scholarly journals Evidence for Male Horn Dimorphism and Related Pronotal Shape Variation in Copris lunaris (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Coprini)

Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaan Kerman ◽  
Angela Roggero ◽  
Antonio Rolando ◽  
Claudia Palestrini
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Common Phenomenon ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Allometric Relationship ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Horn Length ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Future Work

Male horn dimorphism is a rather common phenomenon in dung beetles, where some adult individuals have well-developed head horns (i.e., major males), while others exhibit diminished horn length (i.e., minor males). We focused on horn dimorphism and associated head and pronotum shape variations in Copris lunaris. We examined the allometric relationship between horn length (i.e., cephalic and pronotal horns) and maximum pronotum width (as index of body size) by fitting linear and sigmoidal models for both sexes. We then asked whether head and pronotum shape variations, quantified using the geometric morphometric approach, contributed to this allometric pattern. We found that female cephalic and pronotal horn growth showed a typical isometric scaling with body size. Horn length in males, however, exhibited sigmoidal allometry, where a certain threshold in body size separated males into two distinct morphs as majors and minors. Interestingly, we highlighted the same allometric patterns (i.e., isometric vs. sigmoidal models) by scaling horn lengths with pronotum shape, making evident that male horn dimorphism is not only a matter of body size. Furthermore, the analysis of shape showed that the three morphs had similar heads, but different pronota, major males showing a more expanded, rounded pronotum than minor males and females. These morphological differences in C. lunaris can ultimately have important functional consequences in the ecology of this species, which should be explored in future work.

Sexual dimorphism in the carapace shape and length of the freshwater palaemonid shrimp Macrobrachium potiuna (Müller, 1880) (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae): geometric and traditional morphometric approaches

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madson Silveira de Melo ◽  
Setuko Masunari
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Behavioral Differences ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Freshwater Shrimps ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Three Rivers ◽  
Coastal Basin

Sexual dimorphism is characterized by morphological, physiological, or behavioral differences between males and females. The genus Macrobrachium is a diverse group of freshwater shrimps distributed throughout tropical and subtropical regions. They have a great intra- and interspecific morphological variation, with some species showing sexual dimorphism. We investigated the sexual dimorphism of the size and shape of the carapace and body weight of Macrobrachium potiuna (Müller, 1880) in three populations of the State of Paraná through traditional and geometric morphometric techniques. The populations were sampled from three rivers: the Pombas River, Coastal Basin, the Piraquara River, First Plateau, and the Guabiroba River, Second Plateau. Morphometric analyses indicated that male shrimps showed differences in carapace length and body weight: the higher the distance from the sea, the smaller and lighter the shrimps. Carapace shape also differed significantly between the sexes in all three populations, with males having a less robust carapace, but a more elongated rostrum than females. The morphological differences between the genders seem to reflect the reproductive roles of males and females in this environment.

Heads up: sexual dimorphism in house crickets (Acheta domesticus)

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean E. Walker ◽  
J. Andrew Roberts ◽  
Israel Adame ◽  
Corey J. Collins ◽  
Daniel Lim
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Visual Display ◽  
Acheta Domesticus ◽  
Head Size ◽  
Visual Signal ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Differential Selection ◽  
Males And Females

Many species are sexually dimorphic because of differential selection on each sex. In many species, males tend to have exaggerated traits or larger body size compared with females. In house crickets ( Acheta domesticus L., 1758), the males defend resources and compete for mates by engaging in a striking visual display sequence that includes mandible flaring, where males spread their mandibles wide open. This behavior presumably acts only in males as a visual signal of body size and as an indicator of the willingness to fight, as females do not exhibit this behavior. We tested the hypothesis that sex differences in the signals used for aggressive interactions will lead to sex differences in the morphology of the head in house crickets. To test this hypothesis we made linear measurements of body and head sizes on males and females and utilized geometric morphometric methods to reconstruct sex differences in shape. We also compared the total pigmented area of the faces of males and females. Males had larger heads with proportionally more pigmented area than females and there were significant shape differences. In addition, allometric relationships between head size and body size indicated that head size increases faster than body size in males. Geometric morphometric analysis indicated that the shape differences result in an exaggeration of the mandibular area in males compared with females. These data suggest that the differential selection acting on males and females can lead to differences in size, shape, and pigmentation related to signal structure and function.

scholarly journals The utility of captive animals in actualistic research: A geometric morphometric exploration of the tooth row of Alligator mississippiensis suggesting ecophenotypic influences, functional constraints

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie K Drumheller ◽  
Eric W. Wilberg ◽  
Rudyard W. Sadleir
Keyword(s):  
Alligator Mississippiensis ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Morphological Alterations ◽  
Life History Data ◽  
Qualitative Pattern ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Ease Of Access ◽  
Captive Condition

Captive broad snouted crocodylians are generally thought to have wider, shorter rostra than their wild counterparts. Interpreted to reflect morphological change in response to the conditions of captivity, this qualitative pattern could affect the utility of these animals in a variety of fields of research. However, due to relative ease of access and availability of life history data, captive animals are often utilized in actualistic research. Thus, this issue should be addressed in more detail. Here we explore snout shape variation between captive and wild members of Alligator mississippiensis using 2D morphometric techniques. Several landmark schemes are used to assess the utility of different aspects of morphology in distinguishing the groups. While statistical analyses consistently differentiated between the groups, the area of morphospace occupied by wild members of A. mississippiensis generally overlapped with the larger area encompassing the captive specimens. This indicates that the captive condition is not as uniform as previously thought and instead encompasses a large spectrum of morphologies, ranging from the stereotypical broad, shortened snouts to outlines that are indistinguishable from the wild morphotype. These results align well with the interpretation that this change reflects an extreme example of ecophenotypy, since ranched, farmed, or zoo organisms are held in an array of enclosures, ranging from indoor, climate controlled pens to outdoor, more natural areas. This variation in environments should be reflected in different reactions to the animals’ surroundings, resulting in a broad spectrum of morphotypes. While wild specimens are still preferred, especially for fine scale analyses, these results indicate that not all captive members of Alligator mississippiensis exhibit the extreme morphological alterations often cited in the literature. Weighing the conditions in which the animals are held and exploring the possibility of morphological differences against the benefits of using captive specimens should be part of any actualistic study.

scholarly journals Sensory Organ Investment Varies with Body Size and Sex in the Butterfly Pieris napi

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1064
Author(s):  
Zahra Moradinour ◽  
Christer Wiklund ◽  
Vun Wen Jie ◽  
Carlos E. Restrepo ◽  
Karl Gotthard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Sensory Systems ◽  
Wing Size ◽  
Allometric Relationship ◽  
Mate Finding ◽  
Pieris Napi ◽  
Multiple Tasks ◽  
Insect Pollinators ◽  
Males And Females

In solitary insect pollinators such as butterflies, sensory systems must be adapted for multiple tasks, including nectar foraging, mate-finding, and locating host-plants. As a result, the energetic investments between sensory organs can vary at the intraspecific level and even among sexes. To date, little is known about how these investments are distributed between sensory systems and how it varies among individuals of different sex. We performed a comprehensive allometric study on males and females of the butterfly Pieris napi where we measured the sizes and other parameters of sensory traits including eyes, antennae, proboscis, and wings. Our findings show that among all the sensory traits measured, only antenna and wing size have an allometric relationship with body size and that the energetic investment in different sensory systems varies between males and females. Moreover, males had absolutely larger antennae and eyes, indicating that they invest more energy in these organs than females of the same body size. Overall, the findings of this study reveal that the size of sensory traits in P. napi are not necessarily related to body size and raises questions about other factors that drive sensory trait investment in this species and in other insect pollinators in general.

Operculum shape variation in Theodoxus Montfort, 1810 (Gastropoda: Neritidae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4560 (3) ◽  
pp. 563
Author(s):  
VANJA MARKOVIĆ ◽  
VUKICA VUJIĆ ◽  
MARIJA ILIĆ ◽  
JELENA TOMOVIĆ ◽  
VERA NIKOLIĆ ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Morphological Character ◽  
Morphological Variability ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Important Species ◽  
Pannonian Plain ◽  
Rare And Endangered ◽  
Southern Border ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Species Specific

The operculum morphology of neritid snails of genus Theodoxus Montfort, 1810 yields important species-specific taxonomic characters. This study is the first attempt to describe morphological differences in snails based on operculum shapes using a geometric morphometric approach. We examined the variability of opercular shapes between sexes and among populations and species based on 91 opercula of adult specimens belonging to six populations of three species of Theodoxus from the central Balkan and the southern border of the Pannonian plain. There are no sex-related differences in operculum shape and size in the studied species. The presence of shape variations influenced by size (allometry) was confirmed for T. danubialis (C. Pfeiffer, 1828) indicating that allometry could be a component of the morphological variation of this species. At the intraspecific level, phenotypic plasticity of operculum shape was found in T. danubialis and T. fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758). Of particular interest is the lack of morphological variability in the rare and endangered T. transversalis (C. Pfeiffer, 1828). At the species level a clear morphological distinction of T. fluviatilis from T. danubialis and T. transversalis was detected, confirming that the operculum with a rib could be used as a species-specific morphological character. The main morphological differences between species are an outwardly-stretched opercular/apophysal rib and a shortened tip of the opercular plate in T. fluviatilis, compared to the same structures in T. danubialis and T. transversalis. 

scholarly journals Three-dimensional geometric morphometric studies of modern human occipital variation

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0245445
Author(s):  
Yameng Zhang ◽  
Lynne A. Schepartz
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Foramen Magnum ◽  
European Ancestry ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Ct Data

Objectives To investigate three-dimensional morphological variation of the occipital bone between sexes and among populations, to determine how ancestry, sex and size account for occipital shape variation and to describe the exact forms by which the differences are expressed. Methods CT data for 214 modern crania of Asian, African and European ancestry were compared using 3D geometric morphometrics and multivariate statistics, including principal component analysis, Hotelling’s T2 test, multivariate regression, ANOVA, and MANCOVA. Results Sex differences in average occipital morphology are only observed in Europeans, with males exhibiting a pronounced inion. Significant ancestral differences are observed among all samples and are shared by males and females. Asian and African crania have smaller biasterionic breadths and flatter clivus angles compared to Europeans. Asian and European crania are similar in their nuchal and occipital plane proportions, nuchal and occipital angles, and lower inion positions compared to Africans. Centroid size significantly differs between sexes and among populations. The overall allometry, while significant, explains little of the shape variation. Larger occipital bones were associated with a more curved occipital plane, a pronounced inion, a narrower biasterionic breadth, a more flexed clivus, and a lower and relatively smaller foramen magnum. Conclusions Although significant shape differences were observed among populations, it is not recommended to use occipital morphology in sex or population estimation as both factors explained little of the observed variance. Other factors, relating to function and the environment, are suggested to be greater contributors to occipital variation. For the same reason, it is also not recommended to use the occiput in phylogenetic studies.

Long in the tooth: evolution of sabertooth cat cranial shape

Paleobiology ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham J. Slater ◽  
Blaire Van Valkenburgh
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Skull Morphology ◽  
Canine Tooth ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Skull Shape ◽  
Morphometric Methods ◽  
Functional Consequences ◽  
Feeding Adaptations ◽  
Tooth Length ◽  
Relative Warps

Sabertooths exhibit one of the most extreme feeding adaptations seen in mammals. The functional consequences of accommodating extremely elongate upper canine teeth are severe, resulting in a well-documented suite of cranial modifications. We used geometric morphometric methods to study the evolution of overall shape in the skulls of extant and extinct feline and machairodontine felids, as well as extinct nimravids. Trends in skull evolution were evaluated by using relative warps analysis and tested for association with body size and canine tooth length. Primitive sabertooths from all lineages exhibit cranial shapes more similar to conical-toothed cats, despite the presence of moderately developed saberteeth. More-derived forms in both nimravids and felids diverge in skull morphospace to form two distinct sabertooth types (dirk-toothed and scimitar-toothed) that differ in canine shape. Skull shape in conical-toothed cats is strongly associated with body size, but not canine length. However, within each sabertooth lineage, skull shape is significantly correlated with canine length, suggesting that gape-related demands drove the evolution of sabertooth skull morphology.

Notes on the molecular taxonomy of the Proclossiana eunomia complex (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae: Argynnini): analysis of DNA barcodes

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 222-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. V. Yakovlev ◽  
N. A. Shapoval ◽  
G. N. Kuftina ◽  
A. V. Kulak ◽  
S. V. Kovalev
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Molecular Taxonomy ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Coi Gene ◽  
Wing Pattern ◽  
Molecular Approach ◽  
Dna Barcodes ◽  
Morphological Differences ◽  
Proclossiana Eunomia

The Proclossiana eunomia (Esper, 1799) complex is currently composed of the several subspecies distributed throughout Palaearсtic region and North America. Despite the fact that some of the taxa have differences in wing pattern and body size, previous assumptions on taxonomy not supported by molecular data. Therefore, the identity of certain populations of this complex has remained unclear and the taxonomic status of several recently described taxa is debated. Here, we provide insights into systematics of some Palaearctic members of this group using molecular approach, based on the analysis of the barcoding fragment of the COI gene taking into account known morphological differences.

scholarly journals A developmentally descriptive method for quantifying shape in gastropod shells

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (163) ◽  
pp. 20190721
Author(s):  
J. Larsson ◽  
A. M. Westram ◽  
S. Bengmark ◽  
T. Lundh ◽  
R. K. Butlin
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Shell Shape ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Littorina Saxatilis ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Gastropod Shell ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Descriptive Method

The growth of snail shells can be described by simple mathematical rules. Variation in a few parameters can explain much of the diversity of shell shapes seen in nature. However, empirical studies of gastropod shell shape variation typically use geometric morphometric approaches, which do not capture this growth pattern. We have developed a way to infer a set of developmentally descriptive shape parameters based on three-dimensional logarithmic helicospiral growth and using landmarks from two-dimensional shell images as input. We demonstrate the utility of this approach, and compare it to the geometric morphometric approach, using a large set of Littorina saxatilis shells in which locally adapted populations differ in shape. Our method can be modified easily to make it applicable to a wide range of shell forms, which would allow for investigations of the similarities and differences between and within many different species of gastropods.

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