Meta-analysis reveals that reproductive strategies are associated with sexual differences in oxidative balance across vertebrates.

ABSTRACT: Oxidative stress is a key physiological mechanism underlying life-history tradeoffs. Here, I use meta-analytic techniques to test whether sexual differences in oxidative balance are common in vertebrates and to identify which factors are associated with such differences. The dataset included 732 effect size estimates from 100 articles (82 species). Larger unsigned effect size (meaning larger sexual differences in a given marker) occurred in: reptiles and fish; those species that do not provide parental care; and oviparous species. Estimates of signed effect size (positive values meaning higher oxidative stress in males) indicated that females were less resistant to oxidative stress than males in: reptiles while males and females were similar in fish, birds, and mammals; those species that

SUBMITTER: Costantini D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5809033 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature