scholarly journals Sexual Dimorphism in the Multielemental Stoichiometric Phenotypes and Stoichiometric Niches of Spiders

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 484
Author(s):  
Łukasz Sobczyk ◽  
Michał Filipiak ◽  
Marcin Czarnoleski
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Nutritional Limitation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Hunting Mode

Nutritional limitations may shape populations and communities of organisms. This phenomenon is often studied by treating populations and communities as pools of homogenous individuals with average nutritional optima and experiencing average constraints and trade-offs that influence their fitness in a standardized way. However, populations and communities consist of individuals belonging to different sexes, each with specific nutritional demands and limitations. Taking this into account, we used the ecological stoichiometry framework to study sexual differences in the stoichiometric phenotypes, reflecting stoichiometric niches, of four spider taxa differing in the hunting mode. The species and sexes differed fundamentally in their elemental phenotypes, including elements beyond those most commonly studied (C, N and P). Both species and sexes were distinguished by the C:N ratio and concentrations of Cu, K and Zn. Species additionally differed in concentrations of Na, Mg and Mn. Phosphorous was not involved in this differentiation. Sexual dimorphism in spiders’ elemental phenotypes, related to differences in their stoichiometric niches, suggests different nutritional optima and differences in nutritional limitation experienced by different sexes and species. This may influence the structure and functioning of spider populations and communities.

scholarly journals Sexual Dimorphism in the Multielemental Stoichiometric Phenotypes and Stoichiometric Niches of Spiders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Sobczyk ◽  
Michał Filipiak ◽  
Marcin Czarnoleski
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Nutritional Limitation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Hunting Mode

Nutritional limitations may shape populations and communities of organisms. This phenomenon is often studied by treating populations and communities as pools of homogenous individuals with average nutritional optima and experiencing average constraints and trade-offs that influence their fitness in a standardized way. However, populations and communities consist of individuals belonging to different sexes, each with specific nutritional demands and limitations. Taking this into account, we used the ecological stoichiometry framework to study sexual differences in the stoichiometric phenotypes, reflecting stoichiometric niches, of four spider taxa differing in hunting mode. The species and sexes differed fundamentally in their elemental phenotypes, including elements beyond those most commonly studied (C, N and P). Both species and sexes were distinguished by the C:N ratio and concentrations of Cu, K and Zn. Species additionally differed in concentrations of Na, Mg and Mn. Phosphorous was not involved in this differentiation. Sexual dimorphism in spiders’ elemental phenotypes, related to differences in their stoichiometric niches, suggests different nutritional optima and differences in nutritional limitation experienced by different sexes and species. This may influence the structure and functioning of spider populations and communities.

scholarly journals Sexual Dimorphism in the Multielemental Stoichiometric Phenotypes and Stoichiometric Niches of Spiders

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Sobczyk ◽  
Michał Filipiak ◽  
Marcin Czarnoleski
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Nutritional Limitation ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Hunting Mode

Nutritional limitations may shape populations and communities of organisms. This phenomenon is often studied by treating populations and communities as pools of homogenous individuals with average nutritional optima and experiencing average constraints and trade-offs that influence their fitness in a standardized way. However, populations and communities consist of individuals belonging to different sexes, each with specific nutritional demands and limitations. Taking this into account, we used the ecological stoichiometry framework to study sexual differences in the stoichiometric phenotypes, reflecting stoichiometric niches, of four spider taxa differing in hunting mode. The species and sexes differed fundamentally in their elemental phenotypes, including elements beyond those most commonly studied (C, N and P). Both species and sexes were distinguished by the C:N ratio and concentrations of Cu, K and Zn. Species additionally differed in concentrations of Na, Mg and Mn. Phosphorous was not involved in this differentiation. Sexual dimorphism in spiders’ elemental phenotypes, related to differences in their stoichiometric niches, suggests different nutritional optima and differences in nutritional limitation experienced by different sexes and species. This may influence the structure and functioning of spider populations and communities.

Sexual differences and sex ratios of dioecious plants under stressful environments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao Liu ◽  
Helena Korpelainen ◽  
Chunyang Li
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Environmental Stressors ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Dioecious Plants ◽  
Trade Offs

Abstract Dioecious plants exhibit sexual dimorphism in both sexual features (reproductive organs) and secondary sex characteristics (vegetative traits). Sexual differences in secondary traits, including morphological, physiological and ecological characters, have been commonly associated with trade-offs between the cost of reproduction and other plant functions. Such trade-offs may be modified by environmental stressors, although there is evidence that sexually dimorphic responses to stress do not always exist in all plant species. When sexual dimorphism exists, sexually different responses appear to depend on the species and stress types. Yet, further studies on dioecious plant species are needed to allow the generalization of stress effects on males and females. Additionally, sexual dimorphism may influence the frequency and distribution of the sexes along environmental gradients, likely causing niche differentiation and spatial segregation of sexes. At the present, the causes and mechanisms governing sex ratio biases are poorly understood. This review aims to discuss sex-specific responses and sex ratio biases occurring under adverse conditions, which will advance our knowledge of sexually dimorphic responses to environmental stressors.

scholarly journals Stoichiometry of C:N:P in the Roots of Alhagi sparsifolia Is More Sensitive to Soil Nutrients Than Aboveground Organs

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Yin ◽  
Hongwei Zheng ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
Akash Tariq ◽  
Guanghui Lv ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Ecological Stoichiometry ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Desert Ecosystem ◽  
Alhagi Sparsifolia ◽  
N:P Ratios ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
C:P Ratio ◽  
Wide Range

The stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C:N:P) among leaves, stems, and roots reflects trade-offs in plants for acquiring resources and their growth strategy. The widely distributed plant Alhagi sparsifolia is an ideal species to study the ecological stoichiometry in different organs in response to the availability of nutrients and water in the desert ecosystem. However, which response of organs is most sensitive to environmental conditions is still unclear. To answer this question, we collected samples of plants and soils including not only aboveground leaves and stems, but also underground roots and soils from a wide range of arid areas during the growing season. The C, N, P, C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios in leaves, thorns, stems, and roots were derived to explore their relationship as well as their response mechanisms to nutrients and water spanning 1 m deep in the soil. The results showed that the order of N concentration was leaves > thorns > stems > roots, that the concentration of P in the leaves, thorns, and stems was similar, and that their values were higher than those in the roots. First, the C:N ratios in the leaves and stems were significantly positively correlated with the ratio in roots. The C:N ratios in each organ showed a significant relationship with the soil alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen (SAN) above a depth of 60 cm. In addition to SAN, soil available phosphorus (SAP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) affect the C:N ratio in the roots. Second, the C:P and N:P ratios in aboveground organs showed no correlations with the ratios in roots. The C:P and N:P ratios in the leaves and thorns have no relationship with soil nutrients, while the C:P ratio in roots was influenced by SAN and SOC in all soil layers. Finally, the N:P ratios in roots were also affected by nutrients in different soil depths at 0–20 and 60–80 cm. These results illustrate that the roots were more sensitive to soil nutrients than the aboveground parts. Our study of ecological stoichiometry also suggests a novel systematic approach for analyzing the sensitivity of responses of an organ to environmental conditions.

scholarly journals Sexual conflict drives micro- and macroevolution of sexual dimorphism in immunity

BMC Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Basabi Bagchi ◽  
Quentin Corbel ◽  
Imroze Khan ◽  
Ellen Payne ◽  
Devshuvam Banerji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Mating System ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Experimental Evolution ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Pathogen Dynamics ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Host Pathogen ◽  
Seed Beetles

Abstract Background Sexual dimorphism in immunity is believed to reflect sex differences in reproductive strategies and trade-offs between competing life history demands. Sexual selection can have major effects on mating rates and sex-specific costs of mating and may thereby influence sex differences in immunity as well as associated host–pathogen dynamics. Yet, experimental evidence linking the mating system to evolved sexual dimorphism in immunity are scarce and the direct effects of mating rate on immunity are not well established. Here, we use transcriptomic analyses, experimental evolution and phylogenetic comparative methods to study the association between the mating system and sexual dimorphism in immunity in seed beetles, where mating causes internal injuries in females. Results We demonstrate that female phenoloxidase (PO) activity, involved in wound healing and defence against parasitic infections, is elevated relative to males. This difference is accompanied by concomitant sex differences in the expression of genes in the prophenoloxidase activating cascade. We document substantial phenotypic plasticity in female PO activity in response to mating and show that experimental evolution under enforced monogamy (resulting in low remating rates and reduced sexual conflict relative to natural polygamy) rapidly decreases female (but not male) PO activity. Moreover, monogamous females had evolved increased tolerance to bacterial infection unrelated to mating, implying that female responses to costly mating may trade off with other aspects of immune defence, an hypothesis which broadly accords with the documented sex differences in gene expression. Finally, female (but not male) PO activity shows correlated evolution with the perceived harmfulness of male genitalia across 12 species of seed beetles, suggesting that sexual conflict has a significant influence on sexual dimorphisms in immunity in this group of insects. Conclusions Our study provides insights into the links between sexual conflict and sexual dimorphism in immunity and suggests that selection pressures moulded by mating interactions can lead to a sex-specific mosaic of immune responses with important implications for host–pathogen dynamics in sexually reproducing organisms.

Re-discovery of Haemoproteus kopki (De Mello, 1916) in two geckoes from the Afghan border of Pakistan

Parasitology ◽  
1982 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam R. Telford
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Sand Dune ◽  
Acute Infection ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Mixed Infections ◽  
Initial Infection ◽  
Intimate Association ◽  
Large Round ◽  
Comparable Size

SummaryHaemoproteus kopki (De Mello, 1916) is reported from the geckoes Teratoscincus scincus and T. microlepis collected in three localities on the Afghan border of Pakistan. A detailed description of H. kopki is provided in correlation with the courses of an initial, acute infection and a relapsed, chronic infection. Haemoproteus kopki is characterized by large round or oval gametocytes which show sexual dimorphism in distribution of pigment: macrogametocytes show pigment dispersed in dark granules throughout the cytoplasm, while pigment in microgametocytes is aggregated into large, round golden masses within vacuoles in one, or rarely two foci. Other sexual differences exist in gametocyte dimensions. Gametocytes produced in the relapse infection grew much more slowly than did those of the initial infection, and never attained a comparable size despite being observed for twice the length of time. Despite a maximum parasitaemia of 53·8% in the initial infection, increased erythropoiesis did not occur. No asexual stages were found in tissues examined. The presence of mixed infections of H. kopki, Leishmania sp. and microfilariae in a harsh sand dune habitat with presumably limited dipteran fauna suggests their having a common vector in intimate association with the burrows inhabited by the geckoes.

scholarly journals Sexual dimorphism and morphometric analysis of Filopaludina martensi martensi (Gastropoda: Viviparidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-92
Author(s):  
Weerachon Sawangproh ◽  
Chetsada Phaenark ◽  
Supatra Chunchob ◽  
Paiphan Paejaroen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
Different Characteristics

Sexual dimorphism is the condition where individuals of different sex in the same species exhibit different characteristics beyond the differences in their sexual organs. In this study, individuals of a viviparid species Filopaludina martensi from the Kwai Yai River in Kanchanaburi Province (Thailand) were examined for eight shell and operculum characteristics. Sexual differences were observed in size of shell and operculum, with females being larger than males. The results indicated that morphometric analyses are useful to detect subtle differences between sexes in this species.

scholarly journals Facial and body sexual dimorphism are not interconnected in the Maasai

2022 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina L. Butovskaya ◽  
Victoria V. Rostovtseva ◽  
Anna A. Mezentseva
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Body Height ◽  
The Body ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Facial Shape ◽  
The Face ◽  
Full Face

Abstract Background In this paper, we investigate facial sexual dimorphism and its’ association with body dimorphism in Maasai, the traditional seminomadic population of Tanzania. We discuss findings on other human populations and possible factors affecting the developmental processes in Maasai. Methods Full-face anthropological photographs were obtained from 305 Maasai (185 men, 120 women) aged 17–90 years. Facial shape was assessed combining geometric morphometrics and classical facial indices. Body parameters were measured directly using precise anthropological instruments. Results Sexual dimorphism in Maasai faces was low, sex explained 1.8% of the total shape variance. However, male faces were relatively narrower and vertically prolonged, with slightly wider noses, narrower-set and lower eyebrows, wider mouths, and higher forehead hairline. The most sexually dimorphic regions of the face were the lower jaw and the nose. Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), measured in six known variants, revealed no significant sexual dimorphism. The allometric effects on facial traits were mostly related to the face growth, rather than the growth of the whole body (body height). Significant body dimorphism was demonstrated, men being significantly higher, with larger wrist diameter and hand grip strength, and women having higher BMI, hips circumferences, upper arm circumferences, triceps skinfolds. Facial and body sexual dimorphisms were not associated. Conclusions Facial sex differences in Maasai are very low, while on the contrary, the body sexual dimorphism is high. There were practically no associations between facial and body measures. These findings are interpreted in the light of trade-offs between environmental, cultural, and sexual selection pressures.

Reproduction and development

2012 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Tissue Type ◽  
Endocrine Control ◽  
Human Form ◽  
Form And Function ◽  
Sexual Characteristics ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
And Function

Reproduction and development are large topics, knowledge of which underpins several medical specialities including sexual health, fertility, gynaecology, urology, reproductive endocrinology, obstetrics, and neonatology. Doctors need to know the structure, function, and endocrine control of both male and female systems in order to diagnose and manage conditions specific to either male or female organs, as well as conditions such as impotence and infertility. Not surprisingly, the reproductive system is the only body system that shows major differences in both structure and function between males and females. However, sexual differences go beyond the primary sexual characteristics present at birth and the secondary sexual characteristics that emerge under the influence of sex hormones at puberty. Sexual dimorphism in some brain structures commences at an early age, and differences in the endocrine profiles of males and females produce characteristic changes in morphology, physiology, and behaviour that go beyond simple sexual dimorphism to affect many aspects of life, including sexual differences in susceptibility to disease and the longer life expectancy of women as compared to men that is seen around the world. Whether these differences, mainly beneficial to women, are because females are ‘biologically superior’ or because of a complex mix of genetic, behavioural, and social factors is a matter for discussion and research. Some knowledge of embryology is important to every medical student. As a minimum it provides explanations for the congenital malformations and their consequences that are encountered in many areas of clinical practice. Deeper knowledge will assist those seeking real insights into the structure of the human body. It is the study of embryological development and the knowledge of how each tissue type arises, how one tissue meets another, and how tissues move and change shape during development that explains the relations between tissues and organs in the adult human form. Achieving a full understanding of the dynamics of the formation of the body’s organs and tissues is demanding, but it can replace some of the rote learning of anatomical structures, familiar to many students, with a deeper understanding of form and function.

Limb structure and sexual dimorphism in the Anostraca (Crustacea)

1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 894-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham R. Daborn
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Sexual Differences ◽  
Fairy Shrimp ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Filter Feeders ◽  
Limb Structure

Morphological features of the swimming limbs of fairy shrimp representing the families Branchinectidae, Chirocephalidae, Streptocephalidae, and Branchipodidae are described. Except for Branchinecta gigas, which is predaceous. all Branchinecta species exhibit limb structures and behaviour that suggest they are predominantly benthic feeders rather than filter feeders. Sexual differences in limb structure, a feature of Branchinecta, imply that males and females may be trophically segregated. Similar but less striking modifications of limb structure are evident in some Chirocephalidae but not in other families examined.

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