
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- School for International Training, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Fabien Jan
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
| | | | - Alex Miller
- Perth Zoo, South Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gillian Olivieri
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | - Romule Rakotondravony
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Tantely Ralantoharijaona
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Veronarindra Ramananjato
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Blanchard Randrianambinina
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Nancia N Raoelinjanakolona
- Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | | | - Rodin M Rasoloarison
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David W Rasolofoson
- Groupe d'Etude et de Recherche sur les Primates de Madagascar (GERP), Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | - Emmanuel Rasolondraibe
- Faculté des Sciences, de Technologies et de l'Environnement, Ecole Doctorale Ecosystèmes Naturels, Université de Mahajanga, Mahajanga, Madagascar
| | | | - Helena Teixeira
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
- UMR ENTROPIE, Université de La Réunion, La Réunion, France
| | - Tobias van Elst
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Steig E Johnson
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jörg U Ganzhorn
- Animal Ecology and Conservation, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lounès Chikhi
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Portugal
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, IRD, CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Anthropology/Sociobiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Edward E Louis
- Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP), Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Jordi Salmona
- Laboratoire Évolution et Diversité Biologique, UMR5174, IRD, CNRS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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Jones ME, Sheard C. The macroevolutionary dynamics of mammalian sexual size dimorphism. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231211. [PMID: 37964522 PMCID: PMC10646455 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common phenomenon across the animal kingdom. Mammals are unusual in primarily displaying male-biased SSD, where males of a species are typically larger than females. The driving factors behind the evolution of this SSD have been much debated, with popular hypotheses invoking the influence of mating system and social organization via sexual selection, dietary niche divergence and broad-scale correlations with body size (Rensch's rule). Here, we investigate the macroevolutionary origins and maintenance of SSD among mammals, using phylogenetic general mixed linear models and a comprehensive global dataset to evaluate correlations of diet, body mass, seasonality, social organization and mating system with SSD type. We find that SSD as a whole is lost at a greater rate than it is gained, with female-biased SSD being particularly unstable. Non-monogamous mating systems, vertebrate prey consumption and temperature seasonality correlate with male-biased SSD, while polyandry correlates with female-biased SSD, and both types of SSD are positively correlated with body mass. This is in partial contrast to the predictions of Rensch's rule, which predicts that female-biased SSD would correlate negatively with body size. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of considering multiple ecological and social drivers when evaluating the macroevolutionary trajectory of sex differences in body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E. Jones
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, 176 Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9QQ, UK
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Catherine Sheard
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Ave, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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6
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Kappeler PM, Fichtel C, Radespiel U. The Island of Female Power? Intersexual Dominance Relationships in the Lemurs of Madagascar. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.858859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The extant primates of Madagascar (Lemuriformes) represent the endpoints of an adaptive radiation following a single colonization event more than 50 million years ago. They have since evolved a diversity of life history traits, ecological adaptations and social systems that rivals that of all other living primates combined. Their social systems are characterized by a unique combination of traits, including the ability of adult females to dominate adult males. In fact, there is no other group of mammals in which female dominance is so widespread. Yet, recent research has indicated that there is more interspecific variation in lemur intersexual relationships than previously acknowledged. Here, we therefore review and summarize the relevant literature, quantifying the extent of sex-bias in intersexual dominance relations documented in observational and experimental studies in captivity and the wild. Female dominance is often, but not always, implemented by spontaneous male submission in the absence of female aggression and linked to female sexual maturation. We connect the available evidence to the hypotheses that have been proposed to explain the evolution of female dominance among lemurs. The occurrence of female dominance in all lemur families and the interspecific variation in its extent indicate that it has evolved soon after lemurs colonized Madagascar – presumably in response to particular ecological challenges – and that it has since been reduced in magnitude independently in some taxa. Our study contributes important comparative information on sex roles from an independent primate radiation and provides general insights into the conditions, opportunities and obstacles in the evolution of female-biased power.
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7
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Terray L, Denys C, Goodman SM, Soarimalala V, Lalis A, Cornette R. Skull morphological evolution in Malagasy endemic Nesomyinae rodents. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263045. [PMID: 35120158 PMCID: PMC8815910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Madagascar is a large island to the south-east of Africa and in many ways continental in size and ecological complexity. Here we aim to define how skull morphology of an endemic and monophyletic clade of rodents (sub-family Nesomyinae), that show considerable morphological variation, have evolved and how their disparity is characterized in context of the geographical and ecological complexity of the island. We performed a two-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis on 370 dorsal and 399 ventral skull images of 19 species (comprising all nine extant endemic genera) and tested the influence of three ecological parameters (climate, locomotor habitat and nychthemeral cycle) in a phylogenetic context on size and shape. The results indicate that skull shape appears to importantly reflect phylogeny, whereas skull size does not carry a significant phylogenetic signal. Skull shape is significantly influenced by climate while, skull size is not impacted by any of the ecological factors tested, which is controversial to expectations in an insular context. In conclusion, Nesomyinae must have evolved under unusual types of local constraints, preventing this radiation from demonstrating strong ecological release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Terray
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, Paris, France
| | - Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Steven M. Goodman
- Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Association Vahatra, Antananarivo, Madagascar
| | - Voahangy Soarimalala
- Association Vahatra, Antananarivo, Madagascar
- Institut des Sciences et Techniques de l’Environnement, University of Fianarantsoa, Fianarantsoa, Madagascar
| | - Aude Lalis
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UA, CP 51, Paris, France
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8
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Vining AQ, Nunn CL, Samson DR. Enriched sleep environments lengthen lemur sleep duration. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253251. [PMID: 34723990 PMCID: PMC8559942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Characteristics of the sleep-site are thought to influence the quality and duration of primate sleep, yet only a handful of studies have investigated these links experimentally. Using actigraphy and infrared videography, we quantified sleep in four lemur species (Eulemur coronatus, Lemur catta, Propithecus coquereli, and Varecia rubra) under two different experimental conditions at the Duke Lemur Center (DLC) in Durham, NC, USA. Individuals from each species underwent three weeks of simultaneous testing to investigate the hypothesis that comfort level of the sleep-site influences sleep. We obtained baseline data on normal sleep, and then, in a pair-wise study design, we compared the daily sleep times, inter-daily activity stability, and intra-daily activity variability of individuals in simultaneous experiments of sleep-site enrichment and sleep-site impoverishment. Over 164 24-hour periods from 8 individuals (2 of each species), we found evidence that enriched sleep-sites increased daily sleep times of lemurs, with an average increase of thirty-two minutes. The effect of sleep-site impoverishment was small and not statistically significant. Though our experimental manipulations altered inter-daily stability and intra-daily variability in activity patterns relative to baseline, the changes did not differ significantly between enriched and impoverished conditions. We conclude that properties of a sleep-site enhancing softness or insulation, more than the factors of surface area or stability, influence lemur sleep, with implications regarding the importance of nest building in primate evolution and the welfare and management of captive lemurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Q. Vining
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail: (AQV); (DRS)
| | - Charles L. Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - David R. Samson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Canada
- * E-mail: (AQV); (DRS)
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López-Cortegano E, Carpena-Catoira C, Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rolán-Alvarez E. Mate choice based on body size similarity in sexually dimorphic populations causes strong sexual selection. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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