A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Patterns of sexual dimorphism in the armoured tardigrades (2024)

Vecchi, M., & Calhim, S. (2024). Patterns of sexual dimorphism in the armoured tardigrades. Biology Letters, 20(9), Article 20240301. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0301

JYU-tekijät tai -toimittajat

Vecchi, MatteoCalhim, Sara

Julkaisun tiedot

Julkaisun kaikki tekijät tai toimittajat: Vecchi, Matteo; Calhim, Sara

Lehti tai sarja: Biology Letters

ISSN: 1744-9561

eISSN: 1744-957X

Julkaisuvuosi: 2024

Ilmestymispäivä: 11.09.2024

Volyymi: 20

Lehden numero: 9

Artikkelinumero: 20240301

Kustantaja: Royal Society Publishing

Julkaisumaa: Britannia

Julkaisun kieli: englanti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2024.0301

Julkaisun avoin saatavuus: Ei avoin

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus:

Julkaisu on rinnakkaistallennettu (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/100310

Tiivistelmä

Sexual dimorphism is widespread among animals, with diverse patterns and proposed explanations observed across the Tree of Life. Here we present the first formal analysis of the patterns of sexual dimorphism in body size and cephalic sensory appendages across 40 species (from 10 genera) of armoured tardigrades (Echiniscidae). Phylogenetic signal was found for body size traits and the cephalic papilla relative size, indicating that the association between these traits between the sexes has high evolutionary persistence. The Echiniscidae body size dimorphism is generally female-biased, which would be in accordance with the fecundity hypothesis. No strong evidence of allometric patterns of body size sexual dimorphism was found. In contrast, some of the cephalic appendages show male-biased sexual dimorphism, particularly those that, by being more innervated, are thought to function as chemodetection organs used by males during mate search. The latter is consistent with the sexual selection hypothesis. As the first systematic quantification and analysis of the patterns of sexual dimorphism in the phylum Tardigrada, this study provides important insights into their ecology and evolution, such as corroborating the suggestion that cephalic appendages evolved for mate searching.

YSO-asiasanat: karhukaiset; sukupuolierot; morfologia; suvullinen lisääntyminen; seksuaalivalinta; fylogenetiikka; geneettinen monimuotoisuus