Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider
Common scientific wisdom assumes that spider sexual dimorphism (SD) mostly results from sexual selection operating on males. However, testing predictions from this hypothesis, particularly male size hyperallometry, has been restricted by methodological constraints. Here, using geometric morphometric...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2017-07-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/3617.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797425744014475264 |
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| author | Carmen Fernández-Montraveta Jesús Marugán-Lobón |
| author_facet | Carmen Fernández-Montraveta Jesús Marugán-Lobón |
| author_sort | Carmen Fernández-Montraveta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Common scientific wisdom assumes that spider sexual dimorphism (SD) mostly results from sexual selection operating on males. However, testing predictions from this hypothesis, particularly male size hyperallometry, has been restricted by methodological constraints. Here, using geometric morphometrics (GMM) we studied for the first time sex-differential shape allometry in a spider (Donacosa merlini, Araneae: Lycosidae) known to exhibit the reverse pattern (i.e., male-biased) of spider sexual size dimorphism. GMM reveals previously undetected sex-differential shape allometry and sex-related shape differences that are size independent (i.e., associated to the y-intercept, and not to size scaling). Sexual shape dimorphism affects both the relative carapace-to-opisthosoma size and the carapace geometry, arguably resulting from sex differences in both reproductive roles (female egg load and male competition) and life styles (wandering males and burrowing females). Our results demonstrate that body portions may vary modularly in response to different selection pressures, giving rise to sex differences in shape, which reconciles previously considered mutually exclusive interpretations about the origins of spider SD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:20:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5a19a274a20b4be2a7ed8f2242d1cf8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T08:20:38Z |
| publishDate | 2017-07-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-5a19a274a20b4be2a7ed8f2242d1cf8e2023-12-02T21:50:06ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592017-07-015e361710.7717/peerj.3617Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spiderCarmen Fernández-Montraveta0Jesús Marugán-Lobón1Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, SpainDepartamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, SpainCommon scientific wisdom assumes that spider sexual dimorphism (SD) mostly results from sexual selection operating on males. However, testing predictions from this hypothesis, particularly male size hyperallometry, has been restricted by methodological constraints. Here, using geometric morphometrics (GMM) we studied for the first time sex-differential shape allometry in a spider (Donacosa merlini, Araneae: Lycosidae) known to exhibit the reverse pattern (i.e., male-biased) of spider sexual size dimorphism. GMM reveals previously undetected sex-differential shape allometry and sex-related shape differences that are size independent (i.e., associated to the y-intercept, and not to size scaling). Sexual shape dimorphism affects both the relative carapace-to-opisthosoma size and the carapace geometry, arguably resulting from sex differences in both reproductive roles (female egg load and male competition) and life styles (wandering males and burrowing females). Our results demonstrate that body portions may vary modularly in response to different selection pressures, giving rise to sex differences in shape, which reconciles previously considered mutually exclusive interpretations about the origins of spider SD.https://peerj.com/articles/3617.pdfSexual size dimorphismAllometrySexual selectionSpidersDonacosa merliniDoñana |
| spellingShingle | Carmen Fernández-Montraveta Jesús Marugán-Lobón Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider PeerJ Sexual size dimorphism Allometry Sexual selection Spiders Donacosa merlini Doñana |
| title | Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider |
| title_full | Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider |
| title_fullStr | Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider |
| title_short | Geometric morphometrics reveals sex-differential shape allometry in a spider |
| title_sort | geometric morphometrics reveals sex differential shape allometry in a spider |
| topic | Sexual size dimorphism Allometry Sexual selection Spiders Donacosa merlini Doñana |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/3617.pdf |
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