Sexual size dimorphism in ground squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Marmotini) does not correlate with body size and sociality.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a widespread phenomenon in animals including mammals. It has been demonstrated that across species, the direction and magnitude of sexual dimorphism in body size often corresponds to social systems. Moreover, many animal lineages conform to "Rensch's rule", which states that male-biased SSD increases with body size. We tested whether considerable differences in sociality and large variation in body size were connected with the evolution of SSD in the structural body size of ground squirrels, an otherwise ecologically relatively homogenous group of terrestrial rodents.

Results

We found the general trend of male-biased SSD in ground squirrels, however, male size increases nearly perfectly isometrically with female size among species

SUBMITTER: Mateju J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3663772 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature