• Title/Summary/Keyword: dimorphism

Search Result 135, Processing Time 0.022 seconds

Sex and Population Differences in Intelligence Are Partly Caused by Sexual Selection: Hn Evolutionary Hypothesis

  • Piffer, Davide
    • Interdisciplinary Bio Central
    • /
    • v.6 no.4
    • /
    • pp.2.1-2.7
    • /
    • 2014
  • Sexual dimorphism in intelligence suggests that this phenotype is a sexually selected trait. This view is supported by an overrepresentation (compared to the autosomal genome) of genes affecting cognition on the X chromosome. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that sexual selection can explain sex and country-level differences in performance on tests of fluid intelligence. Nationally representative samples from N = 44 countries were obtained from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) Creative Problem Solving (CPS), which evaluates the core of intelligence, that is novel problem solving ability. Sexual selection has the double effect of increasing the prevalence of a favored phenotype and reducing genetic variation in sexually selected traits. Matching these predictions from evolutionary theory, the average country fluid intelligence is positively correlated to sexual dimorphism after partialling out per capita GDP and the latter in turn is inversely correlated to variance in intelligence scores within populations. Males have a higher variance than females but there is a negative correlation between male-female difference in variance and sexual dimorphism in intelligence, suggesting that selection reduces variance more in the selected sex. Average country male height is negatively correlated to sexual dimorphism in intelligence, a fact that supports the notion of a trade-off between physical and intellectual competition in the context of access to females. The results of this study, if replicated, imply that genome-wide association studies of cognition may benefit from a focus on sex chromosomes, which so far have been neglected. Another implication of this study is that intelligence has continued to evolve after different human populations migrated out of Africa and possibly up to the 19th century, as suggested by the substantial variability in sex differences even between neighbouring countries.

Sexual Dimorphism in Morphometric Characteristics of Korean Chub Zacco koreanus (Pisces, Cyprinidae)

  • Kim, Young-Ja;Zhang, Chang-Ik;Park, In-Seok;Na, Jong-Hun;Olin, Paul
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.31 no.2
    • /
    • pp.107-113
    • /
    • 2008
  • We measured a set of 37 morphological characteristics in 97 specimens of adult Korean chub, Zacco koreanus, trapped in the Milyang River, Korea, in May and October of 2005. Twelve out of thirty-seven morphometric measurements were significantly different between the sexes. In particular, both the pectoral fin length and the direct distance between the insertion of the dorsal fin and the insertion of the anal fin were highly significant (p < 0.001). This sexual dimorphism may reflect the outcome of sexual selection in this species.

Morphometric Characteristics of Diploid and Triploid Marine Medaka, Oryzias dancena

  • Park, In-Seok;Gil, Hyun Woo;Kim, Dong Soo
    • Development and Reproduction
    • /
    • v.22 no.2
    • /
    • pp.183-192
    • /
    • 2018
  • The morphometric truss characteristics and classical dimensions of the marine medaka, Oryzias dancena, that might distinguish diploid and triploid fish were examined. Significant differences in all the classical and truss dimensions of the diploid and triploid fish were observed in both sexes (p<0.01). All the dimensions of the triploid fish were greater than those of the diploid fish. The triploid marine medaka shows sexual dimorphism in these characters, and the sexual dimorphism of the triploid marine medaka is similar to that of the diploid marine medaka. Thus, when their classical dimension and truss dimension was measured, the growth of triploid marine medaka is faster than that of the diploid fish, and it displays clear sexual dimorphism, with male fish having longer dorsal and anal fins than female fish.

Morphometric Characteristics and Fin Dimorphism between Male and Female on the Marine Medaka, Oryzias dancena

  • Im, Jae Hyun;Gil, Hyun Woo;Lee, Tae Ho;Kong, Hee Jeong;Ahn, Cheol Min;Kim, Bong Seok;Kim, Dong Soo;Zhang, Chang Ik;Park, In-Seok
    • Development and Reproduction
    • /
    • v.20 no.4
    • /
    • pp.331-347
    • /
    • 2016
  • Sexual dimorphism is the most conspicuous difference between the sexes. This study examines possible sexual dimorphism and the relative growth patterns of morphometric characteristics in the marine medaka, Oryzias dancena for their potential to help differentiate between males and females of this species. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters estimated by a non-linear regression method were $L_{\infty}=30.2mm$, K=3.22/year, and ${\tau}_0=-0.05$. All 18 characteristics measured showed a difference between males and females from 70 days after hatching. Each of these characteristics were significantly different between sexes (ANCOVA, P<0.05), and the ratio of standard length between sexes showed that males were larger than females for all five morphometric measurements. Fin length measurements were taken for 21 distances of anal fin and 7 distances of dorsal fin between landmarks. There were all differences for all dorsal fin rays between the males and the females and there is significant difference in 70 days after their hatch when the sexual dimorphism is presented. The significant difference (P<0.05) in fin ray for male and female was more greatly seen as they grow. Male marine medaka showed more rapid growth than females, with longer length, dorsal fins and anal fins. Differences in these characteristics will be useful during experiments when it is necessary to differentiate between sexes of marine medaka.

Sexual Dimorphic Effects of Terbufos on Acetylcholinesterase and Lethality

  • Kim, Seung-Yong;Kwon, Yun-Hee;Kwon, Oh-Seung
    • Proceedings of the PSK Conference
    • /
    • 2002.10a
    • /
    • pp.295.2-296
    • /
    • 2002
  • An organophosphate pesticide terbufos (S-t-butylthiomethyl-O.O-diethyl phosphorodithioate; TBF) has been extensively used as an insecticide. A sexual dimorphism in TBF toxicity was not reported and remains unclear. Objective of the work is to investigate the influence of TBF on sexual dimorphism in rats by using acethlcholinesterase (AchE). (omitted)

  • PDF

Phylogenetic relationship of the wild silkworm, Bombyx mandarina, inferred from aninternal transcribed spacer (ITS) of rDNA

  • Kim, Kyung-ah;Nho, Si-kab
    • Proceedings of the Korean Society of Sericultural Science Conference
    • /
    • 2003.04a
    • /
    • pp.42-42
    • /
    • 2003
  • The wild silkworm, Bombyx mandarina, was believed the only ancestor of B. mori, inhabits the limited area of Eastern Asia including China, Korea and Japan. However, the geographic dimorphism of B. mandarina was reported with chromosome number and arylphorin gene. In connection with those dimorphism, we studied the genetic differences of ITS-2 region in rDNA purposing the differentiation and geographic variation within the species of B. mandarina. (omitted)

  • PDF

Allometry of Lycomedes reichei Breme, 1844 and allied species

  • Wonseok Choi
    • Proceedings of the National Institute of Ecology of the Republic of Korea
    • /
    • v.5 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-9
    • /
    • 2024
  • The subfamily Dynastinae generally exhibits strong dimorphism among males. However, until recently, studies on dimorphism and allometry were limited to horns. Lycomedes is a neotropic genus that belongs to the subfamily Dynastinae and is restricted to the Andean region of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. Among the Colombian Lycomedes species, this study focuses on the L. reichei and allied species, which have been designated here as the L. reichei species group, that displays a dramatic allometry. Here, various morphological characteristics of the L. reichei species group were analyzed and an allometry was proven.

Responses of different phytoelements to habitat light level and their dynamic convergence towards crown development of Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. japonica

  • Ali, Md. Sohrab;Kikuzawa, Kihachiro
    • Journal of Ecology and Environment
    • /
    • v.35 no.3
    • /
    • pp.177-188
    • /
    • 2012
  • We analyzed crown development in Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. japonica resulting from the responses of phytoelements to habitat light conditions over a long period of time. Over the years, the degree of extension unit (EU) dimorphism and the degree of anisophylly were higher under shaded conditions than in brighter conditions. An overall temporally increasing pattern in the degree of EU dimorphism was found while no clear-cut trend was found in the case of anisophylly. EU length and number of leaves per EU co-varied in a spatio-temporal context. The number of terminal buds and their sizes acted as the key initiators of morphological differences of phytoelements which were further amplified following bud break. Leaf area density was displayed mostly in the apex peripheral layer of the crown and the apex layer received most of the incident light. There was a tradeoff between annual leaf production and mean leaf size. Depending on the heterogeneity of irradiance level within a crown, correlative growth inhibition caused higher EU mortality at brighter sites. Due to high mortality, shorter EUs had a mere role in the construction of structural framework of the crown except for the formation of some gaps. There was a strong convergence of EU dimorphism, anisophylly, EU extension growth and variations in leaf size towards formation of functional crown to reduce potential self-shading. Depending on the irradiance level, Aucuba japonica Thunb. var. japonica showed two different modes of crown expansion. At the brighter sites, individual crown expansion was progressive while at the darker sites, individual crown expanded in a diminishing manner and maintained a stable size. A plant's "growth diminishing phase" appeared earlier at shaded sites than brighter sites.