Function-related Drivers of Skull Morphometric Variation and Sexual Size Dimorphism in a Subterranean Rodent, Plateau Zokor (Eospalax baileyi).

ABSTRACT: Sexual dimorphism is prevalent in most living organisms. The difference in size between sexes of a given species is generally known as sexual size dimorphism (SSD). The magnitude of the SSD is determined by Rensch's rule where size dimorphism increases with increasing body size when the male is the larger sex and decreases with increasing average body size when the female is the larger sex. The unique underground environment that zokors (Eospalax baileyi) live under in the severe habitat of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) could create SSD selection pressures that may or may not be supported by Rensch's rule, making this scientific question worthy of investigation. In this study, we investigated the individual variation between sexes in body size and SSD of plateau zokors using measuremen

SUBMITTER: Su J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5938458 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature