Ecology of Sexual Dimorphism and Clinal Variation of Coloration in a Damselfly
Ecology of Sexual Dimorphism and Clinal Variation of Coloration in a Damselfly
复制标题
DOI：
10.1086/656491
复制
发表时间：
2010-11-01
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Cooper, Idelle A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cooper, Idelle A.
性选择比自然选择更被认为是性别差异的主要原因。在这里，我展示了太阳辐射水平与夏威夷豆娘体色性别二态性之间的生态相关性。 Megalagrion calliphya 在高海拔地区表现出性别单形性，两性都是红色；低海拔地区的两性异形，雌性呈绿色；中海拔地区雌性有限的二态性，其中红色和绿色雌性都存在。在中海拔种群中，红色雌性在每日太阳辐射水平较高的情况下也更为普遍。我发现红色色素沉着与卓越的抗氧化能力相关，这种能力可以防止紫外线损伤，并为暴露栖息地的豆娘带来好处，其中包括雄性豆娘，它们在所有海拔地区保护暴露的交配栖息地，而雌性则在除高海拔以外的阴凉栖息地。这项研究描述了性二态性的生态学特征，并为雌性有限二态性的进化提供了一个新的生态假设。
Sexual selection, more so than natural selection, is posited as the major cause of sex differences. Here I show ecological correlations between solar radiation levels and sexual dimorphism in body color of a Hawaiian damselfly. Megalagrion calliphya exhibits sexual monomorphism at high elevations, where both sexes are red in color; sexual dimorphism at low elevations, where females are green; and female-limited dimorphism at midelevations, where both red and green females exist. Within a midelevation population, red females are also more prevalent during high daily levels of solar radiation. I found that red pigmentation is correlated with superior antioxidant ability that may protect from UV damage and confer a benefit to damselflies in exposed habitats, including males, which defend exposed mating habitats at all elevations, and females, which are in shaded habitats except at high elevation. This study characterizes the ecology of sexual dimorphism and provides a new, ecological hypothesis for the evolution of female-limited dimorphism.