Male and female Anolis carolinensis maintain their dimorphism despite the presence of novel interspecific competition.
Evolution
; 75(11): 2708-2716, 2021 11.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34528711
ABSTRACT
Natural selection favors sexual dimorphism that reduces resource competition between the sexes of the same species. However, niche partitioning among interspecific competitors should counter such divergence, as partitioning the niche results in smaller total niche widths for each individual species, leaving less room for the sexes to diverge. A straightforward (and long-standing) hypothesis emerges species in competitor-rich ecological communities should show less sexual dimorphism than species in competitor-poor ecological communities. Here, we test this prediction using a well-documented natural experiment generated by the recent arrival of Anolis sagrei to a set of small islands in Mosquito Lagoon, Florida, containing Anolis carolinensis. Despite known interspecific habitat partitioning and rapid evolution in habitat-use traits by A. carolinensis in this system, sexual dimorphism between male and female A. carolinensis was not reduced as predicted on two-species islands relative to islands with only A. carolinensis. This is consistent with a small but growing body of empirical tests of the dimorphism-richness hypothesis that have been ambiguous in their support at best. A rethinking of the validity of this intuitive hypothesis is needed.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Seleção Genética
/
Caracteres Sexuais
/
Lagartos
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
País/Região como assunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article