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Ghione CR, Dean MD. Sexual Size Dimorphism Correlates With the Number of Androgen Response Elements in Mammals, But Only in Small-Bodied Species. Genome Biol Evol 2025; 17:evaf068. [PMID: 40248910 PMCID: PMC12015095 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evaf068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2025] [Accepted: 03/30/2025] [Indexed: 04/19/2025] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism is common throughout the animal kingdom, but its evolution and development remain difficult to explain given most of the genome is shared between males and females. Sex-biased regulation of genes via sex hormone signaling offers an intuitive mechanism by which males and females could develop different body sizes. One prediction of this hypothesis is that the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism scales with the number of androgen response elements or estrogen response elements, the DNA motifs to which sex hormone receptors bind. Here, we test this hypothesis using 268 mammalian species with full genome assemblies and annotations. We find that in the two smallest-bodied lineages (Chiroptera and Rodentia), sexual size dimorphism increases (male-larger) as the number of androgen response elements in a genome increases. In fact, myomorph rodents-which are especially small-bodied with high sexual size dimorphism-show an explosion of androgen receptor elements in their genomes. In contrast, the three large-bodied lineages (orders Carnivora, Cetartiodactyla, and Primates) do not show this relationship, instead following Rensch's Rule, or the observation that sexual size dimorphism increases with overall body size. One hypothesis to unify these observations is that small-bodied organisms like bats and rodents tend to reach peak reproductive fitness quickly and are more reliant on hormonal signaling to achieve sexual size dimorphism over relatively short time periods. Our study uncovers a previously unappreciated relationship between sexual size dimorphism, body size, and hormone signaling that likely varies in ways related to life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb R Ghione
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Matthew D Dean
- Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Sampaio WV, Leão DL, Sousa PDC, Domingues SFS. Seasonal variations in gonadosomatic index and seminal quality of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri collinsi). J Med Primatol 2023; 52:92-99. [PMID: 36468665 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We hypothesized that seasonal variations in testicular biometry in Saimiri collinsi are influenced by body mass and that testicular enlargement is related to improved seminal quality. Therefore, the gonadosomatic index (GSI) can be a tool to determine reproductive seasons and the predictors of seminal quality. METHODS Body mass, testicular biometry, and semen samples were obtained from eight adult males monthly and evaluated. RESULTS In the non-fattening/non-reproductive season, the body mass and GSI decreased and increased, respectively, in the fattening. A positive correlation was only observed between the GSI and seminal volume. During fattening, high seminal volume and normal morphology were observed, but sperm concentrations were low. CONCLUSION The GSI cannot be used as a predictor of seminal quality, but selective pressure to improve seminal quality may increase the chances of fertilization at fattening. The GSI provides new information on seasonality and can be used to identify reproductive seasons in squirrel monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wlaisa Vasconcelos Sampaio
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Health and Production in the Amazon, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Brazil
| | - Danuza Leite Leão
- Laboratory of Wild Animal Biotechnology and Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal, Brazil.,Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development, Tefé, Brazil
| | - Patrícia da Cunha Sousa
- Laboratory of Wild Animal Biotechnology and Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal, Brazil
| | - Sheyla Farhayldes Souza Domingues
- Postgraduate Program in Animal Health and Production in the Amazon, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Belém, Brazil.,Laboratory of Wild Animal Biotechnology and Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade Federal do Pará, Castanhal, Brazil
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de Winter II, Umanets A, Gort G, Nieuwland WH, van Hooft P, Heitkönig IMA, Kappeler PM, Prins HHT, Smidt H. Effects of seasonality and previous logging on faecal helminth-microbiota associations in wild lemurs. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16818. [PMID: 33033341 PMCID: PMC7544911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73827-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal helminth-microbiota associations are shaped by various ecological processes. The effect of the ecological context of the host on the bacterial microbiome and gastrointestinal helminth parasites has been tested in a number of ecosystems and experimentally. This study takes the important step to look at these two groups at the same time and to start to examine how these communities interact in a changing host environment. Fresh faecal samples (N = 335) from eight wild Eulemur populations were collected over 2 years across Madagascar. We used 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to characterise the bacterial microbiota composition, and faecal flotation to isolate and morphologically identify nematode eggs. Infections with nematodes of the genera Callistoura and Lemuricola occurred in all lemur populations. Seasonality significantly contributed to the observed variation in microbiota composition, especially in the dry deciduous forest. Microbial richness and Lemuricola spp. infection prevalence were highest in a previously intensely logged site, whereas Callistoura spp. showed no such pattern. In addition, we observed significant correlations between gastrointestinal parasites and bacterial microbiota composition in these lemurs, with 0.4-0.7% of the variation in faecal bacterial microbiota composition being explained by helminth infections. With this study, we show effects of environmental conditions on gastrointestinal nematodes and bacterial interactions in wild lemurs and believe it is essential to consider the potential role of microbiome-parasite associations on the hosts' GI stability, health, and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- I I de Winter
- Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - A Umanets
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - G Gort
- Biometris, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - W H Nieuwland
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - P van Hooft
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - I M A Heitkönig
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - P M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - H H T Prins
- Animal Sciences Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - H Smidt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Umanets A, de Winter I, IJdema F, Ramiro-Garcia J, van Hooft P, Heitkönig IMA, Prins HHT, Smidt H. Occupancy strongly influences faecal microbial composition of wild lemurs. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2018; 94:4838981. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiy017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Umanets
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Iris de Winter
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Freek IJdema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Javier Ramiro-Garcia
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Pim van Hooft
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ignas M A Heitkönig
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Herbert H T Prins
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hauke Smidt
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Crowley BE, Slater PA, Arrigo-Nelson SJ, Baden AL, Karpanty SM. Strontium isotopes are consistent with low-elevation foraging limits for Henst's goshawk. WILDLIFE SOC B 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E. Crowley
- University of Cincinnati; Departments of Geology and Anthropology; 500 Geology Physics Building Cincinnati OH 45221 USA
| | - Philip A. Slater
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Department of Anthropology; 607 S Mathews Avenue, M/C 148 Urbana IL 61801 USA
| | - Summer J. Arrigo-Nelson
- California University of Pennsylvania; Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences; 250 University Avenue − Box 45 California PA 15419 USA
| | - Andrea L. Baden
- Hunter College, of the City University of New York; Department of Anthropology; 695 Park Avenue New York NY 10065 USA
| | - Sarah M. Karpanty
- Virginia Tech; Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation; 310 W Campus Drive, Cheatham Hall, Room 106 (MC 0321) Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
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Gordon AD, Johnson SE, Louis EE. Females are the ecological sex: Sex-specific body mass ecogeography in wild sifaka populations (Propithecusspp.). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:77-87. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adam D. Gordon
- Department of Anthropology; University at Albany - SUNY; Albany; NY; 12222
| | - Steig E. Johnson
- Department of Anthropology; University of Calgary; Calgary; Alberta; Canada; T2N 1N4
| | - Edward E. Louis
- Center for Conservation and Research, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium; Omaha; NE; 68107
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Sexual Size Dimorphism in Australopithecus: Current Understanding and New Directions. THE PALEOBIOLOGY OF AUSTRALOPITHECUS 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-007-5919-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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TECOT STACEYR, ROMINE NATALIEK. Leading Ladies: Leadership of Group Movements in a Pair-Living, Co-Dominant, Monomorphic Primate Across Reproductive Stages and Fruit Availability Seasons. Am J Primatol 2012; 74:591-601. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fernandez-Duque E. Rensch's rule, Bergmann's effect and adult sexual dimorphism in wild monogamous owl monkeys (Aotus azarai) of Argentina. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2012; 146:38-48. [PMID: 21710658 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Some monogamous primates are characterized by biparental care, territoriality, and a reduced level of physical dimorphism. In others, the relationship between those behavioral patterns and dimorphism is less clear. I tested Bergmann's and Rensch's rules using Aotus spp. body mass data and I characterized the extent of sexual dimorphism in body mass, dental and physical measurements in a socially monogamous owl monkey population (n = 91 adults) from the Argentinean Gran Chaco. A. azarai azarai from the Argentinean Chaco is larger than the more tropical owl monkey species (r = 0.7, N = 6 species), but there is no apparent increase in sexual dimorphism with increased body mass. The body masses of adult male and female A. a. azarai were remarkably similar (Mean = 1.26 kg); there were no marked sex differences in most skeletal measurements, but males had higher and wider upper and lower canines than did females. Body mass and neck circumference were positively and strongly related (r = 0.533, n = 52), and the body mass of adults was not a reliable indicator of their age (r = 0.03, n = 10). The data illustrate the complexities inherent in examining and summarizing within population variation in skeletal and nonskeletal measurements and contribute to a better understanding of the relationships between monogamous behavioral patterns and sexual dimorphism.
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Carrasco MF, Blumstein DT. Mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) respond to yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) alarm calls. Ethology 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2011.02002.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Delmore KE, Louis EE, Johnson SE. Morphological characterization of a brown lemur hybrid zone (Eulemur rufifrons × E. cinereiceps). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2011; 145:55-66. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.21466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2010] [Accepted: 11/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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King SJ, Morelli TL, Arrigo-Nelson S, Ratelolahy FJ, Godfrey LR, Wyatt J, Tecot S, Jernvall J, Wright PC. Morphometrics and pattern of growth in wild sifakas (Propithecus edwardsi) at ranomafana national park, madagascar. Am J Primatol 2010; 73:155-72. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2009] [Revised: 08/02/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2010] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Characterization of 18 microsatellite marker loci in the white-collared lemur (Eulemur cinereiceps). CONSERV GENET 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-008-9760-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Baden AL, Brenneman RA, Louis EE. Morphometrics of wild black-and-white ruffed lemurs [Varecia variegata; Kerr, 1792]. Am J Primatol 2008; 70:913-26. [PMID: 18623117 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.20583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
This study presents the first detailed morphometric measurements of wild caught black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) from the eastern rainforests of Madagascar and aims to quantify the morphological variation present throughout their recognized range. One hundred and forty-four adult and juvenile individuals from 15 sites were sampled for 20 cranial, dental and postcranial morphometric and body mass measurements. Data were collected from an equal number of male and female individuals sampled across seasons over a 7-year period (1999-2002, 2004-2006). Results indicate that adult body mass and morphometric measurements varied between sexes across sites; however, the only significant intersexual difference found was that females possessed, on average, longer tails than males. Contrary to previous studies, significant seasonal variation could not be detected in either male or female body mass or testicular volume (i.e., breeding vs. nonbreeding, food-scarce vs. food-abundant seasons). Measurements did, however, vary significantly by site and subspecies, though clinal variation could not explain these differences. The introduced population from Nosy Mangabe exhibited significantly lower body mass and overall body length than all other populations; however, this distinction may not have been attributable to natural variation, and may have instead resulted from the ecologically restrictive habitat (e.g., unusually high lemur population densities, limited food resources, ecological isolation) of this introduced population. Finally, although fore-to-hindlimb, brachium-to-thigh and hindlimb indices were comparable to previous values, forelimb indices calculated here deviate significantly from previous reports, placing V. variegata within the upper range of lemurid taxa. It is currently unknown whether this is an artifact of sampling methods (i.e., live vs. skeletal specimens) or whether this is an avenue that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L Baden
- Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-4364, USA. andrea.baden@gmail
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Charpentier MJE, Tung J, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Age at maturity in wild baboons: genetic, environmental and demographic influences. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:2026-40. [PMID: 18346122 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03724.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The timing of early life-history events, such as sexual maturation and first reproduction, can greatly influence variation in individual fitness. In this study, we analysed possible sources of variation underlying different measures of age at social and physical maturation in wild baboons in the Amboseli basin, Kenya. The Amboseli baboons are a natural population primarily comprised of yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) that occasionally hybridize with anubis baboons (Papio anubis) from outside the basin. We found that males and females differed in the extent to which various factors influenced their maturation. Surprisingly, we found that male maturation was most strongly related to the proportion of anubis ancestry revealed by their microsatellite genotypes: hybrid males matured earlier than yellow males. In contrast, although hybrid females reached menarche slightly earlier than yellow females, maternal rank and the presence of maternal relatives had the largest effects on female maturation, followed by more modest effects of group size and rainfall. Our results indicate that a complex combination of demographic, genetic, environmental, and maternal effects contribute to variation in the timing of these life-history milestones.
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Affiliation(s)
- M J E Charpentier
- Department of Biology, Duke University, PO Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Schillaci MA, Froehlich JW, Supriatna J. Growth and sexual dimorphism in a population of hybrid macaques. J Zool (1987) 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00208.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. A. Schillaci
- Department of Social Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J. W. Froehlich
- Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - J. Supriatna
- Center for Biodiversity and Conservation Studies, Fakultas Matematika dan Ilmu Pengethuan Alam, University of Indonesia, Depok, Java, Indonesia
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