TY  - JOUR
A1  - Reinhard, Sandy
A1  - Renner, Sandra
A1  - Kupfer, Alexander
T1  - Sexual dimorphism and age of Mediterranean salamanders
JF  - Zoology
N2  - We analysed sexual size dimorphism (SSD) for two Mediterranean species of the "true" salamander clade possessing distinct life histories (Salamandra algira and Mertensiella caucasica) and equilibrated the morphometric approach to individual age by using skeletochronology. For species that have a short breeding season and live at high altitudes, such as Mediterranean amphibians, the fecundity advantage hypothesis predicts female-biased SSD to maximise reproductive success. Our results showed no SSD in either species; however, morphometric data indicated a male-biased dimorphism in limb (arm and leg) dimensions in both species when compared to body size. Limb dimorphisms are likely related to the particular mating system, which involves an amplexus during spermatophore transfer. Arm length appeared sexually dimorphic during ontogeny both in viviparous Salamandra algira and oviparous Mertensiella caucasica. A review on SSD indicated monomorphy of body size as a common lineage-specific pattern among the "true" salamander clade, but also the common presence of other traits such as sexually dimorphic limb proportions. (C) 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
KW  - Amphibia
KW  - Salamanders
KW  - Life history
KW  - Sexual dimorphism
KW  - Skeletochronology
Y1  - 2015
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2014.08.002
SN  - 0944-2006
VL  - 118
IS  - 1
SP  - 19
EP  - 26
PB  - Elsevier
CY  - Jena
ER  -