Sexual dimorphism in the second-to-fourth digit length ratio in green anoles, Anolis carolinensis (Squamata: Polychrotidae), from the southeastern United States

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 1489-1494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Chang ◽  
Stephanie Doughty ◽  
Juli Wade ◽  
Matthew B. Lovern
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Anolis Carolinensis ◽  
Length Ratio ◽  
Michigan State University ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
State University ◽  
Oklahoma State University ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
Digit Length

Digit length ratios are organized during embryonic development and may show sexual dimorphism related to steroid exposure. The second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) has received the most attention. In the present study, we measured 2D:4D of all four feet of adult male and female green anoles ( Anolis carolinensis Voigt, 1832) to determine whether it is sexually dimorphic and whether results are repeatable across laboratories. Lizards were housed at Michigan State University (MSU) and Oklahoma State University (OSU), and one investigator at each institution used digital calipers to measure the 2D:4D of each foot. At both MSU and OSU, we found that males had a significantly larger 2D:4D on the back right foot than females did, and that no sex difference existed in either the back left or the front right foot. Furthermore, although no sex difference in the front left foot was found at MSU, the 2D:4D on this foot was larger in females at OSU. Our results demonstrate both sexual dimorphism in 2D:4D and repeatability between laboratories, but they also suggest the importance of verifying such repeatability if 2D:4D or any other digit length ratio is used as a potential indicator of the early steroid environment.

Second-to-fourth digit length ratio is associated with negative and affective symptoms in schizophrenia patients

2018 ◽  
Vol 199 ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nataly Paipa ◽  
Christian Stephan-Otto ◽  
Jorge Cuevas-Esteban ◽  
Araceli Núñez-Navarro ◽  
Judith Usall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Length Ratio ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
Affective Symptoms ◽  
Digit Length

scholarly journals Parent-Reports of Sex-Typed Play Preference in Preschool Children: Relationships to 2D:4D Digit Ratio and Older Siblings’ Sex

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 2715-2724 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Körner ◽  
Marie Luisa Schaper ◽  
Bettina M. Pause ◽  
Martin Heil
Keyword(s):  
Sex Difference ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
Play Behavior ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
Older Brothers ◽  
Hands On ◽  
Prenatal Sex Hormones ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Digit Length ◽  
Older Siblings

Abstract Sex-typed play behavior shows large sex differences and seems to be affected by prenatal sex hormones. For example, a smaller, more male-typical ratio between the second and fourth digit length (2D:4D), a proposed marker for prenatal testosterone exposure, has been shown to be related to sex-typed play preference in childhood. Nevertheless, it is still being debated whether 2D:4D displays a stable sex difference throughout childhood, as there are few longitudinal studies. In the present study, children’s 2D:4D was measured on both hands on four occasions from early infancy to early childhood (T1: 5 months, T2: 9 months, T3: 20 months, and T4: 40 months) providing the rare possibility to test the temporal stability of the sex difference. Parents completed the Preschool Activities Inventory at T4 and reported on the number of older brothers and sisters as a measure for socialization influences. Parents described boys as playing more masculine and less feminine than girls. Boys had smaller 2D:4D than girls at all measurements (T1–T4) and on both hands (right/left). Nevertheless, 2D:4D increased significantly from T3 to T4 in both sexes. Girls, but not boys, who were described as playing more masculine and less feminine had more masculine 2D:4D ratios at T1–T4 on both hands (except for right 2D:4D at T2 and T3) and had more older brothers and fewer older sisters. These data underline the stability of the sex difference in 2D:4D and show the importance of both biological and social influences on sex-typed play behavior.

scholarly journals Sex differences in anogenital distances and digit ratios in wild David’s rock squirrels Sciurotamias davidianus

2014 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dapeng Zhao ◽  
Zhuoyue Chen ◽  
Baoguo Li
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Qinling Mountains ◽  
Lateral Asymmetry ◽  
Anogenital Distance ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Digit Length

Abstract The prenatal hormonal environment plays an important role in organizing sex differences in the morphology, physiology and behavior of humans as well as other vertebrates. Currently, all related research on rodents has been focused on Myo-morpha. This study presents data on sex differences in the anogenital distance (AGD) and the ratio of the second to the fourth digit length (2D:4D) from 44 wild David’s rock squirrels Sciurotamias davidianus captured from the Qinling Mountains, China. This was the first study of a species from Sciuromorpha. The AGD as well as body mass are sexually dimorphic. There are no sex differences or lateral asymmetry in 2D:4D. Significant correlation was not found between AGD and 2D:4D for any paw. The findings indicate that 2D:4D may not be fixed or influenced by the prenatal steroidal environment in David’s rock squirrels.

scholarly journals Sex differences in the genetic architecture of obsessive-compulsive disorder

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina A. Khramtsova ◽  
Raphael Heldman ◽  
Eske M. Derks ◽  
Dongmei Yu ◽  
Lea K. Davis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Genetic Architecture ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Compulsive Disorder ◽  
Regulatory Variants ◽  
Specific Risk ◽  
Genome Wide

AbstractObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a highly heritable complex phenotype, demonstrates sexual dimorphism in age of onset and clinical presentation, suggesting a possible sex difference in underlying genetic architecture. We present the first genome-wide characterization of the sex-specific genetic architecture of OCD, utilizing the largest set of OCD cases and controls available from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. We assessed evidence for several mechanisms that may contribute to sexual-dimorphism including a sexually dimorphic liability threshold, the presence of individual sex-specific risk variants on the autosomes and the X chromosome, genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, and sex-specific pleiotropic effects. We observed a strong genetic correlation between male and female OCD and no evidence for a sexually dimorphic liability threshold model. While we did not detect any sex-specific genome-wide associations, we observed that the SNPs with sexually dimorphic effects showed an enrichment of regulatory variants influencing expression of genes in immune tissues. Furthermore, top sex-specific genome-wide associations were enriched for regulatory variants in different tissues, suggesting evidence for potential sex difference in the biology underlying risk for OCD. These findings suggest that future studies with larger sample sizes hold great promise for the identification of sex-specific risk factors for OCD, significantly advancing our understanding of the differences in the genetic basis of sexually dimorphic neuropsychiatric traits.

Second-to-fourth digit length ratio as a measure of harm avoidance

2016 ◽  
Vol 97 ◽  
pp. 30-34
Author(s):  
Sang Won Jeon ◽  
Ho-Kyoung Yoon ◽  
Changsu Han ◽  
Young-Hoon Ko ◽  
Yong-Ku Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Harm Avoidance ◽  
Length Ratio ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
Digit Length

scholarly journals No sex differences in the origins of covariation between social and physical aggression

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (15) ◽  
pp. 2515-2523
Author(s):  
Brooke L. Slawinski ◽  
Kelly L. Klump ◽  
S. Alexandra Burt
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Sex Difference ◽  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Social Aggression ◽  
Michigan State University ◽  
State University ◽  
Teacher Reports ◽  
Female Version

AbstractBackgroundPrior work has indicated both theoretical and empirical overlap between social and physical aggression. The extent to which their covariance can be explained by the same underlying genetic or environmental factors, however, remains unclear. It is also uncertain whether or how the origins of their covariance might vary across sex. The current study sought to fill these gaps in the literature.MethodsWe examined maternal and teacher reports of youth physical and social aggression in over 1000 6–10 years old (mean age = 8.02 years) twin pairs from the Michigan State University Twin Registry. We made use of the bivariate correlated factors model to clarify the origins of their association. We further tested both sex difference and no-sex difference versions of that model to determine whether there are sex differences in the association between social and physical aggression, as often assumed.ResultsThe covariation between social and physical aggression was due to overlapping genetic factors and common environmental conditions. Specifically, 50–57% of the genetic factors, 74–100% of the shared environmental factors, and 28–40% of the unique environmental factors influencing physical aggression also influenced social aggression according to both mother and teacher reports. These shared etiological factors did not differ across sex.ConclusionsThese findings argue against the common assumption that social aggression is the ‘female version’ of male physical aggression, and instead suggest that social aggression may be best conceptualized as a form of antisocial behavior that shares developmental pathways with other manifestations of externalizing pathology.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document