Sex-biased phenotypic plasticity affects sexual dimorphism patterns under changing environmental conditions.

ABSTRACT: Sexual dimorphism is almost ubiquitous in animals. A common pattern observed across multiple taxa involves differences in development time (sexual bimaturism) and body size (sexual size dimorphism) between conspecific males and females. Furthermore, a strict association of dimorphism at these traits has been documented in several taxa, where the sex showing shorter development time also has a smaller body size than the other sex. Growth and development are strongly dependent on environmental conditions during individual life-cycle in ectotherms, inducing considerable phenotypic plasticity. However, how phenotypic plasticity affects the association between sexual dimorphism in development time and body size remains unclear. Here, we tracked development time, body size, and body mass through

SUBMITTER: Cordeschi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10776787 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature