Incorporating an ontogenetic perspective into evolutionary theory of sexual size dimorphism

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) describes divergent body sizes of adult males and females. While SSD has traditionally been explained by sexual and fecundity selection, recent advances in physiology and developmental biology emphasize that SSD would occur proximately because of sexual differences in on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evolution 2016-02, Vol.70 (2), p.369-384
Main Authors: Chou, Chun-Chia, Iwasa, Yoh, Nakazawa, Takefumi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age at maturity
Animals
Body Size - genetics
Evolution, Molecular
Evolutionary biology
Female
Genetic Fitness
Growth rate
Male
Models, Genetic
ontogenetic growth
quantitative genetic model
Quantitative genetics
Selection, Genetic
Sex Characteristics
sexual difference
SSD
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Summary:Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) describes divergent body sizes of adult males and females. While SSD has traditionally been explained by sexual and fecundity selection, recent advances in physiology and developmental biology emphasize that SSD would occur proximately because of sexual differences in ontogenetic growth trajectories (i.e., growth rate and duration). Notably, these ontogenetic traits are subject to energetic or time constraints and thus traded off with fitness components (e.g., survival and reproduction). To elucidate the importance of such ontogenetic trade-offs in the evolution of SSD, we developed a new theoretical framework by extending quantitative genetic models for the evolution of sexual dimorphism in which we reinterpret the trait as body size and reformulate sex-specific fitness in size-dependent manners. More specifically, we assume that higher growth rate or longer growth duration leads to larger body size and higher reproductive success but incurs the cost of lower survivorship or shorter reproduction period. We illustrate how two sexes would optimize ontogenetic growth trajectories in sex-specific ways and exhibit divergent body sizes. The present framework provides new insights into the evolutionary theory of SSD and predictions for empirical testing.
ISSN:0014-3820
1558-5646
DOI:10.1111/evo.12857