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The heritability of sexually dimorphic traits in the yellow dung fly Scathophaga stercoraria (L.)
Author(s) -
Simmons Leigh W.,
Ward Paul I.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.1991.4040593.x
Subject(s) - biology , sexual dimorphism , heritability , genetic variation , sexual selection , natural selection , genetic correlation , evolutionary biology , variation (astronomy) , zoology , selection (genetic algorithm) , genetics , gene , physics , artificial intelligence , computer science , astrophysics
A precise method was used for estimating the proportion of heritable variation in two life history parameters of the yellow dung fly, whereby environmental components of variance were minimized. Significant heritable variation for body size was revealed for father to son and mother to daughter relationships. Variation in development time was not significantly heritable. There is a marked sexual dimorphism in body size in this species which is discussed in the light of the observed sex‐genotype interaction in heritabilities and low genetic correlation for size between the sexes. It is suggested that opposing pressures of sexual and natural selection and/or genetic pleotropy may be responsible for the maintenance of heritable variation, and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in these two traits.