Evolutionary dynamics of sexual size dimorphism in non-volant mammals following their independent colonization of Madagascar.

ABSTRACT: As predicted by sexual selection theory, males are larger than females in most polygynous mammals, but recent studies found that ecology and life history traits also affect sexual size dimorphism (SSD) through evolutionary changes in either male size, female size, or both. The primates of Madagascar (Lemuriformes) represent the largest group of mammals without male-biased SSD. The eco-evo-devo hypothesis posited that adaptations to unusual climatic unpredictability on Madagascar have ultimately reduced SSD in lemurs after dispersing to Madagascar, but data have not been available for comparative tests of the corresponding predictions that SSD is also absent in other terrestrial Malagasy mammals and that patterns of SSD changed following the colonization of Madagascar. We used phylogenetic

SUBMITTER: Kappeler PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6363729 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature